Choosing Anchors ! Advice from Dad

Try Northstarmarinesupplies.com "anchoring 101"

Chipper B had a 70lb Bruce as primary and a 35H Danforth as secondary with 35 plow 45 plow, 22H Danforth, and FX 27 (Fortress) in reserve.. Their advice on rodes and length is a good one which I have used to good effect

Have several different types for the different bottoms you will encounter. sand (any anchor digs) soft mud Danforth (fluke ) Hardpan (bruce) coral, rocky bottom bruce grass plow

There is a plethora of information on anchoring with many different opinions Anchors and Anchoring was a danforth pamphlet by Charles Ogg and if you google anchoring techniques you will undoubtably be buried '

Weight is important, the more the better and then you also want the greatest holding for the least weight and that is Danforth and Fortress like everything else in life you strike a "balance" between what you like and what is practical to carry..

My heaviest anchor was my primary and was first anchor down. a "lunch hook" is an anchor for the dinhy

Just remembered the put together anchor in a box "FORTRESS" they have an interesting website The others are CQR BRUCE Delta Sandspike, Luke makes a Fisherman as does Herreshoff....They are big and heavy but come apart for storage
Larry Pardey (of Lin & Larry fame) says when cruising you spend 85% of your time anchored and I agree My 3 anchors to a swivel to a double pennent carried me an Chipper B through 3 major Hurricanes...

I developed the method of double anchors, that is a small Danfoth "HT" then 15 ft chain to the horn of a CQR plow then chain/nylon to the swivel Theory being that if the plow, plowed under strain, it would dig in the danforth, plows do tend to plow as the wind builds while the fluke anchors and the Bruce dig deeper.

Winds tend to change direction in a big storm that’s where the "3 point" system shines, no matter where the wind shifts you are always on 2 rodes. Recommend you research the Fortress.. AND KEEP ALL YOUR CHAIN THE SAME SIZE AS THE GYPSY ON YOUR ANCHOR WINDLASS ( I believe 5/16 high test).

Danforth made some that were not so good but the 22H, 35H and 60H were the best .... Do the research to see which anchors would be best for storm protection ... Trying to remember Chipper B there was a 35H 22h 60lb plow, 35lb plow and a claw anchor British I think that was good in rocks and coral was in KG I think around 55 lbs