[jorgenl]

This one is probably for Maine Sail...

I know that there are a few hundred threads about anchors on SN but I wish to ask a specific question, hope that is OK;

I am going to buy a new anchor for my Catalina 400 (40' boat 20,000 lbs or thereabouts). (current anchor is tiny...)

Manson recommends for the Supreme anchor:

40-45' boat = 45 lbs anchor ($431 @ defender)
45-55' boat = 60 lbs anchor ($600 @ defender)

Should I stick with the 45 lbs or go with the 60 lbs?

I will use the anchor primarily in the Chesapeake Bay and possibly east coast to Bahamas. 150' of 5/16 chain.

I would consider a Rocna but the sizing question would remain the same...

 

[Cruisingdad]

What do you have on there right now?

Brian

 

[jorgenl]

What do you have on there right now?

Brian

I think it is a 35 lbs Delta. It looks small.

 

[lancelot9898]

I think most world cruisers would tell you to get the largest anchor that you can handle, however, my experience while more limited differs. I have a 37 foot heavy displacement sailboat here on the Cheaspeake and have anchored out maybe 30 times per year over the past 2 decades including a trip down the ICW to Florida and cruising LI Sound to Block Island using a 35 pound CQR. When a Cat 1 hurricane (Gloria) came up the Cheaspeake that was all I was using in a hurricane hole and the anchor held with me aboard. I don't think I'll do that again. Recently I did upgrade to the 45 pound Manson Supreme and did ride out a couple of nights last fall under gale force winds gusting to 50 knots. It did fine and with more use I'm gaining more confidence. The CQR is fine except in soft mud where I think the newer designs will out perform. Never could get a good set with the CQR in horseshoe bend in St Mary's so anxious to try the Manson there. I also use a little heavier chain per foot than you ( 3/8 inch BBB) and that makes some difference, but during the hurricane I was most worried about chafe to the nylon line which looked like a banjo string. The line is spliced to the chain and I use 80 feet of chain with 200 feet of 5/8 inch line spliced to it. I forget what price I paid for the Supreme, but it was cheaper than the Defender price. It was one of the few times West Marine ever had them beat on price!

 

[jorgenl]

I think most world cruisers would tell you to get the largest anchor that you can handle, however, my experience while more limited differs. I have a 37 foot heavy displacement sailboat here on the Cheaspeake and have anchored out maybe 30 times per year over the past 2 decades including a trip down the ICW to Florida and cruising LI Sound to Block Island using a 35 pound CQR. When a Cat 1 hurricane (Gloria) came up the Cheaspeake that was all I was using in a hurricane hole and the anchor held with me aboard. I don't think I'll do that again. Recently I did upgrade to the 45 pound Manson Supreme and did ride out a couple of nights last fall under gale force winds gusting to 50 knots. It did fine and with more use I'm gaining more confidence. The CQR is fine except in soft mud where I think the newer designs will out perform. Never could get a good set with the CQR in horseshoe bend in St Mary's so anxious to try the Manson there. I also use a little heavier chain per foot than you ( 3/8 inch BBB) and that makes some difference, but during the hurricane I was most worried about chafe to the nylon line which looked like a banjo string. The line is spliced to the chain and I use 80 feet of chain with 200 feet of 5/8 inch line spliced to it. I forget what price I paid for the Supreme, but it was cheaper than the Defender price. It was one of the few times West Marine ever had them beat on price!

Lancelot,

Excellent advice.

I want a good size anchor but not overly big either. Seems that the 45 lbs might do the job.

I am sure that the Delta is an OK anchor but I have read many good things about the Manson and the Rocna and feel that a good anchor is one of the most important thing on the boat, we love to anchor out and I promised myself to buy the best anchor I can get my hands on.

 

[erps]

I'm using a 45# Manson on our boat, about the same size as your boat, for coastal cruising in good weather. It's great. When we shove off on our cruise, we'll probably get a 60#.

