Narrowboat anchors

[grayham]

Which is most suitable anchor for a 58ft boat? The Danford type is too big to store when not on a river so is there an alternative.

 

Grayham - Wigston

[Guest]

Which is most suitable anchor for a 58ft boat? The Danford type is too big to store when not on a river so is there an alternative.

 

Grayham - Wigston

 

The problem is that anything smaller/lighter is unlikely to be up to the job of halting a disabled 58ft steel NB in a fast current or high winds, which is after all what you need it do do.

 

You may see boats with much smaller and lighter anchors but I would wager they wouldn't cut it if used in anger.

 

Better to find the space than go with something smaller in my view.

 

 

 

 

ed to untangle my words.

Edited May 28, 2013 by The Dog House

[alan_fincher]

People seem to think the Danforth (or similar) types are best for narrow boat use.

 

They do at least stow fairly flat.

 

I doubt anything any smaller than a suitably sized Danforth one is really going to be up to the job.

[larryjc]

If you don't want the weight if a traditional Danforth there is the Fortress which works the same way but made of Aluminium so much lighter. I've us them regularly on yachts and they hold incredibly well. They can be disassembled for storage quite easily. Not sure about comparative costs though. Any other type of anchor is going to made of steel and not fold up so you will have the same problem as a steel Danforth.

[magnetman]

you could get a small inflatable and 100m of strong stretchy 10mm rope on a reel. if your boat stops working you get in the dingy row to the bank tie the rope to something sturdy and watch the boat glide in to the side of the river where you can then sort out the problem

 

[Grace and Favour]

If you don't want the weight if a traditional Danforth there is the Fortress which works the same way but made of Aluminium so much lighter. I've us them regularly on yachts and they hold incredibly well. They can be disassembled for storage quite easily. Not sure about comparative costs though. Any other type of anchor is going to made of steel and not fold up so you will have the same problem as a steel Danforth.

Fortress Anchors are wonderfully expensive!

 

Unless you have them made from Stainless - when they are excruciatingly expensive

[larryjc]

Fortress Anchors are wonderfully expensive!

 

Unless you have them made from Stainless - when they are excruciatingly expensive

I guess you're right but many yotties use them as second/kedge anchors because they are light and can be stowed away. For narrow boats, anchors are really only used as an emergency system (one you hope never to use) so its pretty hard to justify the expense. I guess it depends on your budget. It would answer the OPs question if his wallet could stretch that far.

[luctor et emergo]

Hang it of the bow, ready to drop.

[Tony Brooks]

I don't understand the "too big" thing. I have my Danforth standing on end at the front of the well deck with the stock tied into a metal U Bracket bolted to the top of what in many boats is the gas locker. I did have to trim about half an inch of both ends of the metal rod that stops it lying on it's side when deployed - maybe not ideal but easy to stow.

 

My biggest gripe is the weight when trying to recover it.

[deckhand]

what weight is it that you have. When I looked at them, there were many differing weights. We will be having a 59ft narrow cruiser so just wondering what weight we would need to buy. Not cheap is it, when you come to have to have all the other things like chains and connectors and the like. would appreciate any advice anyone can give. thanks

[nbfiresprite]

I prefer to use a CQR anchor.

 

 

[deckhand]

are there different weights in this type for different size boats?

[nbfiresprite]

The CQR ranges from 5kg up to 75kg, For my 48 footer I use a 25kg, which holds firm even when the Nene is in flood

[luctor et emergo]

are there different weights in this type for different size boats?

Yes, and no

 

You need the biggest anchor you can handle. Very large boats have relatively small anchors, but they will likely way several tons..

 

You also need chain, the chain is as important as the anchor. Without the chain, the anchor won't lay down, and bite..

 

Lets face it, most narrow boats that carry an anchor, carry it as a after thought. And have never tried it out...

 

You may have an engine failure, or a fouled prop... the engine loses it's forward power... you are heading helplessly towards the weir... you drop your anchor... nothing happens... you are still getti g closer to the weir... surely this anchor has got to bite

??

 

Is your anchor up to the job?

 

Have you tried it?

[Grace and Favour]

We have a 60' widebeam

We use a 36Kg (Halls) anchor, oodles of chain, and an electric windlass to haul it in.

 

We thought it expensive

 

The very first time we had to deploy it - we realised how inexpensive it was

[Tony Brooks]

what weight is it that you have. When I looked at them, there were many differing weights. We will be having a 59ft narrow cruiser so just wondering what weight we would need to buy. Not cheap is it, when you come to have to have all the other things like chains and connectors and the like. would appreciate any advice anyone can give. thanks

About 20Kg It was the largest one I could lift with about 6ft of the chain hung on it. If you look on the lumpy water sites you will probably find this is not large enough for a 54ft boat but they have anchor winches. If it slows the boat in an emergency one should be able to ferry glide to the bank or pile etc.

