Anchor update - Success!

[jschrade]

I wanted to thank those for all the input provided on anchoring the 26m. Here is what I ended up with:

Lewmar Claw - 16.5lb as my main anchor resting on the stock 26M bow roller. This tends to be a favorite in the Clearwater, Florida area and a recommendation from a very seasoned 26X sailor who is retired and anchors out constantly. WM said they had a lot of Guardians coming back but were receiving great feedback on the Claw. It actually fits perfectly on the bow roller and I tied it down with the chain wrapped in an X pattern using the two bow cleats. Even if it swings sideways, it will not touch the boat. I have 7/16" line here which does not go around the tiny factory cleats well. By running the line around one cleat and then securing it on the other, I was able to effectively tie it off. This anchor set on the 1st try and held all afternoon in 15+ knot winds and 3+ foot waves as we were on the Windward side of Caladesi.

Guardian G-16 - is now my stern anchor but I used it as the main anchor for a fishing trip before I had the claw. This anchor set the 1st time and held like a rock offshore in sand, on a reef. There were some rollers and it did not budge. I also took this anchor to where my G-11 failed in the ICW in mud (BTW mud is nasty!!!). It set immediately and held all afternoon. Although the G-11 will fit in our locker, I would not rely on it for holding. We had trouble with it in both sand an mud. Once we went to the G-16 our anchoring problems went away. If the G-16 were just about an inch shorter, it would perfectly fit into the 26M anchor locker.


Jim

[Gary N]

Do you have any pictures of the Lewmar Claw sitting on the bow roller?

[Threms]

Once we went to the G-16 our anchoring problems went away....

I got the one smaller, and it dosent work, at all, cant hold the boat, but it fits in the anchor locker:-)

Im gonna get a Bruce anchor, i hawe good expirience whith that model, even if it cant fit the locker.



Daniel

[bubba]

We just got a new anchor and anchor roller. The anchor is a Fortress #16 rated for a 33 to 38 ft boat and weights only 10 lbs (instead of 22 lbs) with 60 ft of chain for the Pacific NW and the new anchor roller is much bigger and longer than stock so that I will mount a spring loaded pully on the bail for our gennaker adjustiable tack line like we have now. The longer anchor roller with 2 - 1 inch pipe braces bolted to the boat's hull works like a bowsprit so the gennaker clears the bow pulpit more than now and we may install a clip on contenus line roller furrler for the gennaker instead of the Chute Schoop we have now.

[jschrade]

Do you have any pictures of the Lewmar Claw sitting on the bow roller?

I will get some this weekend. My boat is kept down by the beach.

Jim

[Gary N]

Jim,
I would really like to see how you have mounted the anchor. We have a 5Kg Lewmar Claw (Bruce) that we have used many times with a hefty 22m chain. However, it is a pain to carry from the cockpit to the bow and I would really like to fit it on the bow roller we have.
Gary

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

The Lewmar Claw is a Bruce style anchor. Bruce's patent expired a few year ago and Lewmar made a clone.

Your listed anchors are the exact same anchors I carry up here in the PNW. Just having a danforth style anchor (Fortress/Guardian) alone is not good enough, you also need something that works well in hard, rocky, and foul bottoms. We experienced a number of situations back in the days when we carried two danforth style hooks where we could not get either anchor to set. This has not been the case since we have two different style anchors that each have different strengths. The size doesn't matter if your anchor style is wrong for the bottom. Even a big danforth will not set in some of the bottom types common to the Pacific Northwest.

I also feel the G16 is the smallest anchor that is correct for our boats, even though it doesn't fit in the anchor locker. The G11 is too small to rely on overnight in a blow.

We have both our 16.5lb Claw, and our G16 on our bow, both fully hooked up to two rodes stored in our now divided locker and ready to be deployed as needed at any time. When you are drifting toward the rocks you don't want to be carrying your anchor up from below and hooking up the rode, they should be fully assembled and ready to go at a moments notice.

[Highlander]

Here's my set up
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee20 ... 0030-1.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee20 ... 0029-1.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee20 ... 0021-1.jpg

My stern anchor for light duty
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/ ... 0012-1.jpg

J

[K9Kampers]

John-
For a boat made to GO, GO, GO...those shiny anchors look like boat bling!

