Anchor for a 25 ft cdory

J

jkswor

New member
So I have a 24lb plow on my boat. I had a 15lb on a 22ft. Why wouldn’t the 15 lb work on this 25ft?
I’m in valdez ak in a slip. I see seeming small anchors on very large boats
The guy in my RV Park said he has never used anything larger than 11 lbs
Just looking for opinions
Also when I release the anchor switch the anchor just sits there. Original anchor roller. Any thoughts on making it drop without going on bow to do it?
 
I just purchased a used 25 that came with a claw anchor, probably in the 20 lb range. I didn't care for it, and bought a new 14 lb Delta just like what I had on my 22. Several told me I really need to go to the 22 lb. However, when you read all the charts on sizing anchors, Delta says the 14 lb is good for up to 30' boats, until gale force winds, at which point you should go up a size. I don't anchor in gale force winds, but realize weather can change, in which case I'm probably not going to sleep anyway, so can maintain an anchor watch... None the less I'm also of the idea that it's not just the anchor's weight, but how it holds in the sea/lake floor. Not claiming to know much about anchors, and I have only started doing more anchoring in the last few years. I sometimes think one can go too much and bigger isn't always better. I guess time will tell if I made a mistake getting the smaller anchor. As for the anchor dropping on it's own, on the 22 the anchor roller it came with did not drop by itself either, so I replace it with one that "tilted" when the anchor was lowered. The newer 25 has a straight style roller as well, but the anchor seems to drop fine from it, due to it's setup. So I think it has a lot to do with the type of anchor roller you have. Colby
 
jkswor":27y2mfnq said:
So I have a 24lb plow on my boat. I had a 15lb on a 22ft. Why wouldn’t the 15 lb work on this 25ft?
I’m in valdez ak in a slip. I see seeming small anchors on very large boats
The guy in my RV Park said he has never used anything larger than 11 lbs
Just looking for opinions
Also when I release the anchor switch the anchor just sits there. Original anchor roller. Any thoughts on making it drop without going on bow to do it?
Click to expand...


I use a 22# lewmar W/100' of 1/4" chain, 400' 1/2" 3 strand. :beer :thup

I don't drag anchor any more :mrgreen:

I changed to a pivoting bow roller.
 
Watched lots of videos and did a lot of reading...went with a 13 lb Mantus M1 with about 50 feet of chain and 250 of 8 plait line.

For the 25 C-Dory I would recommend a 25 lb with a same amount of chain/line....that would seem secure holding power.
 
Our 12KG Rocna Vulcan, 50' 5/16 G4 chain, and 120' of 9/16" nylon braid has been excellent in anything including gale force winds, no anchor watch needed as we sleep well at night no matter what.
 
Let me point out that different anchor shapes are good in different anchoring surfaces. I presently have 3 types of anchors: a Danforth high tensile , a Lewmar claw and a Ronca. I also went with a CQR when cruising with a sailboat, bacled by a Fortress.

I use each for a different seabed. The Danforth is used in seaweed/grass and mud. I use it in SoCal where we have a lot of seaweed. The Lewmar is used in mud, particularly in the Northwast,no good in seaweed. The Ronca is good for seaweed and grass, but, I find, it pulls in mud which is reasonable looking at it's cross section. The CQR only let me down twice, both times in sand. It plowed right through that stuff; however I don't have the boat or anchor anymore. The Fortress proved to be too light to set properly, though I still have it, somewhere.

As far as boat length, each mfg has a different recommendation. Danforth says it's 12 lb hi-tansile is good for 1800 lbs, which is a 42' boat. Lewmar delta wants a 22 lb for <40'. Lewmar claw says its 16.5 is good for <30'. Ronca says its 13 lb is good for <26'.

Also the Danforth is smaller in cross section when folded up so I can store it in the aft lazerette, along with the rest of the stuff. So, it's my spare anchor when I have the claw or Ronca on the front.
All of this are my conclusions. You may differ.

Boris
 
Is the plow a Delta? Genuine CQR plows come in 20# and 25#. Delta comes in 22#. Copies of the CQR plow do not work any where as near as well as the genuine.