One thing you'll want to check is your anchor roller. The manson has a thick shank that doesn't fit too well in some of the stock rollers.

 

[Cruisingdad]

I love the Delta. Mine is a 44 and it fits very well on the roller. However, that anchor is probably accurately sized for our boat. I simply chose to have two anchors: One is a CQR, the other is an oversized Delta. The CQR is my lunch hook. It is on a line-rode with 25' of chain. It has NEVER drug (a sailor's last words... but I do not use it if it is going to be blowing). THe 44 lb delta is what I use if I am going to be somewhere a while or a storm is coming. It is all chain.

Brian

 

[Cruisingdad]

Also, make sure you check with Sailnet before purchasing and tell them you are an active member of the forum. Would love to give the business to them where we can.

Brian

 

[sailingdog]

If you're going to be going in areas where you'll be caught anchored out in storms, get the 60 lb. anchor. Long term cruising is going to require the heavier anchor, especially if you're trying to spend as little time in marinas as possible.

If you were going to stay in the Chesapeake, I'd say go with the 45 lb. anchor...but you say you're going out to the Bahamas and Caribbean, so I'd say go with the 60 lb. instead.

My reasoning for this is that your primary anchor should be sized to handle storms, not just heavy winds... Many times, you don't have sufficient warning to dig your "storm" anchor out of the bilge, attach it to a rode, and then set it, before the storm hits.

This one is probably for Maine Sail...

I know that there are a few hundred threads about anchors on SN but I wish to ask a specific question, hope that is OK;

I am going to buy a new anchor for my Catalina 400 (40' boat 20,000 lbs or thereabouts). (current anchor is tiny...)

Manson recommends for the Supreme anchor:

40-45' boat = 45 lbs anchor ($431 @ defender)
45-55' boat = 60 lbs anchor ($600 @ defender)

Should I stick with the 45 lbs or go with the 60 lbs?

I will use the anchor primarily in the Chesapeake Bay and possibly east coast to Bahamas. 150' of 5/16 chain.

I would consider a Rocna but the sizing question would remain the same...

 

[Bene505]

Not sure I understand the trade-offs here. The added 15 pounds means a lot more capability and less worries=easier sleeping at night. What's the issue? Unless you don't have a windlass. Then the extra 15 pounds would mean something.

Or am I missing something here.

 

[jorgenl]

Not sure I understand the trade-offs here. The added 15 pounds means a lot more capability and less worries=easier sleeping at night. What's the issue? Unless you don't have a windlass. Then the extra 15 pounds would mean something.

Or am I missing something here.

Bene,

I see your point but I don't want to go big just for the sake of going big.

or, at least I do not wan't to go redicilously big...

I've got a windlass but 15lbs extra at the bow is 15 lbs extra (ask Giu...)

$170 is 5 bottles of decent rum.

 

[Bene505]

Bene,

I see your point but I don't want to go big just for the sake of going big.

or, at least I do not wan't to go redicilously big...

I've got a windlass but 15lbs extra at the bow is 15 lbs extra (ask Giu...)

$170 is 5 bottles of decent rum.

Well, when you equate it to rum, that's just not fair.

And Giu would have a carbon fiber anchor - he'd figure out how.

If you don't like the 15 pounds, cut off 15 pounds of the chain (or 17 to account for the extra distance of the bowsprit from the center of gravity of the boat. (Assuming you still have enough chain on there.) Replace the chain with extra nylon rode.

That siad, I agree with going with what you need.

 

[sailingdog]

15 lbs. on a 20,000 boat??? You're kidding, right???

The difference between the two anchors is less than 0.1% of the weight of the boat... it doesn't really mean SPIT. A Catalina 400 outfitted for cruising is probably going to be closer to 25,000 lbs., so it probably isn't even 0.06% of the mass of the boat.

BTW, the cost difference, $170, is equally trivial when it comes to the price of the boat. A 2002 Catalina 400 recently sold for $199,000... again... the cost differential is only 0.08% of the price of the boat... and if it saves your boat in a storm... it'll probably be worth at least that much...

