22 Sep What is the Best Anchor for Cruising Sailboats? 

What is the Best Anchor for Cruising Sailboats? Our Experience Based Perspective.

In our last video, we found ourselves in an open anchorage with a lee shore in a 45-knot storm that lasted for several hours overnight. We were confident in our anchor, which allowed us to tuck away into the side of the channel.

Note: This article is not meant to be a highly technical article about anchors, it is solely meant to share our experience with the anchors we have carried on board.

Overnight Anchoring Is a New Experience

Before we left shore to go cruising, we were racing sailors, meaning an anchor was always an afterthought. We wanted the lightest anchor that was allowed by the rules and nothing more. Most racing boats carried small aluminum fortress anchors with absolute minimum chain and rode.

When we went cruising, like many others, we had not spent much time on the hook but were planning to spend months or years at anchor while cruising. We had to accelerate our learning curve, learn how to anchor properly, and over time find out which anchors and techniques worked best for us.

Experience Gained in 3 Years of Sailboat Cruising

Over the past 3 years, we have anchored in almost all bottom types except for kelp (we will learn this in Patagonia). We have anchored in heavy current areas, surf, rolly anchorages, and held our ground in wind gusts up to 65 knots. We have also dragged our anchor a few times and experienced others dragging into us.

We hope to shed some light and a real-world perspective on the topic which can generate a lot of passionate debate in the forums or over sundowners.

Experience with the Lightweight Fortress Anchor

First, a little bit about our experience before we started cruising. This is our base point. Before cruising we had anchored a sailboat a total of 3 times. Twice on a J/105 that we cruised in the North Channel of Lake Huron, and once in Lake St. Clair on a Melges 24 waiting out a postponement between races.

These experiences are important, as with both boats we tested the limits of light aluminum Danforth anchors with little or no chain. The Fortress anchor, according to many tests performed by the sailing magazines, bar-none packs the most punch for its weight.

It delivers the holding power with a large and sharp surface area which allows it to dig deeply into sand, clay, and mud. On the Melges, we rafted multiple boats off of one anchor, a good test, but it was in light air with a little current.

During our cruise in the North Channel, we sat through a large line of thunderstorms on a Fortress Anchor in racing configuration. This was our first “real deal” anchoring experience, and although a little scary at the time, gave us a lot of confidence in this anchor.

Its down faults though are that it does not like large direction changes, and there is a propensity to drag it or bend it in a large and quick shift greater than 90 degrees. The other issue (which depends on how you look at it) is it can be very hard to recover after a big blow in a thick mud or clay bottom.

It also has a lot of pointy edges and places for ropes to get caught and sails to snag if stored above deck. It does collapse though, for easy storage down below, and can be reassembled quickly with basic hand tools.

Carrying a Fortress Anchor for Cruising

We carry a 21lb FX-37 Fortress Anchor as our go-to secondary and emergency anchor on board Sweet Ruca. It is attached to 50ft of 10mm galvanized chain and 150 feet of ⅝” 3-strand nylon rode. We keep this setup assembled in our forepeak, ready to go, just in case for some reason we need to quickly abandon our primary anchor.

Weighing in at just under 10 kilograms (21 lbs), it is sized large enough for our 12-ton sailboat, but can still be easily carried in a dinghy. This is important for stern anchoring or kedging.

Fortress Use as a Kedge or Stern Anchor

Luckily, we have never needed a kedge anchor to winch our way off of a grounding, but we have used it as a stern anchor. It works wonderfully for this purpose, however, for a dedicated stern anchor, we would size down just a little.

A stern anchor does carry a lot of load, as the wind load sideways on the boat can be quite large. In most cases though, when using a stern anchor, we are in fairly protected waters, just trying to angle the boat a bit better to avoid rolling in swell. In those cases, a smaller anchor, which can be lifted and moved easily is very nice to have.

Choosing Our Primary Anchor or “Bower”

What’s your bower? You may hear this from time to time. At first, I thought people were talking about the popular midwest card game called Euchre. What they are really asking you is which anchor do you choose to be the one to keep on your bow, as your primary anchor for regular use.

We have had two “bowers” so far. The first is a 44lb Lewmar Delta Anchor, and the second is a 73lb (33kg) Rocna. Now, on to our experience with each.

The 44lb Lewmar Delta Anchor

The Delta anchor came with our boat when we purchased it. It was in good condition and already connected to the boat’s Lewmar Windlass via 66 meters (216 feet) of 10mm G4 galvanized chain.

That being the case, we had no plans to replace it, until we spent a few nights at anchor and did a little more cruising up the east coast to the majestic anchorages of Maine. This is when we put the anchor to the test.

Our First Experience Dragging Anchor

Like most new cruisers with a big asset, it is scary to leave the boat on its anchor and go to shore for the first time.