For the C Dory 25, I think that the Vulcan or Ronca, Mantus, Manson Supreme, of if you can score a Boss (no longer made??) they are the best. My current boat came with a 22# Delta, and I have a Fx 11 and 2 FX 7 Fortress as back ups.

Best to try out the anchor you have,. Set it with 7:1 scope, in a good sand bottom, or combined mud/sand/rock. and give full reverse after setting it properly. Remember to add 3' to depth of water to account for the bow height off the water.


Pretty much agree with Boris. Except I carried a lot more and larger anchors on my larger sailboats 70# 35#, 20# and 12# Danforth HT. 3 CQR--75#, 60# and 44#, plus 75# and 150# fisherman.

I save Fortress for sand and deep soft mud. Set well for me--but takes a few minutes. and agree they don't set in grass or kelp. For grass, the Fisherman with Shap palms at the tips. Old Northill Sea Plane anchor is also a great grass anchor. One of the most common anchors in the World is the Northill pattern. Hard to stow..

Ref your roller, get one which articulates, that allows the weight of the tip to pull the anchor off the roller:


arsc-03_1000x1000_02.png
 
I have carried 2nd anchor Fortresses on my last 3 boats as backups, I never needed them. The Spade, Rocna roll bar and the Rocna Vucan that were oversized always set hard for us every time, I have used almost every kind of anchor over the last 45 years from 45' down to 20' boats power and sail, I find the new generation anchors may not be perfect in all different bottoms but are by far the best allarounders making one anchor more than suitable for any anchorable situation.
 
Micahbigsur@msn.com":1ph9ky2a said:
I have carried 2nd anchor Fortresses on my last 3 boats as backups, I never needed them. The Spade, Rocna roll bar and the Rocna Vucan that were oversized always set hard for us every time, I have used almost every kind of anchor over the last 45 years from 45' down to 20' boats power and sail, I find the new generation anchors may not be perfect in all different bottoms but are by far the best allarounders making one anchor more than suitable for any anchorable situation.
Click to expand...

The one place that one of two anchors will excel is non cohesive mud. These are the Fortress set at 45* (vs 32* which is standard) and the SuperMax (which is very hard to stow on a C Dory.). Sometimes the 3rd generation anchors will get down thru the mud into clay--and then they set up very well. A Fisherman or Northill pattern is one of the best for that situation, even though they have virtually zero holding power in the non cohesive mud...They penetrate faster than the 3rd generations.
 
We had a 14# Delta. Worked fine for years, but I always thought it under-sized for our 25. Couple of years ago, I bought a 20# Rocna Vulcan when Fisheries had a sale. That thing holds like it's attached to the earth. Last winter I added a Mantus swivel; got tired of the twisted rode.

On 50' of 1/4" chain and 200' of three strand .
 
localboy,

How much chain did you have before you upgraded to 50' chain and 200' line?

At present I only have 15' of 1/4" chain. I've been thinking of replacing that with either 25' or 50' of 1/4" chain. Assuming the new 50' of chain you now use is longer than what you used to have, do you think the longer chain was clearly worthwhile, or is it more a gut feel thing where it just makes you sleep better at night :wink: .
 
smckean (Tosca)":1ew08tab said:
localboy,

How much chain did you have before you upgraded to 50' chain and 200' line?

At present I only have 15' of 1/4" chain. I've been thinking of replacing that with either 25' or 50' of 1/4" chain. Assuming the new 50' of chain you now use is longer than what you used to have, do you think the longer chain was clearly worthwhile, or is it more a gut feel thing where it just makes you sleep better at night :wink: .
Click to expand...


Guidelines I have read state, "Minimum length of anchor chain should be one and a half times the length of the boat".
When I replaced my chain which came with the boat purchase, I went with 50ft of 3/8" high test. Make sure you also change the shackle to high test.

Martin.
 
The rode is the original we've had since 2009 when we bought the boat and outfitted it. Only the swivel & anchor are new. The 14# Delta was at the lower end of their recommendation back then. The nylon 3 strand is showing some abrasion near the chain end, but I don't think it's enough to warrant replacement, yet. I thought of reversing it and making the bitter end the chain end, but I don't know how to braid it properly.

