What type and size second anchor?

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Mishigas
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What type and size second anchor?

Post by Mishigas »

Looking for a second anchor to supplement the "Kingston" anchor that came with the MV34. I boat in the Chesapeake Bay mostly and basically this will be a backup / storm anchor if needed. I do plan to do the Bahamas down the road. So which anchor do you folks recomend?
Thanks Sandy Kramer MV34 MISHIGAS
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SecondWind
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Anchors

Post by SecondWind »

We have a 35 lb Delta and a 16lb Fortress on Second Wind. The Delta (plow) would always drag in the Chesapeake, but the Fortress (Fluke) held very well in the Chesapeake mud. The Delta is good on the west coast of Florida, and was fantastic in the Bahamas last winter. We tried the Fortress in the Bahamas, and it also held well. I highly recommend a Fortress or Danforth for the Chesapeake (Where we spent 12 years). The size is your call, but we never had the 16lb. unit drag.

Terry Green
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Post by Guest »

hi,

we just switched to mv34 and are using the 35# delta that came with it. before this we had a gemini 34 cat and used a spade 22#. it is by far the best anchor that we've used in 31 years of anchoring out. the caveat is that spade is recommending the 44# steel version for mv34. they are afraid that cat windage will bend aluminium shank.

john cummings
duetto mv 23
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Gadzooks!
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First and second Anchors

Post by Gadzooks! »

For our MV34 hull #33, we have a 35lb Delta primary and a F-16 Fortress secondary anchor. Have used the Fortress only once. We like it because it is light, relatively easy to handle, and stores easily in the port bow locker, assembled with rode attached. The Delta (not to be confused with the Kingston, which is similar) has worked just fine and lives on the bow roller. Previously, on a 35-ft sailboat, we had 10 years of good results with a 33lb Bruce.

The angle between flukes and shaft on the Fortress has two positions, for different bottoms. "Mud palms" are also available. I do not have enough experience with the Fortress to make a judgement on the value of these features.

"Practical Sailor" has done a number of tests and generally finds the Bruce the most reliable in setting, but having less resistance to pull, though more than enough for anything but extreme conditions. The Delta is almost as good in setting, and has more resistance. The Fortress sets less well, but has tremendous resistance to pull. The Spade has also been mentioned very favorably but, at the time, was too new to the market to be rated.

Be sure to have enough chain - 40 ft is not too much; 25 feet is minimum. The anchor roller supplied with our boat is made by Kingston. The Delta fits well, perhaps because it is not that much different from Kingston's own product. If I were to buy a Bruce, I'd have to investigate first to ensure compatibility with the roller. The Fortress is deployed and retrieved manually, so the roller and windlass do not enter the secondary anchor picture. I've thought about how to put an anchor out from the stern, but have not come up with a good way to do it.

I generally use a "bridle" to attach the anchor line to both bow cleats. This is supposed to reduce the annoying sailing back and forth at anchor that occurs under some conditions. I think it helps to a degree, but not as much as I would like. It does eliminate an annoying noise that the rode makes as it pops in and out of the groove in the bow roller.

See "The Complete Book of Anchoring and Mooring" by Earl Hinz for a highly readable and comprehensive discussion of anchors and anchoring.
Mebs and Wally Gilliam
Gadzooks! MV34 #33
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