Anchor upgrade or help?

[Jrb5]

Newbie question - We have a 2014 246SSI and we do all of our boating in Midwest lakes.   Most, if not all, are mud bottom lakes.  I believe our current anchor is the one that came with the boat.  It fits nicely into its bow pocket and has slots made for it (so I'm assuming its the one that came with the boat).  My issue is that it does not hold us and we drift almost every time I throw it out.  Do we need a different style or maybe a bigger now?  Why am I the only boat moving with the anchor out in the cove?  I loaded a picture of the style anchor we currently have.  

[Raft-up]

do you have chain or just line? 

[Jrb5]

10 minutes ago, Raft-up said:

do you have chain or just line? 

I have 4-5' of chain at the end of the rope, then all rope.  

[Raft-up]

i have 12' of chain (25' boat), we almost never move. do you drop anchor and go reverse to set the anchor?

[Jrb5]

25 minutes ago, Raft-up said:

i have 12' of chain (25' boat), we almost never move. do you drop anchor and go reverse to set the anchor?

I typically throw the anchor out 10' or so and that's it... 

Do I need to reverse it to set it better? 

[Raft-up]

that is one option, by slowly reversing while letting chain and line out will keep the anchor flat against the mud and allow it to catch. not sure about currents you face, would consider doubling you chain length. hope this helps you. 

[Jrb5]

8 minutes ago, Raft-up said:

that is one option, by slowly reversing while letting chain and line out will keep the anchor flat against the mud and allow it to catch. not sure about currents you face, would consider doubling you chain length. hope this helps you. 

Will try both!  thanks!

[Raft-up]

my pleasure, any time. let us know how it goes. 

[drewm3i]

I would have about 25' of 5/16" chain. That would be more than enough to keep you set.

[Phillbo]

How deep is the water typically.. Sounds like you need more scope.

[Jacalore]

1 hour ago, Jrb5 said:

I typically throw the anchor out 10' or so and that's it... 

Do I need to reverse it to set it better? 

Lay out 5 to 1... iow, in 12' of water, lay out 60' of anchor rode.

[duffy2]

I would recommend a nice heavy mushroom anchor for muddy lake bottoms.  I went from boating a large river using the anchor you have to a small muddy lake.  The mushroom anchor works like a charm

 

[JohnZ]

+1 on the need to back down after you have laid out a 5:1 to 7:1 scope in order to set the anchor

[cyclops2]

Never TOSS a anchor. Lower it straight down to the bottom.  Raise it off the bottom about 1 foot.  Then lower at about 1 foot per second to the bottom. that  will always allow the bottom rods of the anchor to  lay the pointed tips to face the correct direction. Every time. That anchor you pictured. Is excellent in mud & sandy bottoms.  I F  IF   The   TIPS are FLAT and parallel like your picture. 

HEAVY LINKS of chain are a MUST.........So is letting outa line at least 4 X the depth you are in     ..........HEAVY CHAIN LINKS are most important.  The the rope is let out WITHOUT EVER pulling on the chain. When you have about 4 X the line out ?.  Start to steadily increase the line tension. The anchor will dig in instantly & pull rope uncontrollably out of your hand . Time to stop any boat movement while you wrap the line around a cleat. Snug the line up on the cleat. You are anchored. If winds are expected ?  You can now use about 2,000 rpm in reverse to really dig the anchor deeper.

At this time you really need to look at your compass bearing. MEMORIZE IT or write it down . You Can make removing your anchor later very easy if the wind changes direction.

 

Anchor SLOWLY touches bottom. Then chain touches bottom.  That lines up the pointy tips of the anchor to dig in very quickly.

[dn0349]

I personally loved my box ancher it was the easiest thing and always held.  

https://www.slideanchor.com/boxanchor

[cyclops2]

Important step I left out . The boat NEEDS to be moving slowly over the bottom . When the anchor touches bottom Hesitate a second the let the line out slowly. You DO NOT WANT TO PILE IT UP ON THE ANCHOR !!  A little tension to keep the chain links laying in a straight line is important .  Then let out the line FREELY & LOOSELY.

I have put DISTANCE  lines on the BRAIDED line. 50 ' from the anchor is a black Magic Marker ALL AROUND the line . IT is about a 1/2 " wide....... At 100 " is 2 black bands......At 150 " is  3 bands.  continue marking every 50"   I Use a 150 footer in my 16 ' foot boat.  the The 186 has a 200 foot with a loop on the end to allow adding another 200' length if needed.

[cyclops2]

I can ramble on.

Look up on the web...........sliding ring anchor   I like it for 1 simple reason. It allows for pulling out a anchor the is a couple of feet deep in the bottom.  Remember my saying to record the BEARING of the dug in anchor ?   This is where the bearing comes in . Maneuver your boat to be on the same bearing as you anchored. slight pull in reverse.  Now drive forward at about 1200 rpms.  The line tightens. HOLD THAT BEARING . The sliding ring  & chain are now at the very base of the anchor. THe boat & anchor lie are now pulling the anchor out at about the same angle as we dug it into the bottom.  You HAVE to be very carefull pulling on the crappy weak Pop Up Cleats.  My anchoring cleat is a solid S S horned beast on the bow & 1 at the stern corner. They can / have taken full throttle for almost 15 seconds to pull out a tough one. LARGE 1/4" thick backing plate on the underside of the deck. S S self locking nuts ONLY !!    

