Is this wrong?

[Fishtank]

Do you want slack in the chain or do you want it tight when you zap strap it? Had some problems getting my anchor to stick the last time I was out. added 20 more ft of chain and 200 more ft of rope. Now I have 600ft of rope 40ft of chain and going out to try and anchor in that same spot 300ft of water sand bottom. Any advise would be great

 

[casper5280]

Yes, I have a 23ft boat and have at least a half dozen of those zap straps on. You could also used bigger straps. I have seen people use duck tape all the way up the anchor or used that green galion cord too. I would say you put on enough zap straps till they stop breaking. That is the whole idea behind doing it that way. You want them to break when you are STUCK on bottom not when anchored up.

 

[Dave S]

I tried this same thing with my danforth and it had troubles holding bottom. I have since gone back to shackle and chain hanging off the tail end. I think that when the anchor flips, the chain gets in the way. I am thinking about getting a claw type anchor to get better hook ups after current change. Maybe the answer is tape to keep chain tight to shank.

 

[casper5280]

I've got a Danforth and for the most part it holds fine. A friend has a Claw and I do think that it may hold a bit better sometimes.

 

[Fishtank]

Ya il try some duct tape tomarow,cause I thought if the chain is to loose it would obstruct the anchor from digging in on 1 side if too tight it would obstruct it as well

 

[Charlie]

Sand is relatively easy for anchors to penetrate and the Danforth will give you high holding power. Your pivoting-fluke anchors and non-hinged scoop anchors are the best types in sand. It is those flukes that give you the holding power. Any type of Danforth design is better than any claw design for sand. I actually carry both Danforth and Bruce and do switch them out depending on the bottom and do prefer Danforth with a sand bottom. I have found the manufactures charts are accurate in sizing anchors to boats; however, I usually oversize the anchor, as bigger the anchor equals more holding power. However, you still got them to set and start working-in.

You are probably better off to keeping the chain “tight” to the shank, but doesn’t really make any difference as long as the chain doesn’t interfere with the flukes and/or claw. Use cable ties, as they break individually. If you do use Duck Tape, watch the number of wraps, as that stuff can get very strong. Honestly, with an electric winch, good solid cleat, anchoring on a sandy bottom, using a Danforth - I really wouldn’t even bother doing anything.

What you are rigging there is to retrieve “fouled” anchor – not “stuck.” Any and all retrieval systems like you are rigging jeopardizes the anchor rode connection and is unpredictable. Unpredictable to the point I would never be able to sleep while anchoring overnight. If you want a good fouled anchor system, about the only one I would trust is the AnchorRescue system: http://anchorrescue.com/index.html

If worried about pulling a cleat out with a “stuck” anchor, save yourself some time, money, and headaches and just go out and get one of those many different buoy anchor retrieval systems.

Remember with whichever way, you are literally tying your boat to the bottom of the open ocean and retrieving the anchor is secondary to freeing the boat from that anchor, so - keep your knife handy!

I know you just added 20 more feet of chain and 200 more feet of rope and you are probably going to hate this; however, here is your problem: “Scope: the ratio of HEIGHT (distance from the bow chock to the bottom) to RODE LENGTH.” If you ask anyone you will hear the different answers to the correct scope to use anywhere from 1:1 to a 100:1 and they are all correct depending on conditions. Not knowing the distance from the bow chock to the bottom, you did provide rode length of 600 feet with 40 feet of chain. You are wanting to anchor in 300 feet of water and trying to set the anchor with a scope of less than 2.13 to 1. You will be lucky to get it to set at slack tide, let alone for the anchor to work-in and hold. Then with changes in currents, winds, waves, etc, and the tide change - Good Luck. That is against the ‘law of physics’ even in the calmest of conditions.

You need to get the anchor to set and start working-in to hold. Me being a chain lover, who anchors overnight a lot would put a total of 100 feet of chain on. Chain reduces the scope and if the anchor still didn’t set would increase the amount of rode. If that still didn’t work and you don’t want more chain or rode put a weight on the rode somewhere between 10 to 15 feet in front of the anchor. Remember you just need to get the anchor to set and start working in and chain weight increases the scope proportionately. Once the anchor sets and starts working-in you can bring the rode back in to any scope you want based on conditions.

West Marine:
“When an anchor penetrates the surface of the seabed, suction created by the bottom material, plus the weight of the material above the anchor, creates resistance. In rocky or coral bottoms anchors can’t dig in, but rather snag on protrusions and hold precariously.”

