Anchor chain

Yosef":2wisiuhq said:
I've been encountering recommendations that to prepare for cruising up to SE Alaska one should be ready to anchor in 100' of water.

Will 721' of rode (chain + rope) fit in the anchor locker of an '88 22' cruiser?

-Joe
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The places where a C Dory 22 would have to anchor in 100 feet or greater are going to be very rare, even with my Cal 46,(draft 6') There were very few places where I needed all of my rode: I carried 200 feet of chain, and 400 feet of nylon rode on my primary anchor. (Secondary 50 feet of chain, and 400 feet of rode.)

For example in Ford's Terror, if you want to anchor in the West Arm, near the falls, then you will need to anchor in 100'. However you can easily anchor in relatively shoal water (taking account for the tidal range of 25') in the East arm.

For AK, I would go with 100' of chain and 400' of 8 plait rode--which should fit in the anchor locker of a 22 (at least it did in mine)--but you want a horizontal axis windlass, not vertical axis, which requires more chain fall into the anchor locker.

Enjoy some of the best cruising in the World in SE AK!
 
Up sizing the anchor adds to the benefits of holding on the bottom whatever
length of chain you have. If your concern is too much weight forward with a
larger anchor, removing equivalent chain length weight compensates. I like
chain, so I probably wouldn't cut off a few pounds of chain.

Mostly, despite numerous published "ground tackle recommendations", opinion
dominates here. So here's mine. Generally, I've gone with a larger anchor and
chain length: boat length about 3:1.

Aye.
 
Needing to anchor in 100 ft of water with a CD22 or stern tie is very rare in SE Alaska. We’ve done considerable cruising & anchoring throughout SE Alaska & we have only needed to stern tie once & anchor in 80 to 100 feet of water, maybe three or four times & then our 300 feet of rode & chain quite sufficient. We do have an oversized 25# Manson Boss anchor, but one of a similar type & a size smaller would work just not near as well. With a CD22 having 50 foot of chain & a anchor of the Vulcan, Manson Supreme or Boss, Rocna or similar type of 15 or more lbs, seldom would one need more than a 3 to 1 scope in good holding bottoms. We have anchored in very protected, but tight anchorage overnight with only 2 to 1 scope & normally don’t use more than a 3 to 1 & have anchored in 50+ mph winds with a 5 to 1. The only way we would go to 7 to 1 is if having plenty of room & a gale is forecast, but even then our preference would be to tuck up in a small wind protected nook, where room for the high end scope is very limited or impossible. We don’t mind at all swinging on the hook even in high winds as this allows the bow to be kept into the wind for the most part & less stress on the anchor than when stern tied with changing winds hitting from the beam or stern. I’ve seen quite a few stern tied boats have their anchors drag & have to readjust from strong winds hitting their beam.

Jay
 
100 feet of chain is a lot for a CD 22. My own personal experience in Alaska is 40-50 feet or chain, a 14 pound Danforth (or whatever), and 250-300 ish feet of the stuff west marine sold me is more than enough even when it is whipping up real good. On a proper set, it has never slipped. However, like Jay, I always find a place to go hide if it's snotty and that right there is probably the best advice you're ever going to get about anchoring :-)
 
Thank you all so much for your replies!!!!

ssobol: I pulled the golf cart batteries and replaced them with a single class 24.

thataway: I've taken to heart your statement "It is better to achieve trim with both Permatrim and trim tabs."

cptvic: Thank you for answering my question, "Would 100' of 1/4" G4 galvanized drop the bow a significant amount?"

Peter & Judy: The wife says I can't afford to trade her in for a taller model, so we're going to try your pillow idea. Great story about the deer eating your anchor rope :)

Hunkydory: I'm not sure my 14lb Delta is fairly included with the anchors you list, but it's what I've got until I can afford an Ultramarine.

As a newcomer to the C-Dory owners' community, I must say you all are very generous. Thank you all again!

-Joe Dowd
 
14lb Delta is fairly included with the anchors you list, but it's what I've got until I can afford an Ultramarine.
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I consider the Delta anchor a 2nd generation anchor, perhaps slightly better than the CQR (genuine) Plow, which was the cruising standard for many years, and what I used on several 4 to 5 year voyages and several thousand nights at anchor in the 70+ years I have been skippering boats.

The 3rd generation are anchors like the Manson Supreme (Boss is no longer made, but is similar to Vulcan), Sarca, Mantis, Spade etc. The Ultra Marine is rarely tested with the above (and Danforth, Fortress and Super Max. The Ultra Marine is not often sold in the USA, and is outrageously expensive--I would not buy one---for the C Dory 22 the 8 KG is suggested--fair enough and the cost is about 857 Euro or about $930 by the current exchange ratio.

I have used Delta, CQR, Boss and Manson Supreme in AK--all have been equal for the most part, but all will drag in what is turned "ball bearing rocks" or "cobblestones". Although I always carry a genuine High Tensil Strength Danforth, in appropriate size or more recently the Fortress, I don't consider it the prime anor for AK--The Danforth and Fortress are excellent in sand and certain types of mud bottoms. I have purposefully left out the Bruce or "Claw", since my experience with it is limited, and not good. I realize that many use it and have been satisfied. Overall it tends to rank toward the bottom of most of the tests I have flowed thru the years. (and tests I have done myself).

The Delta should do fine for you. In several hundred nights at anchor in AK, I only drug one time--and that was the ball bearing rocks. I do tend toward the 7:1 scope perhaps more than some others, but I also have a lot of nights at anchor in all types if bottoms, and a drawing anchor could mean the potential loss of a boat, So I tend to be a little safer. I generally go up one size of anchor from the "suggested" charts. Granted that 98+ nights almost any anchor will work. It is that 1% to 2% where less than ideal might not work.
 
I can tell you that we have been running 100' of chain on our 22 cruiser for quite a few years as well as 175' of three strand. The boat handles quit well with the weight. We have permatrim and trim tabs. and we have encountered very rough seas crossing the Juan De Fuca Strait, the Georgia Strait up to Desolation Sound and have also taken it out in to the Pacific Ocean numerous times encountering rough water and following waves of different levels. We have found that the boat handles no different than it did when we were running 50 feet of chain and no noticeable bow steer This is not from speculation but rather actual experience. we have also found that it makes anchoring very convenient and never have to worry about slipping with our Manson supreme anchor. Another bonus with the long chain is that we can usually anchor with out the rope rode touching bottom. The rope comes up clean and the chain sheds the mud and sea weed much better than the rope.
 
We are on the chesapeake so typically anchor in 4-6' for an overnight . the tidal change is not usually too drastic except for early in season.
Lots of tributaries, nooks and crannies...4' of water 30-35' of all chain and danforth never have a problem. Most areas are mud bottom .
 
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