Time to Replace the Anchor
An anchor system is probably the most critical piece of gear on a boat. We can live without many conveniences, but a drifting boat without an anchor will be smashed to bits on the rocks
On October 4, I completed the installation of a new anchor on Wind River. Anchors come in many shapes and sizes, and there’s a lot of myth as well as science regarding these critical devices. Simply put, a boat without the proper type and size of anchor will potentially drift away from its anchor spot, resulting in a collision with other boats or possibly drifting to shore and running aground. I am very safety conscious and like a good night’s sleep, so increasing the probability of my boat staying put at 2am in the middle of a storm made it onto my “Category A” project list.
Wind River came with two anchors: A “Delta” type anchor at the bow (front) of the boat, and a “Bruce” anchor at the stern (back). The stern anchor has to be manually attached to a line that is mostly rope with some chain, whereas the bow anchor is permanently attached to a line that’s mostly chain with some rope. My issue is that the Delta anchor at the bow was sized too small, and its chain was rusting. Both had to go.
So why, you might ask, was this not an issue for the previous owner? From what I gathered during 2.5 years of digging through the bowels of this boat, and from the choice of systems he had installed, the previous owner spent most of his nights at marinas rather than at anchor. So the size/type of anchor was to him of little consequence and mostly for day use (multi-day anchoring).
In my case, I intend to anchor a lot. The reason is both financial (Marina’s cost a fortune and I’d rather spend that money keeping the boat in top shape) and for my sanity. Anchoring gives me peace and time to reflect away from society’s distractions, and I’d like to try that out for a while.
After speaking with Ralf & Wiebke of the Sailing Yacht Flora (a newer model of the same boat as Wind River), I opted for a Spade anchor similar to theirs. This particular anchor fits my existing bow roller without the need for any modifications, while also being larger than the Delta anchor that previously resided here.
I also upgraded the rusty chain from 5/16” BBB to 3/8” BBB. To the layperson, all this means is that the chain can handle a higher load placed on it, as when the winds pick up at anchorage. All these changes added about 100 lbs at the bow, which to some sailing purists would be a no-no. I frankly don’t care.
