Anchor locker too small, so...?

[Inquisitor]

When I got the boat, I got a cheap anchor. I don't recall if it came with the boat or I purchased it at Wally World. After it let go, I started researching. The FX-11 was the biggest that would fit in the M Locker and was for boats 32' to 38'. I debated with myself for days because of the price and how little difference it was to the thing I had. It is far bigger, but style was pretty close with my glasses off. Glad I finally did.

Because we did some beachings, I once ran it up the beach and just laid if flat in the regular, dry, walked on sand and then backed the boat off. I expected it to just slide or pull the dry sand. But no... it started digging in within a couple of feet. The harder I pulled, the faster it headed to China. The 60Hp had no affect on it except to make me dig the thing out.

[ris]

We use a 15 lb manson supreme, 30 ft chain and the rest is 1/2 3 strand nylon. With about 200 nights on anchor we have only pulled loose once. We actually sailed past the anchor in about 35 knots of wind hitting our enclosure on the beam. Boat even heeled over once we started the engine and the wind died down we pulled the anchor up and it was a ball of clay bigger than the hoop of the anchor. Took a while to clean it off. I think there are one or two better anchors now but we still have confidence in the manson supreme. Our backup is a Fortress FX11. We store it under the removable box which is the table aft seat. We used it once just to check it out and it held no problem. Most of the anchor tests are with heavy boats or at fast backdowns. Most of the boats weigh 15,000 lbs or more not 3500 like a loaded Mac.


Richard

[Chinook]

The anchor locker on our X and M boats is obviously too small to hold any sort of anchor of suitable size for our boats. As RIS aa 22 lb nd many others who routinely anchor out have done, we stow our primary anchor (a 22lb Rochna) on a bow roller, with locking pin holding it in place. 20 feet of chain and 200 feet of nylon rode stores in one half of the anchor locker. I made a partition down the center, and I have 15 feet of chain, 150 feet of rode in the other half. This goes to a second anchor, a Fortress, which stows on brackets, on the bow pulpit. This setup works well for me. I like having my ground tackle all rigged up and ready to deploy quickly.

I consider good anchoring gear to be essential safety equipment. This was demonstrated to me while cruising on a friend's 32' sailboat. We'd made a passage on Long Island Sound in rough conditions, and were approaching the Cape Cod Canal, which is rather narrow and very heavily traveled. As we were about to enter the canal, the diesel engine quit. We later concluded that all the bouncing around had stirred up some gunk and fouled the filter, starving the engine for fuel. As the boat began to drift uncontrollably near shallows, my friend calmly walked to the bow of the boat and deployed his anchor. If he'd had to go down into the cockpit and grab an anchor, tie the bitter end onto some part of the boat, and then drop it into the water, we likely would have run aground or drifted into the path of an oncoming boat first. You just never know when you're going to lose power and it's reassuring to know that the anchor can stabilize the situation if you're in suitable depths.

[Russ]

When I got the boat, I got a cheap anchor. I don't recall if it came with the boat or I purchased it at Wally World. After it let go, I started researching. The FX-11 was the biggest that would fit in the M Locker and was for boats 32' to 38'. I debated with myself for days because of the price and how little difference it was to the thing I had. It is far bigger, but style was pretty close with my glasses off. Glad I finally did.

Because we did some beachings, I once ran it up the beach and just laid if flat in the regular, dry, walked on sand and then backed the boat off. I expected it to just slide or pull the dry sand. But no... it started digging in within a couple of feet. The harder I pulled, the faster it headed to China. The 60Hp had no affect on it except to make me dig the thing out.

You have temped me with this anchor. And it fits in the anchor locker? Hmmmm.
I wonder if it's too late to put this on my Santa list.

[Inquisitor]

When I got the boat, I got a cheap anchor. I don't recall if it came with the boat or I purchased it at Wally World. After it let go, I started researching. The FX-11 was the biggest that would fit in the M Locker and was for boats 32' to 38'. I debated with myself for days because of the price and how little difference it was to the thing I had. It is far bigger, but style was pretty close with my glasses off. Glad I finally did.

Because we did some beachings, I once ran it up the beach and just laid if flat in the regular, dry, walked on sand and then backed the boat off. I expected it to just slide or pull the dry sand. But no... it started digging in within a couple of feet. The harder I pulled, the faster it headed to China. The 60Hp had no affect on it except to make me dig the thing out.

You have temped me with this anchor. And it fits in the anchor locker? Hmmmm.
I wonder if it's too late to put this on my Santa list.

Make sure you read the other thread too - viewtopic.php?f=9&t=28054 It got spawn-off and is rather confusing things. I understand the reason, but people (including me) are responding to posts in the same thread as the post and they're both getting dirty with info that should be in the other thread.

... but I've had the same thoughts... wonder if Santa can still get me one of the not-Fortresses for mud and weeds.

Also, I'm surprised that the M locker (FX-11) is that much bigger than the X locker (FX-7).

[Drifter]

Well I guess Roger realised that the X locker is ridiculously shallow and impractical?

[kmclemore]

I merged the three separate “Which Anchor” threads into one. To reiterate NiceAft’s statement, please keep discussion about anchor choice to the other, now unified, thread. Thanks!

Cheers,
Your Friendly Admin

[Tomfoolery]

Well I guess Roger realised that the X locker is ridiculously shallow and impractical?

That's probably accurate, or close enough for government work. The next size up allows a steel or aluminium anchor that should hold in almost any blow, though bottom types and anchoring conditions (wind/current shifts) don't always line of with the strengths of the Danforth symmetric type anchor (sand with the Danforth, or sand/mud with the Fortress).

[Neo]

Well I guess Roger realised that the X locker is ridiculously shallow and impractical?

I think Roger did a good job considering he had to cater for the ...
> Space for the Bow bunks,
> Space for the sufficient Floatation foam
> Space for the secure structure of the hull
I think any one of these is a higher priority that the size of a locker.

[Drifter]

He could have done like the Turkish couple did and raised it up?

It's especially horrible on my one, as it's an early design with the bow light mounted directly on the bow, so any anchor roller has to go sideways. But you can't do that next to the locker or you can't open it, so it has to be even more sideways. And if you want to fit a windlass, where?

On my specimen the PO has indeed fitted a roller sideways, halfway down the bow at 45 degrees... And a big ugly windlass jammed into the window support area and fiberglassed in place, as there's not much else to hold it.

The fact that the design changed so much over the years shows that Roger realised he messed up the anchor facilities

[Russ]

I merged the three separate “Which Anchor” threads into one. To reiterate NiceAft’s statement, please keep discussion about anchor choice to the other, now unified, thread. Thanks!

Cheers,
Your Friendly Admin

Thanks, Kevin. You rock!!

[kmclemore]

You rock!!

Yeah, man.

[Tomfoolery]

And here I thought I was good at obscure references.

[opie]

I was about to reply with my setup but I don't need to write a word since Bill's arrangements are basically what I use.
Even saved the bacon one time when I had inadvertently kicked my gas line off the outboard and ran out of gas in an area with boats and docks everywhere. Just reached to my right and chunked the anchor overboard.

[Inquisitor]

I've been scratching my head since Bill mentioned it. It sounds great...
But I'm trying to rationalize without actually having the boat in the water and trying it out. Where would I put all the extra chain and line? I definitely don't want the 25' worth of chain running down the side of the boat. Does the have an aft locker? The engine cubby-hole is too small as it is to add one.