[Threms]

John-
For a boat made to GO, GO, GO...those shiny anchors look like boat bling!

I think hes in to blink

[jschrade]

Jim,
I would really like to see how you have mounted the anchor. We have a 5Kg Lewmar Claw (Bruce) that we have used many times with a hefty 22m chain. However, it is a pain to carry from the cockpit to the bow and I would really like to fit it on the bow roller we have.
Gary

Nothing fancy, I simply laid it on the Bow roller. As you slide it aft, it actually stops (the rounded part of the claw shaft hits the roller). From there I just use the anchor chain to secure it using both of the bow cleats. I copied off a 26X in our pen.

I yanked and pulled on it and it's going nowhere.

On other boats (like Duane's) I have see the loop that goes over the top by the roller but have not been able to locate one for the 26M's bow roller. That would be quite handy to keep the line in place when setting and retrieving the anchor. It also looks like Duane has also tied a line to the hole at the top of the claw and tied it off to the bow rail pulling it up against this "loop". That looks like a really good idea.

Jim

[bubba]

So far our danforth type of anchors have held but I'm sure on our trip to Alaska next year we will take both types of anchor but carring it on the bow is not for us we have a a-spinnaker setup to avoid and probably disassemble the Fortress anchor and carry it stowed and use a claw for further north to Alaska.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

We use the Claw (Bruce) as the primary in Puget Sound. It's better suited for the most common bottom types from the Sound, north all the way to Alaska. Walk around the dock of any PNW marina and you will find the Bruce style anchor on well over 50% of the boats large and small. The Danforth style strengths are sand and mud. In general you will find very few sand bottoms in the PNW, and the mud bottoms you find will almost always be fouled with weed and shell. I taught diving up here for most of the 80's and can tell you first hand that there are no nice clean clear pristine bottoms in the PNW, every inch of every bottom is covered with sea life. Even when you find a soft bottom, chances are the hinge motion required for a Danforth to bite will get fouled and it will fail to set.

Both my anchors are secured on the bow with very easy to use quick release clips. The Claw is held in place with the pennant line from the pulpit. At the anchor end is a SS snap hook that goes in the hole in the anchor. It's quick to release yet keeps the anchor secure. Likewise I attached another SS snap hook to the pulpit leg with a SS hose clamp for the Guardian. It clips onto the anchor shackle and prevents the anchor from being lifted which is what is required to get it out of the bracket on the pulpit. These clips keep both secure on the water and on the road yet make it quick and easy to release the anchors when desired.

[Gary N]

Nothing fancy, I simply laid it on the Bow roller. As you slide it aft, it actually stops (the rounded part of the claw shaft hits the roller). From there I just use the anchor chain to secure it using both of the bow cleats. I copied off a 26X in our pen.

I yanked and pulled on it and it's going nowhere.

On other boats (like Duane's) I have see the loop that goes over the top by the roller but have not been able to locate one for the 26M's bow roller. That would be quite handy to keep the line in place when setting and retrieving the anchor. It also looks like Duane has also tied a line to the hole at the top of the claw and tied it off to the bow rail pulling it up against this "loop". That looks like a really good idea. Jim

The issues that I see with mounting a Bruce (or any other type) anchor on the bow roller are:
1. There is no exit path for the chain to get from the closed anchor locker lid to the anchor. Sawing off the front of the locker lid would be an ugly but workable solution.
2. The anchor also needs securing at the rear of the anchor where the chain attaches. In our case we would really prefer not to use the cleats to tie down the anchor. We need the cleats to be free for tying up at our mooring and for passing through a lock to get to the sea.

[bubba]

highlander I like your stearn anchor holder and think it would be great for carring a heavier 22 lb polished SS claw anchor locked to the boat untill needed.

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/ ... 0012-1.jpg

If I carry a heavier 22 lb claw anchor attached to the stearn it keeps the weight off the bow while sailing and the weight is not that noticeable like on our bow anchor roller/bowsprit. It's about balancing the boat's weight.