How many anchors do you really need?

[n0w0rries]

Just bought a boat from somebody and going through everything.

The boat has an anchor on the bow with chain & rope rode in good shape in a locker.
In a lazarette there's bag with chain & rope rode and anchor
Got another bag with chain & rope rode and anchor
Spare anchor in anchor locker in bow
Huge tub of rode under the vberth
An old rope rode in the bilge at the stern

So that's 3 complete setups with extras (To top it off I found an anchor in my dock box (just moved to a new slip)

So my thoughts are to just keep the nicer bag/rode/anchor setup (can use for bow & stern or storm (at bow) or spare. We mostly day sail and occasional weekends up to a week, most of that time is on a mooring, in southern california. Is there any reason not to get rid of the extra bag setup and spare rodes/anchors?

[treilley]

It is not the number of anchors but more the type of ground tackle you have for your cruising area. If you anchor on mud bottoms then you need an anchor that will perform well there. Different anchors may be needed because your bottoms vary. Also, size does matter.

I would suggest you list the following: type and size of anchor, type/size/length chain, type/size/length of rope rode.

There are plenty of folks here and some are sure to be in your cruising area that can help to know which works best.

I presently have 3 anchors on board(coastal Maine)

45lb Manson supreme, 100ft of 5/16 chain, 300ft. 3 strand nylon
44lb original Bruce, 100ft 5/16 chain, 275ft. 3 strand nylon
15lb Danforth for kedging, 8ft. 5/16 chain, 200ft. 1/2" braided rode

[erps]

I would probaby get rid of one of them if I were in your shoes (weekend cruising/primarily on mooring buoys) I would keep two anchor systems on board though and I would have both of them big enough to handle the typical circumstances for your area on their own. That gives you something you can use if you lose one, or two anchors in more extreme conditions.

[Boasun]

There are a lot of coves were you can do a three point moor with all three anchors. Or have the two bower anchors out and use the two rodes tied to trees or rocks on the shore. This is pending on how long you are going to be in that cove.
The light anchor in the lazarette is probably the keging anchor for pulling yourself off the beach, if you lightly grounded out.

[imagine2frolic]

All that extra line could be used for warps, drouges, or anchor chute. The p.o may have sailed where there were many different bottoms.........i2f

[sawingknots]

if you don't have stuff up to your neck,your without something,day sailing no problem but on an extended trip the thing you thought you would never need in a million years is the very thing that will save you a big towing bill

[CapnBilll]

Three anchors is what I have. day hook, hard bottom anchor, soft bottom anchor, and spare in case one of the above doesn't come back up. oh make that 4.

[genieskip]

I usually go with four anchors on longer cruises (a week or more) when far from my home mooring. A 60lb manson and a fortress 35 as storm anchors, a 44lb Spade as a working anchor and a light fortress as a lunch hook/kedging anchor, all with appropriate chain and line rodes.

[mgiguere]

I have had an anchoring system for cruising around New England...cape cod to Maine...so I could sail the boat somewhere, leave it at anchor, come home and go back in a week or two and feel confident that it was secure and still there. It is as follows: I have a Bruce 22 and a Danforth. The Bruce has 20 feet of chain (on the bow) followed by 50 feet of 3 strand, follwed by a swivel where you can connect the Danforth with 30 feet of rode. When I leave the boat unattended, I hook the Danforth rode to the swivel. After that swivel, I have another 30 feet of chain (that acts like catenary) followed by 100 feet of 3 strand. Believe me, the boat is not going anywhere once set. It's almost as secure as a mooring. The swivel prevents twisting, etc.

Anyway, hope this helps.

Moe

[paulk]

You only really need one anchor. But you have to be sure it will hold. So people carry more than one, because, as noted above, not all anchors hold well in all situations. We carry two, but focus a lot on racing and use moorings a lot when we cruise.