[by'eck]

 

About 20Kg It was the largest one I could lift with about 6ft of the chain hung on it. If you look on the lumpy water sites you will probably find this is not large enough for a 54ft boat but they have anchor winches. If it slows the boat in an emergency one should be able to ferry glide to the bank or pile etc.

 

Having spent 13 years on a lumpy water sail boat, seven of which in the hurricane prone Caribbean, I agree that 20Kg is not enough for anything much over 40 feet.

 

In the rivers in the UK though with soft muddy bottoms a 20Kg Danforth would be fine for narrowboats in the 50-70 foot category. I would suggest a little more chain say 5 metres, to give some catenary action on the pull of the rode though.

[nebulae]

I have now gone to all chain on my anchor. Not much good having a heavy anchor and 6ft chain with an inadequate warp.Needs to be easy to deploy on rivers without placing yourself in danger.Some boats have an anchor stowed on the stern.Quick to deploy. Any disadvantages?

[DHutch]

You need the biggest anchor you can handle.

Unless the biggest you canman handle is 10-15kg, in which case you need to develop a way of deploying an anchor larger than you can manhandle.

 

We have a 25kg danforth type, and about 60ft of chain. There not the best type, and I have not tested it holding power, however while not ridiculously small most information points to it being ok for the job of holding a narrowboat, and it can also be stowed easly against the wall in the front cabin.

 

 

Daniel

[magnetman]

Unless the biggest you canman handle is 10-15kg, in which case you need to develop a way of deploying an anchor larger than you can manhandle.

 

We have a 25kg danforth type, and about 60ft of chain. There not the best type, and I have not tested it holding power, however while not ridiculously small most information points to it being ok for the job of holding a narrowboat, and it can also be stowed easly against the wall in the front cabin.

 

 

Daniel

an anchor on a canal boat is not something which is needed often but if you do need it you probably need it to be big and effective.

 

so have a big anchor on a long chain fixed to the boat somewhere you can just cut a stainless cable tie or two to deploy it quickly and safely.

 

getting it back on board isn't so important, so bolt cutters could be used to let it go when it is no longer needed.

 

aiui you have to tell the nav authority if an anchor is 'lost' and I bet they would then find it

 

specially with a trail of chain leading to it and if you put a marker on the gps while the anchor was holding the boat it could be located later

Edited June 1, 2013 by magnetman

[Tony Brooks]

Just to be clear I never said I had 6 ft of chain, I said 6ft OF THE chain. My chain is about 15 ft long and the rope.

[Hoose]

Get the heaviest danforth anchor you can lift, you will need to deploy it in an emergency so no good if it's too big but equally useless if too small, make sure it's got at least 6ft of heavy chain, don't count that in the weight, it will follow the anchor overboard on it's own!

 

I also have mine on the back next to me with the rope tied to the front of out narrowboat with the rope stored neatly so it won't catch on anything when on the Trent, i want it in the water pronto if the shit hits the fan

[George94]

Chain is a good idea for two reasons. First, it won't fray on sharp rocks or coral (the latter an infrequent hazard in the UK), and second, the weight keeps the anchor flat on the bottom.

 

HOWEVER, it won't keep the anchor flat if it is not long enough, or if the entire rode (rope and/or chain) is too short for the depth of the water, or if the chain is too light. 6 feet isn't nearly long enough, in my view, unless it is very heavy chain. And I mean heavy.

 

Ideally, the entire rode should be chain, but that necessitates a winch. Probably overkill/difficult on a NB.

 

If you don't use chain (after all, there is not a lot of coral in the canals, nor are they deep), it is satisfactory to use rope, but more of it. Just bear in mind that rivers can sometimes be deep, and without chain the length of the rode needs to be in the region of 10 times the depth.

 

Finally, the rope MUST be nylon. Nylon is stretchy and can easily absorb a sharp snatch, as would occur if the anchor suddenly bit hard on an obstruction on the bottom. Polyester is not stretchy, and would either snap, cause you to turn turtle, or break whatever it was attached to.

 

Basically, if you are planning to go on big rivers, I would recommend a lot of chain or all chain. Otherwise, plenty of nice nylon.

Edited June 2, 2013 by George94

[deckhand]

Thankyou for all the advice and answers. We are planning on mainly canal cruising but there will be times when we have to be on the river so need to accommodate what ever may be the right need.

 

Kim

[by'eck]

Just to be clear I never said I had 6 ft of chain, I said 6ft OF THE chain. My chain is about 15 ft long and the rope.

 

 

Sorry but it read to me and still does, that you had only 6 feet of chain. 15 feet of say 10mm chain should be fine though.

 

Of course with an anchor winch I would be suggesting all chain. Particularly important in tidal areas where those insisting on using rope rode (a singularly American trait) may swing into the next country, and certainly won't want another boat anchoring within sight of them

Edited June 2, 2013 by by'eck