“Sand: fine-grained sand is relatively easy for anchors to penetrate and offers consistently high holding power and repeatable results. Most anchors will hold the greatest tension in hard sand. Pivoting-fluke anchors and non-hinged scoop anchors are the best types in sand.”
“Mud: mud has low shear strength, and requires anchor designs with a broader shank-fluke angle and greater fluke area. This allows the anchor to penetrate deeply to where the mud has greater sheer strength. Mud is frequently only a thin layer over some other material, so anchors that can penetrate through the mud to the underlying material will hold more. Fortress anchors have greater holding power in mud because they can be adjusted from their standard 32° to a broad 45° fluke angle.”

 

[Fishtank]

Sand is relatively easy for anchors to penetrate and the Danforth will give you high holding power. Your pivoting-fluke anchors and non-hinged scoop anchors are the best types in sand. It is those flukes that give you the holding power. Any type of Danforth design is better than any claw design for sand. I actually carry both Danforth and Bruce and do switch them out depending on the bottom and do prefer Danforth with a sand bottom. I have found the manufactures charts are accurate in sizing anchors to boats; however, I usually oversize the anchor, as bigger the anchor equals more holding power. However, you still got them to set and start working-in.

You are probably better off to keeping the chain “tight” to the shank, but doesn’t really make any difference as long as the chain doesn’t interfere with the flukes and/or claw. Use cable ties, as they break individually. If you do use Duck Tape, watch the number of wraps, as that stuff can get very strong. Honestly, with an electric winch, good solid cleat, anchoring on a sandy bottom, using a Danforth - I really wouldn’t even bother doing anything.

What you are rigging there is to retrieve “fouled” anchor – not “stuck.” Any and all retrieval systems like you are rigging jeopardizes the anchor rode connection and is unpredictable. Unpredictable to the point I would never be able to sleep while anchoring overnight. If you want a good fouled anchor system, about the only one I would trust is the AnchorRescue system: http://anchorrescue.com/index.html

If worried about pulling a cleat out with a “stuck” anchor, save yourself some time, money, and headaches and just go out and get one of those many different buoy anchor retrieval systems.

Remember with whichever way, you are literally tying your boat to the bottom of the open ocean and retrieving the anchor is secondary to freeing the boat from that anchor, so - keep your knife handy!

I know you just added 20 more feet of chain and 200 more feet of rope and you are probably going to hate this; however, here is your problem: “Scope: the ratio of HEIGHT (distance from the bow chock to the bottom) to RODE LENGTH.” If you ask anyone you will hear the different answers to the correct scope to use anywhere from 1:1 to a 100:1 and they are all correct depending on conditions. Not knowing the distance from the bow chock to the bottom, you did provide rode length of 600 feet with 40 feet of chain. You are wanting to anchor in 300 feet of water and trying to set the anchor with a scope of less than 2.13 to 1. You will be lucky to get it to set at slack tide, let alone for the anchor to work-in and hold. Then with changes in currents, winds, waves, etc, and the tide change - Good Luck. That is against the ‘law of physics’ even in the calmest of conditions.

You need to get the anchor to set and start working-in to hold. Me being a chain lover, who anchors overnight a lot would put a total of 100 feet of chain on. Chain reduces the scope and if the anchor still didn’t set would increase the amount of rode. If that still didn’t work and you don’t want more chain or rode put a weight on the rode somewhere between 10 to 15 feet in front of the anchor. Remember you just need to get the anchor to set and start working in and chain weight increases the scope proportionately. Once the anchor sets and starts working-in you can bring the rode back in to any scope you want based on conditions.

West Marine:
“When an anchor penetrates the surface of the seabed, suction created by the bottom material, plus the weight of the material above the anchor, creates resistance. In rocky or coral bottoms anchors can’t dig in, but rather snag on protrusions and hold precariously.”

“Sand: fine-grained sand is relatively easy for anchors to penetrate and offers consistently high holding power and repeatable results. Most anchors will hold the greatest tension in hard sand. Pivoting-fluke anchors and non-hinged scoop anchors are the best types in sand.”
“Mud: mud has low shear strength, and requires anchor designs with a broader shank-fluke angle and greater fluke area. This allows the anchor to penetrate deeply to where the mud has greater sheer strength. Mud is frequently only a thin layer over some other material, so anchors that can penetrate through the mud to the underlying material will hold more. Fortress anchors have greater holding power in mud because they can be adjusted from their standard 32° to a broad 45° fluke angle.”

Made it stick without adding the extra 200 brother was too lazy to tie it on 1 halibut already in the boat