We had to get over this, and we did, but we always had that “what if” feeling while using the Delta 44lb. Not that it is a bad anchor, it is excellent, it just never gave us that comforting feeling.

In the big tidal changes that sweep in and out of Maine’s most beautiful anchorage is when we had our first dragging experience. Not much, just a little after the anchor refused to reset after a big change in the current direction.

We were on board, and it was no problem to reset the anchor by raising it and re-anchoring.

Setting the Anchor

Another issue we were having in the soft mud in areas of Maine was the ability to quickly set the Lewmar Delta Anchor. We always felt the sets were pretty soft, and sometimes it seemed like we could just keep plowing it through the mud on the bottom with our engine in reverse.

Although going backward with our big 3-blade feathering Max-Prop pushed by a 75hp Yanmar turbo diesel is much more than most normal wind conditions, we still didn’t like that feeling of being able to drag the anchor while setting. What if a large storm front came like we saw on the great lakes and brought big 60-knot gusts? Would the Delta hold?

Upgrading to the 33kg Rocna Anchor

After many sleepless nights on the hook, and constantly setting anchor alarms while off the boat to run errands, we were hoping for peace of mind.

We found that peace in our Original Rocna 33kg (73lb) anchor. This “roll bar” style anchor was all the rage at the time on YouTube, but was it just hype? Back then we didn’t really know, but we took the gamble and ponied up on a new Rocna, which we ordered from Amazon.com to be shipped to Hinkley in Maine where we grabbed a mooring ball to make the switch.

The switch was easy, but we did have to adjust our bow roller slightly to accommodate the oversize anchor for our boat. Being racing sailors, we despise extra weight on the bow, especially at the forepeak where its weight is most noticeable. We can tell you now, without a doubt, the extra weight is worth it.

Trust But Verify

We knew the reviews were good. The new Rocna anchor set the first time. When it sets, you know it, you feel it. This is excellent as every time you anchor you can feel that you are locked in, this is an important trait to ease the mind.

When we cruised from Maine to the Bahamas, the crystal clear water of the island nation allowed us to have a good look at how our anchor was performing. We could actually watch it set, and see how it moved in different conditions.

Our first true test came while anchored off of Eleuthera’s Meeks Island in the easter Bahamas. A strong storm front rolled through which brought frontal winds of 60 knots. We were anchored in 15 feet of water with a 5:1 scope in the sand.

Anchoring in Storms

It was the middle of a cloudy night, in total darkness, the boat was thrown sideways with the first wind gust, and heeled to over 20 degrees. We watched the wind gauges, GPS, and anchor alarm with anxiety, ready to go on deck and react to a dragging boat. We stayed put, however.

Over the next few years of cruising we dealt with the famous Bahamas Christmas winds, tropical storms in the Caribbean, and the latest big blow of 45 knots in an open anchorage with a lee shore in Brazil.

We have learned that although it may be a rough ride if you have proper holding, a good anchor, and good chafe protection, you should not worry about your own boat, but about other boats drifting into you.

Using Two Anchors at Once

We have read a lot about deploying two anchors at once for many conditions. Some like to use two anchors in a V formation at the bow in storms. Others like to use a Bahamian mooring for shifting currents (this is two anchors set in line with their chains connected to the boat floating above in the middle).

We have never tried any of this in our 3 years of cruising. We are fans of keeping it simple. Dealing with one anchor if there is a problem in storm conditions can be a major undertaking and a cause for concern. Adding a second to this can be a major hurdle, especially for a shorthanded couples crew. Recovering one anchor can sometimes be a burden, no sense in adding to the fire.

Other’s Thoughts About Using 2 Anchors

We have also spoken with some old salts and round-the-world sailors that are also advocates of using only one anchor at a time.

One of those was the inventor of the Rocna anchor, Peter Smith, whom we met in the Azores. He is quite the accomplished sailor, having just finished navigating through the Northwest Passage, and an incredible source of knowledge. We couldn’t resist the chance to talk with him about our favorite late-night reading topic, anchors.

He was also a fan of a single oversized anchor and chain in most cases. The logic is when there is a large storm, if you have a problem with one anchor, with a second out, it could likely compound into a larger problem which may increase the danger. As a testament, his boat, a large aluminum ice class vessel named “Kiwi Roa” had a single Rocna up front.

Another salty dog we spoke with about the topic of anchoring in the Azores was Genuino Madruga. He is a wonderful sailor who has circumnavigated twice (once via the capes on the same route as we plan). His advice was also to use one anchor and swing on it in big weather. He told us he tried two anchors once for a storm, they tangled, and it was quite the shorthanded headache to fix.

Stern Anchors & Swell Bridles

The only time we have had two anchors in the water at the same time is for adjusting the boat to ride out rolling swell. Even then, in most conditions, we get away with a swell bridal to avoid having extra tackle in the water.