Being penny-wise and pound-foolish on ground tackle is abysmally stupid IMHO.

Bene,

I see your point but I don't want to go big just for the sake of going big.

or, at least I do not wan't to go redicilously big...

I've got a windlass but 15lbs extra at the bow is 15 lbs extra (ask Giu...)

$170 is 5 bottles of decent rum.

 

[erps]

15 lbs. on a 20,000 boat??? You're kidding, right???

The difference between the two anchors is less than 0.1% of the weight of the boat... it doesn't really mean SPIT. A Catalina 400 outfitted for cruising is probably going to be closer to 25,000 lbs., so it probably isn't even 0.06% of the mass of the boat.

BTW, the cost difference, $170, is equally trivial when it comes to the price of the boat. A 2002 Catalina 400 recently sold for $199,000... again... the cost differential is only 0.08% of the price of the boat... and if it saves your boat in a storm... it'll probably be worth at least that much...

Being penny-wise and pound-foolish on ground tackle is abysmally stupid IMHO.

The additional weight of an oversized anchor may help one sleep better at night, but it may also be a pain in the a$$ to wrestle into a locker or the bilge while on long passages. At some point, an anchor gets too big to handle.

 

[sailingdog]

True, but most boats spend more time at anchor than on passage...

The additional weight of an oversized anchor may help one sleep better at night, but it may also be a pain in the a$$ to wrestle into a locker or the bilge while on long passages. At some point, an anchor gets too big to handle.

 

[Valiente]

Interesting discussion, folks. I for one am mulling over these very decisions, although I don't have to make them final for a couple more years. Our 41' steel cutter is 30,000 lbs. light load, and might go 35,000 with full supplies and tankage. I can carry all sort of 3/8" BBB chain if I choose, but I currently have just a 45 lb. CQR, a 33 lb. Bruce "lunch hook" and a 45 lbs. Danforth.

I think I need to start at the 60 lb. Manson or Rocna and maybe consider 75.

I will have a manual/electric windlass and my back's in good shape, plus I expect to use the boat's inertia to break out the anchor after we take up the slack rode, but the question of "what's our everyday anchor going to be" plus "what is the storm anchor going to be?" is a real one. I'm getting the sense from Hal Roth that having five or so anchors on a passagemaker is about the minimum, and that I should just leave the Bruce hanging on the stern rail...just in case!

 

[ANCORALATINA]

A good Bargain!

eBay Motors: NEW! Manson Supreme Anchor, 35 lbs, Super Holding Power (item 260374649232 end time Apr-08-09 06:43:53 PDT)

 

[ANCORALATINA]

I am going to buy a new anchor
Should I stick with the 45 lbs or go with the 60 lbs?

...

What will your windlass think?

Just seen on another sailing forum:

« We've recently upgraded from a 22kg *** to a 33kg ***. When weighing anchor, the windlass gets the shank up to the bow-roller and then groans and strains.

Yachting and Boating World forums: Heavy Anchor - Inefficient Windlass?

 

[lgherb]

I am surprised this discussion has not included any mention of the necessity of having multiple anchors to deploy in the event of degrading weather while at anchor. IMHO, going with the 45lb Manson and having other anchors on hand to set multiple anchor points is far more prudent than "going large" and carrying a single anchor.

 

[Craig Smith]

I would consider a Rocna but the sizing question would remain the same...

Jorgenl, just a brief note, have you studied the article on the Rocna Knowledge Base which outlines Rocna sizing philosophy in detail, in addition to the sizing chart?

If not I recommend it: www.rocna.com/kb/Rocna_sizing_recommendations

Together with our chart you can then make a more informed decision.

It should go without saying that IMHO the Manson version is not equitable with the genuine Rocna and our chart would not apply to it, despite the similarities in design, for numerous reasons that have been covered before. Anyway, I hope that's helpful.