Anchors

[gpfcl]

Am planning a trip on the Thames in June and looking at various types and sizes of anchors. The boat is a large northwich and has an estimated displacement of 30 tonnes. Just looking for advice on anchor design and also sizes?

[grahoom]

see if this thread helps at all

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php...c=14252&hl=

[gpfcl]

see if this thread helps at all

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php...c=14252&hl=

 

Great. Thanks very much.

[blackrose]

You'll probably be looking at a 25kg anchor + 3 times the river depth in chain + about 25m of rope. In practice it's difficult to carry 3 x the river depth in chain because in certain places at slack water the tidal Thames could be very deep. So 15m of chain in conjunction with 25m of rope should be ok. I don't know much about anchoring but I've heard that sending an anchor weight down the rope can help keep the chain on the river bed. Danforth anchors are meant to have good holding power in relation to their weight.

[tidal]

You'll probably be looking at a 25kg anchor + 3 times the river depth in chain + about 25m of rope. In practice it's difficult to carry 3 x the river depth in chain because in certain places at slack water the tidal Thames could be very deep. So 15m of chain in conjunction with 25m of rope should be ok. I don't know much about anchoring but I've heard that sending an anchor weight down the rope can help keep the chain on the river bed. Danforth anchors are meant to have good holding power in relation to their weight.

 

 

For someone who doesn't know much about anchoring, that was a pretty good and accurate summation.

For a Danforth you probably don't need that much chain, but in the humble opinion of one who has experience of extreme anchoring, it is always better to have too much than too little.

The additional anchor weight (used to be known as a "chum" in salty circles) is not only good for keeping the chain paralle with the bottom but also works as a damper preventing surging and snatching when the waves start to pick up.......and they really can on the tidal thames, if not from wind against tide then from passing wash.

If you have room for a non folding anchor it is worth looking at a Bruce or CQR as an alternative to the danforth.

 

Don't forget the basic rules when you have an anchor on board.

ALWAYS have it ready to use and that does mean remembering to connect it at BOTH ends

And don't just drop it over the bows, lay it out and dig it in. It can be AWFULLY embarrassing to suddenly realise that the shore is moving..................