Annie Hill wrote:I was wondering if a '25 lb' Manson was a bit light-on for me, with 2.5 tons and 26 ft! I'd personally want at least '35 lb' for a 33 ft boat and probably more. But we do get hurricane-force winds in the Sounds in mid-summer, which makes one a bit inclined to think that 'size does count'!
If you don't have a windlass, Barry, why not fit a chain pawl? That way all you have to do is to haul the boat up to the chain - not keep it there as well. Mine works like a charm and I can even leave the anchor a-dangle, if needs be, until I've cleared the anchorage.
I did put a chain pawl on our bow. I'm not 100% happy with it, but fitting any anchor handling gear in the limited space ahead of the main mast is a trick, and I'm not ready (yet) to do like Pete did on his F33 and put one up on the coachroof and drop the chain down below the bottom of a hanging locker. Of course, it could find its way to the top of the list of 2012 improvements for
Flutterby...After I'm happy with my sails!
I really should defer to you on this one--You have decades more anchoring than I do, and as I said, mine has been in relatively good conditions to date. But in our defense, let me state that my original vote of confidence was saying what the anchor has done--not a recommendation as the right size for our boat.
We now have a third anchor, which is a 35lb Manson Supreme, and it hasn't seen mud yet. When we have winds like you are talking about to anchor in, down it will go. But the 25lb Manson Supreme is already up on the bow roller and I keep putting it down, and it keeps holding us. It also sets beautifully unless I do something stupid like deciding to use a trip line and fouling the anchor with it when I put it down.
Barry