Narrowboat anchors

[DHutch]

You don't need an anchor on 98% of canals in the UK, but for certain rivers, particularly when there is more water on them, its more than possible to get it wrong and a good anchor is a must. They are also useful in other situations, or if you just run a ground on a falling tide when delayed onto the tidal trent...

 

 

Daniel

[bizzard]

I wasn't confused at all about Tony Brooks description. '' 6 ft ''OF'' the chain'' certainly reads to me like he has more chain somewhere.

[lockedout]

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

A fairly standard addition on an anchor on a sea-going vessel is the addition of a trip line attached to a buoy on one end and the tripping ring at the crown of the anchor - not the shank - this serves four purposes.

 

Firstly, if your anchor gets stuck and you can't get it off the sea/river bed by pulling on the rode/chain, a tug on the tripping line will almost always dislodge the anchor enough to free it.

 

Secondly, if you do happen to have to sever the rode (for whatever reason) your anchor should be recoverable.

 

Thirdly, it alerts other boats to the presence and whereabouts of your anchor and should stop someone else anchoring across your rode/chain. Except in the Med, where no one seems to worry too much.

 

Fourthly, it lets you know how you are lying in relation to your anchor, so, if you have to drive up to, and over it in order to lift it, you have a rough idea where it is.

Edited June 2, 2013 by lockedout

[George94]

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

 

 

Perhaps you should read it one more time. :-)

[Drowsy Maggie]

So the 'anchor kit' advertised here..

http://www.blackpigfenders.co.uk/anchor-kit-for-narrowboats-116-p.asp

comprising a 15 kG grapnel anchor, 4 metres of 8 mm chain, and 18 metres of 14 mm nylon rope, might be adequate for the River Severn on a 58 foot narrowboat?

 

It's a good price, the seller's claim it is ideal for 'larger narrowboats' (see the anchor alone for this comment), and it stows easily being an 'umbrella' grapnel style.

 

I'd welcome your experienced comments, as I'm a newbie on a budget. I also have to use the Severn to get anywhere.

 

..Mike

[Theo]

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?

 

In a topic in General Boating it is stated that it is not a good idea to anchor from the stern because the stern can get pulled under and the anchor first takes the strain.

 

N

Edited June 18, 2015 by Theo

[Peter-Bullfinch]

Buy the largest Danforth type anchor you or your crew can lift to deploy.Ensure there is a very strong welded or heavily bolted anchorage point at the bow of your narrowboat. The T studs have been known to snap when an almost twenty ton narrowboat is suddenly halted in a tidal flow or strong current.There are threads on this forum suggesting chain size and length of rope. I have around twenty feet of heavy chain and forty feet of hefty rope thicker than mooring lines. I'm unsure if this is enough. Our only tests have been in around ten foot depths and with gentle flows. I, like many others, have been lucky enough not to have had to use an anchor in an emergency.Using plastic buckets for the chain and rope is a useful idea.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

I'm a great believer in 'Fortress Anchors'.

I had two one Bower, and one Kedge, (Before I sold them recently), they where in regular use and never let me down.

Very light, And Very strong. (But fairly expensive).

[Naughty Cal]

I'm a great believer in 'Fortress Anchors'.

I had two one Bower, and one Kedge, (Before I sold them recently), they where in regular use and never let me down.

Very light, And Very strong. (But fairly expensive).

Our Delta anchor has never let us down. Again not the cheapest and probably not the easiest to store on a narrowboat unless you have a bow roller installed.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Our Delta anchor has never let us down. Again not the cheapest and probably not the easiest to store on a narrowboat unless you have a bow roller installed.

Yes I've still got my Delta, as with all my 'Steel' anchors it's a bit bent on the shank, but still very good.

[Naughty Cal]

Yes I've still got my Delta, as with all my 'Steel' anchors it's a bit bent on the shank, but still very good.

Not managed to bend ours yet bet we are looking to upgrade it for a stainless steel one as the salt water is starting to make the steel one look a bit shabby which lets the boat down really as it is on show at the bow.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

I havnt got a bow roller, I've got this set up that tends to work for me on the bow

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7iq9os77e648e8c/2014-03-28%2018.26.34.jpg?dl=0

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tl7fq119ka18sa6/2014-03-28%2018.27.10.jpg?dl=0

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/14mkh0tsqe37gz5/2014-06-02%2020.54.50.jpg?dl=0

 

Notice the Bent shank now

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mslcapl3u9cu1cv/IMAG0296.jpg?dl=0

 

This is my Mud weight, Note it's the only one that isn't bent as it isn't really designed to dig in and hold fast per say.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wc75mrspi8wzoh9/IMAG0299.jpg?dl=0

 

This is my faithful Original Delta

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ce4z6ijzy9lwjcb/IMAG0298.jpg?dl=0

In fairness to the anchors, I do tend to use them a fair bit.

Edited June 19, 2015 by Paul's Nulife4-2