Get the Right Anchor For Your Boat

Your entire assembly of anchor, chain, line, shackles are known as your “ground tackle”. The chain and anchor line combined are known as your anchor “rode.” Here we will talk solely about anchors and the type of anchors available and how to pick the right anchor for your needs.

Your anchors are important for more than just securing your boat. They are also crucial in emergency situations. Boaters need to pay attention to the anchors they have on board and avoid taking them for granted. Captains need to be able to trust that their anchors will do exactly what they need to do at the time of need.

There are two factors to consider when deciding on an anchor.

• Length and size of your vessel.

• Type of sea or lake bottom in your operating area.

Both of these factors combined will determine the type of anchor most suitable for you, and the size of the anchor as well.

Fluke Anchor, aka Danforth – This is one of the most widely used and trusted anchors in the boating world of small to medium size boats. It’s an exceptional match for sandy and muddy bottoms like we have here on the Gulf coast of Florida. It’s holding power is exceptional, in sand or mud, and it takes a set on the bottom very quickly. The right size anchor can hold even in hurricanes, and we know that from our own experience. The Fluke anchor is definitely not meant to be used on sea bottoms that are rocky or grassy/weedy. Though boaters should never be trying to anchor over seagrass beds, regardless.

Plow Anchor aka CQR or Delta – Mostly known as the plow anchor, these are very reliable and versatile, and the plow-like design will hold extremely well in sand, mud, and gravel as well. This is especially so for the Delta version of this anchor. The CQR has a hinged shank, and these are quite heavy. Plow anchors in general are excellent at pivoting and resetting with a turn of wind and current, so they’re a good match for overnight anchoring. Again, these anchors tend to be bigger and heavier than the Fluke anchors, and more suited to larger boats equipped with a windlass.

The other type of anchors are not as prevalent and not as suitable for the small to medium size boats.

Claw Anchor aka Bruce – This is historically a highly popular design but not as suitable for medium and smaller boats. These are very heavy, and you could get very similar holding power from a lighter anchor. Still, the Claw anchor is excellent in various sea bottoms, though it struggles a bit on hard clay bottoms.

Mushroom Anchor – These have a rounded top, resembling a mushroom cap. They are really only suitable in calm conditions in protected waters. They don’t respond well to changing winds and currents.

Once you have an idea of the type of anchor that suits your needs, you then need to consider the size of your anchor for your size vessel. There are many charts available on Google images that can provide you with guidance on an anchor size and weight that is suitable for you.

Size chart for Fluke anchors

We operate strictly with the Fluke anchors, given the sandy bottom along Florida’s Gulf coast. All of our vessels are between 24 and 25.5 feet, and they all carry a 13lb Fluke, and an 8lb Fluke. The 8lb anchor is more of a working use anchor, while  the 13lb Fluke is the “storm” anchor, offering more holding power. When we are anchoring our boats on the beach, both anchors are used, especially in close quarters to other anchored boats.

All that being said, the chain and line on your anchor is every bit as important as the anchor itself. We will cover anchor rode items in a separate blog post.

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 Keeping your boat safe in a hurricane