Anchor style and weight

[topspeed]

Hello, please can anyone advise what weight of anchor is correct for 8m rib which weighs around 1600kgs.
Will go for chain and rope, rather than leaded rope.

Also any views on which style/shape of anchor is best.

Many thanks

topspeed

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by topspeed

Hello, please can anyone advise what weight of anchor is correct for 8m rib which weighs around 1600kgs.

Will go for chain and rope, rather than leaded rope.



Also any views on which style/shape of anchor is best.



Many thanks



topspeed

General rule of thumb, 1kg of anchor/m of boat + boat length of chain. So in your case a 8kg anchor & 8M of chain, I’d go 8mm chain. Personally I prefer a CQR type anchor, but that’s down to personal choice & what you believe when you read the ‘net. But trust me, an 8kg CQR + 8m of 8mm chain + appropriate length of anchor plait & you ain’t going anywhere.
Avoid folding grapnel anchors at all cost.

[topspeed]

Thank you very much, really appreciate your reply

[Peter_C]

If you want to go into anchor overload look at https://www.youtube.com/@flygoodwin

I went with a Mantus anchor which is a USA company and one of the better ones out there. Much of it also depends on where you plan to anchor. After having my anchor drag over 20ft in the sand while on a dive I am no longer a fan of Danforth type anchors.

To make it easier for non boaters I also put on depth tags. That way I can say put out X feet and they can read the tag.

[Trello]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Avoid folding grapnel anchors at all cost.

What makes you single out folding grapnels for such derision, Dave?

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by Trello

What makes you single out folding grapnels for such derision, Dave?

The think with asking about anchor's us you'll get loads of opinions usually based on what folk prefer themselves. There realy isnt a one size fits all as some are better or worse in different seabeds. Ask a yachty & their probably going to say a rocna as they want a sound nights sleep good anchors but expensive & a bit awkward to store on a rib. A danforth will hold well in sand & mud but not so well in gravel or stones. Personally we use A Delta on our cruiser & happily sleep onboard I also have a delta on the boat we dive off but any of the plough type anchors are reasonably good. Probably the least good all round is the folding grapple they don't excell in any particular area except they are easy to stow, we have one in our 5.4 simply because its the only thing that fits in the locker & it only ever gets used as a handbrake if we're sat on a beach with the kids & can keep an eye on it. If we had a delta rocna cqr etc it would be a pita lying on the deck getting in the way, the grapple fits the bill although its effectiveness wouldnt be great in rough conditions but we aren't going out in rough conditions with two young kids. There isn't realy a simple one size fits all answer , a lot depends on your type of use & where & when you plan to anchor.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Trello

What makes you single out folding grapnels for such derision, Dave?

As Ken says, they are great for stowing, but pretty useless as an anchor. They might hold on rocky ground if you manage to hook a rock, but apart from that…. They are useless in mud or on sand. I used to use one on a shot weight when I was diving. I lost count of the number of times I’ve got to the bottom & the locking collar has moved & the grapnel has self folded. They’re ok for taking a line ashore as a “lunch” anchor where you can keep an eye on it, but I would never trust one to hold the boat. Don’t forget that an anchor is also considered as emergency equipment. In the event of an engine failure, you want something that you can rely on.

[paulbrown22]

I used to have a large ~12kg folding grapnel on my Ribtec 9m as the anchor that came with it and fitted nicely in a locker. I was always going to swap to a Spade or some similar 2nd gen anchor (Mantus/Rocna, etc) as we love the Spade anchor on the sailing yacht, but the few times I used this (pretty large) grapnel, along with quite a bit of chain, it actually worked super well and dug in deeply - I was really surprised when pulling it out of the sand/mud at Hurst Castle how deep the flukes had gone!

Maybe I was lucky that this was a pretty hefty grapnel and the flukes were large and heavy enough that they could dig in - as above I certainly wouldn't bother with the tiny Christmas cracker type grapnels.

[GuyC]

I echo most of the sentiments above but also check the chosen anchor fits in the space available. There is often quite a difference in the width of the flukes or the length of the shank even on an 8kg anchor. I'd recommend tying the anchor down. Before changing set up entirely I used a short 316 stainless ratchet strap that worked very well.

[Steve509926]

Even with a relatively light sib, I find a folding grapnel useless. It's OK if you bring it ashore and manually wedge it between some rocks, but that's all it is good for.

[Paul Beaurain]

Hi
what arrangements work best for attaching the anchor line to the RIB, for deployment? (6kg Anchor 12mm 7mm chain and 28m warp )

I have the bow 'U'Bolt, a Samson post and an anchor locker with an end of line tie off point, for safety !

i would prefer to have the load taken on the bow 'U' bolt. but difficult to access.
If the load is on the Samson post the line will drag all over the front bow tubes.

a sketch may help on this one
Many thanks

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by Paul Beaurain

Hi

what arrangements work best for attaching the anchor line to the RIB, for deployment? (6kg Anchor 12mm 7mm chain and 28m warp )



I have the bow 'U'Bolt, a Samson post and an anchor locker with an end of line tie off point, for safety !



i would prefer to have the load taken on the bow 'U' bolt. but difficult to access.

If the load is on the Samson post the line will drag all over the front bow tubes.



a sketch may help on this one

Many thanks

Tie the painter to the bow ring & tie the very end of the anchor rope to the anchor locker eye when you deploy the anchor to the required depth make a loop in the rope & tie the painter to the loop then loosely tie the remaining line to the Sampson post. When you want to recover just pull in the anchor line & bring the painter back onboard

[fastasfox]

This is a great no nonsense watch.
https://youtu.be/hUrWrpQSoW8

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by fastasfox

This is a great no nonsense watch.
https://youtu.be/hUrWrpQSoW8

Really informative video.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by topspeed

Hello, please can anyone advise what weight of anchor is correct for 8m rib which weighs around 1600kgs.
Will go for chain and rope, rather than leaded rope.

Also any views on which style/shape of anchor is best.

Many thanks

topspeed

I've just got a Fortress FX-11 Anchor, 10M of 6mm (stainless) chain and then another 50m of rope. At 1600 you should be OK with the FX-7. (I probably could have got away with the 7 on my boat, but it's a bit heavier than your one so I erred on the side of caution)

Not cheap anchors, but fantastic reviews. It's foldable so I can store it, assembles with just 2 nuts doing up, nice and light and stored in it's own carry bag with the chain.

It's a good setup and beats having a rusty, pointy, thing bouncing around if you only anchor infrequently.

[Paul Beaurain]

Thanks for notes Beamishken and video link -

[Peter_C]

Originally Posted by Matt

It's foldable so I can store it, assembles with just 2 nuts doing up, nice and light and stored in it's own carry bag with the chain.

While out boating do you store it folded up? How long does it take to make it ready to throw overboard?

Originally Posted by Matt

It's a good setup and beats having a rusty, pointy, thing bouncing around if you only anchor infrequently.

I have an anchor locker now and used a milk crate when I had a SIB. Pointy thing is never in the way. There are days we never anchor, but it is always onboard.

Super fast anchor deployment is a safety function around our rugged coast line. Same with having a kicker ready to drop in the water or accessible paddles.

[Steve509926]

Hi Peter, what's a "kicker"?

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

Hi Peter, what's a "kicker"?

Auxiliary engine

[Steve509926]

Thanks Dave, 63 and still learning.