I guess I'll add my two-cents worth here about anchoring. I could write a book on this subject so this'll likely get longish.
My everyday anchor on our E38 Kismet is a 33lb Bruce on 100ft of G4 chain and 200 ft of 5/8 inch nylon spliced to the chain. We carry a 22lb Danforth in the anchor well with 50 ft of BBB chain and 150ft of 1/2 inch nylon ... and we carry a Fortress FX37 in the lazarette with it's own rode and chain as a storm anchor.
We're in the process of planning a windlass installation because my wife can't armstrong the anchors and my back is getting to the point where I won't be able to much longer. When we get the windlass, I want to upgrade the primary anchor to the next size up ...
Here's my experience ... take it FWIW ...
The Bruce has never lets us down in three years of extended cruising from the Chesapeake to the Turks and Caicos islands ... for the past two years we have left Florida in November and come back in May and seldom use marinas ... that means we're anchored out every night just about.
We deploy two anchors very infequently ... why use two when one will do? Our Bruce, once properly set, never pulls out. It just screws itself into the bottom as the wind or current swings us about. This experience is supported by testing done by Practical Sailor ... they found that changes in pull direction did not pull out their test Bruce or their test Fortress ... interesting since they're two different types ... The 22lb Danforth is used if we need a Bahamian moor type rig. By the way when we anchor, we almost always let out all of the chain plus about 25ft of nylon ... unless the water depth demands more scope. Chain in the locker can't help hold the boat.
In 2004 we anchored Kismet out in Clearwater Bay to ride out hurricane Frances. The forecast was for a Category 2 storm and a 14foot tidal surge. We got the wind, not sure of the tidal surge but maybe we got 10ft at high tide.
We anchored Kismet in about 10ft of water (MLW). We set up the big FX37 Fortress anchor on a brand new 5/8 nylon rode with 100ft of 5/16ths G4 chain. The rode is spliced to the chain and we attached the anchor without a swivel ... just a big stainless steel shackle. We chose this rig because all of the elements, rode, chain, and shackle have about the same breaking strength ... 12,000lbs plus or minus a little.
We set the anchor and let out all of the chain and all 200 ft of nylon. Then we doubled the chafing gear (we used that canvas fire hose type material and covered that with a commercially available Velcro attached cover made of slick material like heavy dacron sail cloth) and left the boat. The anchor line was led over the bow roller and secured to a deck cleat in the normal fashion. The chafing gear rode over the bow roller. This gear held up fine. The bow roller is solid bronze and supported by a 1/2inch stainless steel axle bolt between heavy stainless steel cheek plates that are incorporated into the forestay chain plate. It extends by very little in front of the stem of the boat. It is secured to the boat with a half dozen 1/2" through bolts (original Ericson equipment I think) and a heavy stainless steel strap running down the forepeak, also through bolted.
We also took pains to make sure we had a very firm set by backing down on the anchor as hard as we could. The bottom here is fairly firm sand with a thin layer of mud on top of it. Anchors come up with this dense sandy mud on them.
The anchoring gear held up fine... the boat stayed put. The problem came from wave action. The fetch built up a high, short chop and the boat sat out there sustaining 3 days of 50k plus winds. The surging action of the boat on the rode ended up breaking the steering cable where it attaches to the drive chain. That was the only damage.
I love my Bruce, love the Fortress ... don't buy a knock off. Look at serious cruising boats if you want to know what anchors work. Mostly you will see plow type anchors as primary anchors. Bruce, CQR and Delta are the three you see the most. Danforth types including Fortress are usually secondary anchors. Many cruisers carry a third type like a Luke, Navy or some other patent anchor.
Like someone else said, horses for courses ... anchors for ground types... the only time we've ever had our Bruce refuse to set was in the Bahamas in an area of dense grass ... we avoid such anchorages and always try to put the Bruce down in a sandy patch.
Anchoring in the Little Wicomico River in the Chesapeake last year with a friend's 35lb Delta (on a Gemini Catamaran) we couldn't get the Delta to set but when we tried his 22lb Danforth, it set first time ... go figure?
We rarely use two anchors ... they tend to foul the rodes and each other. I always use a kellet when setting two anchors to keep the rodes together and on the bottom so they won't wrap the keel ... even so I've had a rode foul the keel and cut a notch in the trailng edge of the keel.
I have written an article about our hurricane experiences, Kismet has now survived 5 hurricanes since we bought her in 2003. Should be published in Southwinds soon ...
Capt Ron
E-38 Kismet