best anchor for a 29

Good morning
what is the best size and type of anchor for an Ericson 29 for cruising in the Pacific Northwest? A danforth of medium size is presently on our new(used) boat.
How important is it to keep the bow quite light? Our past experience with a danforth was not good in as much as with a wind shift it would sometimes pull out and when the wind picked up off we would go.
A friend has an extra plow anchor 10Kg and a quite heavy manual windlass( about 15Kg) I can have if this is suitable for the boat.
Cheers Bill

have only had bruce on last 3 boats. 10 kg with a heavy chain works on my 30+ Still spry enough to use the ol' handraulic winch too! Only place Ive had trouble was Silva Bay in 30 kts.... lots of kelp.

I use a 24lb danforth w/ 30' bbb on my 29. and never have had any problems in heavy winds. I will be changing to a bruce or a CQR (of the same weight) w/ 100' bbb when I get a new bow roller put on. As far as weight concerns, I carry a fair amount of weight in aft region. So this counters any weight up front.

Pat
E29
#224
Holy Guacamole

Best Anchor

I changed from a Danforth to a Delta Fast Set plow on my old Islander 28 after dragging badly. The Delta is excellent, but if you have a chance at a 10kg. CQR at a good buy, grab it.

Same here. I used to use a Danforth on my (once upon a time) Cal 29 till I dragged badly through Patos Island's Active Cove. Once I changed to a Delta I at lease reset when the tide changed rather than dragging everywhere....

--Ethan

One Word: Bruce.

I was a CQR fan until I got my boat - it came with two Bruce anchors. We've been in gale force winds on a single hook - no problem. The anchor never lost it's grip and it was very easy to work with. If I were deciding which one to go with today - I would choose a Bruce and a nice length of chain. I would also get an anchor riding sail to keep the boat from wagging...

//sse

Bruce!

I've been using a 10kg bruce on our E29 with about 30' of chain. I've used danforths on some other boats and find the Bruce much easier to set. We have a custom bow roller but no widlass, my back keeps telling me we need a windlass!

Dave Green
E29 Spirit
Bellingham, WA

Totally depends on the bottom terrain you'll be setting the hook into. In North Carolina, lots of mud, so the Bruce works great for me. A 10KG Bruce is a bit overkill for a 29, IMHO. I've got a 7.5KG Bruce, 20' 3/8" chain plus 200' rode, which has held with NO drag in summer squalls lasting over 30min packing storm force winds (no joke, Ocracoke ferry docks clocked 80 knots during one last October). The 7.5KG bruce is rated as the storm anchor and 5KG is rated as working anchor for a 29 footer in the Bruce selection guide, FWIW. The Bruce is said to hold well in lots of bottom conditions, but I can't vouch for anything but mud. It also offers a lot of holding power for the weight, which helps keep things lighter in the bow.

Good luck.

WE, Judi and I carry a Danforth 13S with 50 ft of chain for racing in the forward locker. In the summer for cruising we use a CQR 35 with 50 ft if chain
on the bow roller up forward, the danforth is then religated to the stern locker
with its bucket of chain and rode- to be used as a temporary lunch hook as a
35lb CQR with 50 ft of chain is quit a chore to haul up the first three or four times at the beginning of the cruising season ( first cruise Easter weekend Telegraph Harbour) Chas and Judi Eden E30+

anchor reply

Thanks to all for your replys. I think I'll go with a Bruce anchor. Cheers Bill

Bill,
You will be happy with the Bruce anchor. I've sailed a lot of years in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska on my E30+..the Bruce was all I used. As suggested, 10KG Bruce and 30' of chain with about 400' of line should work very nicely.
Gary Freeburg
SV Katmai

Yeah, you'll be very happy with that setup. I would also suggest building a nice anchor snubber for your rig - makes a HUGE difference in the ride - and in high winds is much easier on your cleats, etc.

I used a good 10' docking line with a heavy shock absorber built into it. It's amazing how much it smooths the boat down - you don't feel a thing...

//sse

Shock Absorber ?

Sean,

Could you describe your snubber in more detail? Are you refering to one of the rubber dock line type shock absorbers?

Dave G
E-29 Spirit

Yes, that's what I used. I had a good 10' dock line with a pre-spliced loop on it and had a medium/upper-meduim sized in-line shock absorber on it. At the dock it used it to secure the upwind end of the boat - but when on anchor, I used it as a snubber. You can see it in the attached image.

You just pay out your anchor - get it to bite - and then come back with the snubber - and tie it into your anchor line - and then pay it out until the stress of the anchor rode goes through the snubber. Both the anchor line and the snubber are tied off on seperate cleats.

It's really amazing what this simple setup does for the motion of the boat - you feel absolutely nothing. In high winds, it's even more important, as it lessens the shock on your cleats...

I know this is pretty basic stuff - but it was always one of my favorites...

//sse