Anchor Question

[dhipwell]

I have a 17.5 foot 1994 Sea Nymph Aluminum Boat. I esitimate total weight with gear to be 1,500 pounds to 1,800 pounds. I just bought the boat and am purchasing anchors. Most of the time, I will be in Spring Lake, Michigan where wind can be a slight factor but nothing is too crazy. For Spring Lake, I'll be fishing and swimming with my kids....I'd like to get two anchors (1) 22 lb Minn Kota Crab Clab and (2) a (20 or 30 lb ) River Anchor. The dealer recommended 18 pound River Anchor. What are your thoughts? Is 30 too heavy or is 20 fine (as long as I have enough chain and rode ). Appreciate you weighing in..haha! One more thing...I'll be getting a Guardian FX-7 w/ 150 foot of rode and 10' of chain for Lake Michigan and when I really need to tie-up. Thanks. Doug -

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Anchor Question

It sounds like you've got it figured out. <br /><br />I'm not familiar with the Minn Kota, but it sounds like it may have flukes of some sort. I would not rely on a Mushroom or River type anchor as the only type onboard, although they are nice when there's no wind or current. Generally, fluke anchors give you the most grab for the weight and are really the only thing that works in the wind. For a 17' you could probably get away with an 8 to 10 lb fluke and save yourself some weight although they do take up more space. 150' of anchor line may not be enough for Lake Michigan if you plan on anchoring in water over about 15 to 20 feet. Multiply depth X 7 to 10 feet for appropriate length of line. 10' of chain sounds good. Good luck and welcome to iboats!

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Anchor Question

Hi there Doug, I just Googled that Minn Kota anchor and I really don't think I would trust that thing to hold. On a sandy bottom those small flukes would not grab enough to keep you from moving. On a calm day, I'm sure it would be fine though.

 

[dhipwell]

Re: Anchor Question

Yes - the dealer said the same thing and recommended the River Anchor to go along with it (since I already bought it). I'll have to hope for the best on that..

 

[roscoe]

Re: Anchor Question

I've used an 8# minn kota anchor, it couldn't even hold my 14' canoe. It just would not dig in. But I wasn't using 100' plus chain.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Anchor Question

I would get a 4 lb Fortress FX7 or a cheaper 8 pound dansforth type. I use the 4 lb Fortress on my 21 foot and it holds in curents to 5 knots and winds to 35 MPH. If fact it has never broken loose. My second anchor is a 8 Lb danforth type with 250 feet of line. It does not dig in as fast as the Fortress but holes in every condition I have used it in. It is on the boat but have not used it since got the fortress. It is just too heavy for the wife to pull it up.

 

[rwidman]

Re: Anchor Question

The dansforth style is the least expensive effective anchor in sand or mud. Adding a few feet of 1/4" chain betwine the anchor and the line (which becoms a "rode" when used for an anchor) will help a lot in setting the anchor and keeping it from breaking loose. An anchor's effectivenes is mostly by design, not weight.<br /><br />Read up on anchoring techiques, this will be most helpfull. The book "Chapman's Piloting" will be a great help for all your boating questions.