The extra chain definitively helps in holding power, IMO. Twice the length of the boat is what I had read somewhere back in 2009. We have never had an issue with dragging, assuming the proper scope is out. Even with the Delta. I sleep so much better because of it. Most of the time I try to anchor in very shallow water compared to the larger craft around us and do a 5:1 minimum. 7:1 is more the norm when possible. Again: sleeping better.
 
Talking about a swivel between the anchor and the chain. A surveyor was doing his inspection on a boat I was buying and noted the swivel attached between the anchor and the chain. He said this was the wrong set-up and had seen many failed swivels bent out of shape that led to the chain and the anchor parting company in rough weather. He recommended the following set-up if useing a swivel. Working backwards, anchor shank, high test shackle, 4" of high test chain, swivel, then the high test chain from the anchor locker.
He also said, even better, dispense with the swivel. As I had never had a swivel before, I took his advise and removed the swivel. Never had a problem.

Martin.
 
localboy":2jztwh92 said:
I thought of reversing it and making the bitter end the chain end, but I don't know how to braid it properly.
Click to expand...
I get it! I felt that way once too, but I finally tried it....it ain't too hard. As you know, reversing the rode essentially gives you a brand new rode.

Do you know how to splice in a loop into the end of a rope? If so, splicing a rode to a chain isn't much different.....indeed, except for threading the 3 strands through the top link of the chain, the process is identical to splicing in a loop EXCEPT you must taper the splice by cutting out 1/3 of the minor strands a couple of times so that the splice is smaller where it meets the standing part of the rode (as compared to the chain end). This taper facilitates the splice going round the gypsy and down into the chain locker.

If you don't know how to splice a loop into a rope end, do that first until you get the hang of it. It looks simple, and it is, but there are so many ways to make a small error that totally screws up the splice that you will find you have to undo the splice time and again until you finish learning the hard way. Eventually you will come up with a set of "rules" for yourself that keeps the splice flowing smoothly. BTW, larger, softer ropes are easier to practice on.

Lots of "how to" videos on youtube which I found very helpful.

P.S. Looks like I'll be buying some 1/4" chain pretty soon :lol: .
 
We use a Mantus SS swivel it has 3 huge advantages; it is short and compact so it has a good chance of fitting between the stowed anchor and the windlass; it's design attaches to the anchor with a shackle so there can never be any bending force on it and there are no welds that can encourage crevice corrosion which can be the hidden Achilles heel of stainless. This is the only swivel that meets my safety needs, frankly, I think the rest are just dangerous marketing bling. There is a photo of ours on the 2nd page of our Sierra album.

I always before resisted swivels as being a weak and unreliable link but Dana does all the anchoring and as we often anchor for days, with a lot of wind shifts she was fighting too much twisted chain. With the Mantus we are now both happy as there is less chain twist and the anchor easily flips up and around into it's stowage.

The 9/16" braided nylon is also a huge improvement over 3 strand, it never hockles, it flakes down in the locker without tangles and is just more civilized to handle.

I think our 24 lb (12 kg) Vulcan has enough surface and weight to be a good anchor in soft mud with the aid of 50' of 5/16" g4 chain. (1/4" g4 chain is nominally strong enough for a 25 but I don't trust it's strength if it snatches up hard when wrapped around a rock)
I know this may all seem a bit overboard but we have had winds anchored in the same area in the Sea of Cortez we still cruise that have in the past exceeded 80 mph. In lake Mead we once were surprised by an over 40 mph wind one long night anchored in a small cove almost surrounded by rocky bluffs, literally a dozen feet from the lee rocks, even we did not sleep well that night!
 
I have tried swivels several times, and found they really don't add any advantages in many thousands of nights at anchor. Current boat has a swivel, and I am taking it out.
 
I use an ACCO galvanized swivel on Journey On. Load limit is 1500 lbs, I assume this is the working load. Never thought about it, but it has shackles at both ends. Also made in the USA. Goes well between the chain and anchor.

Worked on this boat and it's predecessors. Never failed. As a matter of fact, I can't think of how we'd have recovered the anchor if it had failed. Since the 25 sails at anchor I think a swivel is needed. The cleat will pull out before this swivel fails.

Boris
 
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