The swell bridle is just a long snubber brought back to midships and then run to a primary winch. This essentially allows your boat to set at a sideways angle to your anchor. Using the winch and windlass together you can adjust the length of each part of the V to match the swell and the wind.

This keeps your boat bow into the rolling ocean swell of an open roadstead anchorage. Caution must be taken with this configuration though. It is possible that with a big wind or current shift the line of the swell bridle led aft can easily go under the boat and possibly tangle in the keel or rudder.

We only use the swell bridle in calm conditions, never in a storm. We also advise removing it before leaving the boat. Lastly, take care while doing this in a full anchorage, as you will swing much differently than nearby boats.

What Anchor, Chain & Rode, Do We Carry On Board For Cruising

Over the last three years we have owned a total of four anchors and at one point carried all four on board: 43 lb Galvanized Danforth, 44lb Galvanized Lewmar Delta, 21lb Aluminium Fortress FX-37, 73lb Galvanized Rocna.

We have since narrowed it down to only two anchors carried on board, the Rocna as our primary anchor which we keep in the bow roller and the Fortress which we also keep stored in the forepeak attached to its chain and rode, ready to go.

Now, some may quibble at only having two anchors on board, but in 3 years we have not found a use for more. If we had a larger budget and more space we would consider adding a second FX-37 or possibly similarly sized Mantus Anchor or aluminum Spade Anchor which can be disassembled and stored below in case of emergency or those odd cases when you want to set up a more permanent mooring.

Why We Carry Only Two Anchors

The weight of all of this anchoring gear can add up quickly on a cruising boat. Storing anchors and chains should not be taken lightly (pun intended). They are heavy items with sharp points, that could become dangerous projectiles in a boat offshore in large seas. Imagine what a 50lb or more anchor would do if stored under your settee in a knockdown!

Storage space is also a concern. Only a few anchors can be taken apart or folded away for stowage in tight places. This is excellent, but when will you need your 3rd or 4th anchor? Likely when the poo has hit the fan you will not have time to source it and assemble it.

This combined issue of space and weight comes into play on performance-oriented cruising sailboats and catamarans. Let’s face it, we all want to be safe, but there has to be a limit or you will never leave the shore. We find that selecting a larger primary anchor and oversize chain at least in our minds, offsets the need for carrying multiple smaller anchors.

Do You Need An Anchor Swivel or a Shackle

Over the past 3 years we have not used an anchor swivel. We use only a shackle. Our thought behind this is we want as little points of failure as possible in our system. The more direct the connection the better. As a plus, it has saved is a little money.

 

We have never had a problem with our anchor coming into our roller, albeit a few time we may need to give it a slight adjustment on entry with the boat hook. Only once have we let the chain spin out in deep water, and only once have we completely removed the chain and reloaded it.

Whatever you decide to use, make sure to mouse your shackle. In other words, safety wire the bolt of the shackle closed so that it can not spin out. We keep a set of motorcycle/airplane safety wire pliers on board as we like the way they can securely and neatly lock in these bolts. Another option is to use a zip tie or two, or even some dyneema thread. This is a place we prefer metal though, and regularly replace it.

 

Which Type of Anchor Is Best

Discussing which anchor is best is like opening Pandora’s box. This article is not meant to go there and open a can of worms. We are strong believers in “you do you.” Essentially, to each their own. There are so many types of boats, sailing goals, anchoring conditions, etc. that it is impossible in our opinion to even attempt to give a definitive answer on this topic.

 

We are really happy with our modern “rollbar” style Rocna anchor and would without a doubt recommend it to anyone looking to spend many nights on the hook.

Many new boats can not accommodate this style of anchor though, so make sure that when choosing an anchor it will fit onto your boat. We would also highly recommend many of the new style anchors such as Spade, Mantus, and Rocna Vulcan. There are also the tried and true styles such as Bruce, CQR, Claw, Fisherman, and more. The old school still has its place in some unique situations, and it has held fast for many that went before us. Who are we to judge?

 

The choice is yours, but we hope if you are anchored in ahead of us you chose a high quality, reputable anchor, not a cheap knock. Keep in mind, make sure everything is up to spec, from the anchor all the way to your windlass and where your chain or rode is secured on board.

Of course, we have the Amazon.com links in this article if you would like to buy there. It is easy, and many times cheaper, it is hard to beat a free shipping deal on an anchor. Buying there after following our link helps us fund this website, our vlog, and our sailing life. However, we really do like to support the local chandleries. We wish there was some easy affiliate way to earn money while sailing and writing to do so, but there isn’t. If you can, we encourage you to support your local small businesses! When you are in a pinch, it is really nice to walk into a local store and speak with a knowledgeable mariner!