[MonacoMike]

I just put a Fortress FX-7 with 6 feet of coated chain on my 276 SSX.  It holds great and is much lighter than the stock anchor, but better holding power.  I had to shorten the stock fron 19 inches to 14 inches and it fit in the factory position perfectly.  You must put the rode forward to get the shank down in the locker.  

 

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/fortress-anchors--4lb-aluminum-anchor--P005_153_001_003?pCode=420646&cm_mmc=PS-_-Google-_-GSC>NonB>Product%20Type-_-420646&product_id=420646&creative=108171392404&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzafohdTu6gIVENvACh0w8QutEAQYASABEgLNqfD_BwE

 

https://fortressanchors.com/anchors/fortress-anchors/features/

 

 

[cyclops2]

Most important !!!!!!!! EVERY ONE is seated in a seat or bench !! the boat will suddenly lurch forward.  Be seated & all passengers also. Happens suddenly.

[Jacalore]

3 minutes ago, MonacoMike said:

I just put a Fortress FX-7 with 6 feet of coated chain on my 276 SSX.  It holds great and is much lighter than the stock anchor, but better holding power.  I had to shorten the stock fron 19 inches to 14 inches and it fit in the factory position perfectly.  You must put the rode forward to get the shank down in the locker.  

 

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/fortress-anchors--4lb-aluminum-anchor--P005_153_001_003?pCode=420646&cm_mmc=PS-_-Google-_-GSC>NonB>Product%20Type-_-420646&product_id=420646&creative=108171392404&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzafohdTu6gIVENvACh0w8QutEAQYASABEgLNqfD_BwE

 

https://fortressanchors.com/anchors/fortress-anchors/features/

 

 

I plan doing the same for my 235 SSI. Fortress, cut down bar to fit and 15' of chain. 

[Iggy]

Fortress makes a great anchor! But if you want the best, go with a Rocna.  https://rocna.com/

I would ask the local boaters in your area first. They would know what would work best for the bottom your boating in.  

To recap what other have mentioned. You need 15 to 30ft of chain.  For every 1 of water (depth) you need 5 to 7 feet of line or what is called rode. Chain is key in the whole system.

https://www.boatingmag.com/how-to/tips-properly-setting-anchor/

[drewm3i]

2 hours ago, Iggy said:

To recap what other have mentioned. You need 15 to 30ft of chain.  For every 1 of water (depth) you need 5 to 7 feet of line or what is called rode. Chain is key in the whole system.

https://www.boatingmag.com/how-to/tips-properly-setting-anchor/

+1, for boats such as these I would almost say the anchor type doesn't matter nearly as much as having 25'+ of 5/16" or larger (heavier) chain.

[SST]

Forgive me for my response but I think its hysterical for a boat owner to have 25 feet of chain for anchoring. I suppose if your in the ocean that maybe a different story but in a lake?

I finally bought a new 8lb fluke with roughly 70 feet of rope and 5 feet of heavy chain. I was at Angola on the Lake this past weekend which turned out to be a bit breezy and choppy with a sand bottom. As I picked my spot to anchor, I tossed the anchor overboard and let the boat swing around [11 years straight doing it this way]. Once I determined where the wind was coming from and where it would push the boat, I tossed the stern anchor in [Navy 20lbs-15 feet no chain]  to hold the boat in position. For 5 hours strait and increasing winds and wave action, the boat didn't budge! From the bow anchor to the bow cleat was about 20 feet. I was in 6 feet of water. To let out 30+ feet of rode would cause other boaters to go over it and potentially snag it. 

I've also anchored in other areas with a mucky bottom and only 1.5 feet in depth. Same anchor set up. With such a shallow depth I could watch the anchor in the current and when wakers go by. The only thing that took any force was the chain. The anchor didn't move. 20 feet of rode including 5 feet of heavy chain. 

There is no question that chain helps and perhaps the more harsh conditions you anchor in, the more chain you need. 

To the OP,  how deep is the water you're anchoring in and is there a strong current?   Describe the mud you're anchoring in...do your feet sink in it or is it like rock?

[drewm3i]

There is no such thing as too much chain...when we had our sailboat, we had 150' of chain which is not uncommon at all. Power boats absolutely need a lot of chain as well. Sure you didn't drag while on watch in good conditions, but would you trust it all night at anchor? How about if a storm blows through? Dragging could leave you on the rocks which is just not worth the risk.

[SST]

4 minutes ago, drewm3i said:

There is no such thing as too much chain...when we had our sailboat, we had 150' of chain which is not uncommon at all. Power boats absolutely need a lot of chain as well. Sure you didn't drag while on watch in good conditions, but would you trust it all night at anchor? How about if a storm blows through? Dragging could leave you on the rocks which is just not worth the risk.

Due to my aviation background, I would be checking the current and forecasted weather long before I set out. So storms wouldn't be a factor for me. To me, there is no such thing as "it came out of nowhere officer!" That's also why I like my smart phone. Continuous observation of the weather. If conditions don't match what is forecasted, return to slip. I don't drink either while boating.

Would I trust my anchors at night? Depends on where. In the middle of the Niagara River? No. But then I'm smart enough not to do that in the first place. In Lake Erie during calm conditions as forecasted? Sure. But again, if the weather changes, I'd pull anchor and head for home. Always pay attention to your surroundings.