PWC Anchors
 

The (re)search for the perfect PWC anchor(s) has begun. (Feel free to skip right to the questions at the bottom.)

As some of y'all might remember, I conducted extensive research a few years ago and discovered 4 best boating anchors without question: Mantus (for quickest set/reset), Fortress (overall strength), Digger (ease of use/no chain), Box (I didn't love this one, but many people have, so I put it on the list).

A few years later, and many, many tests, and I still swear by the Mantus. I've got two 8' on my 20' pontoon and they set and hold every. Single. Time.

Ok, on to PWC anchors: I bought a galvanized folding grapple thinking "how much difference will it make holding a fairly small machine at a sandbar (other than emergencies, the single only place I'll be anchoring)?" Boy, was I off here!

"Anchored" on the east side of Ragged last week and the thing is crap. With the lightest of wind/wave action—like, almost non-existent, it slipped.

Now, I'm not entirely done with it—I've got a small section of chain to try out with it today—but I had the rope essentially flat to the ground and it was still pulling.

In the meantime, I bought two umbrella sand anchors to try out—each $7.50 at Walmart—and they work perfectly...in shallow water. While at West Alton the other day—see my rescued anchor post on iBoat Winni Facebook—I realized that cold water, wind/wave action, or depth might cause an issue with setting the umbrella anchor (since it needs to be screwed almost entirely into the ground to work.

I think I need one of two things: either a tall(er) screw-in design or one I can toss in. I'm starting to lean towards the latter as, while out the other day, I noticed a couple on a broken down jetski paddling toward shore in a hazard area and wondered if there might be a situation where I'd want to throw an emergency anchor out rather than get dashed upon the rocks.


SO, two questions:
1. Thoughts on the "need" for a "throw"/"emergency" type anchor vs. just a sandbar one? I've only 11 hours on my ski and have no idea what I should be prepared for.

2. Recommendations for an anchor? Any styles/ideas I'm missing?


Final note: As always, cost matters here—both because I'm selectively cheap AND because remote learning has extended the amount of lake time and I need to budget carefully.

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Hey Think. I’ve yet to anchor my ski but expect I’ll begin doing so this summer. So, after some research of my own, I went out and bought a 10 lb mushroom with some serious length of rope to allow for deeper anchoring than you’ll be doing. We’re not so much into the sandbars as we are for the quiet, shady and often deep small coves during early evening summer days. Glad to see you’re logging some time but for me, 56 degree water is still too cold. Brrrrrr.

The shallows aren't that bad right now, especially with neoprene booties!

I think the mushroom will mostly work to keep in one place with waves coming in different directions, but with consistent pressure from one side, I don't see it holding.

I did just stumble across Lewmar claws in 2 and 4 pounds that seem to get good reviews and are only about $15-20. That style, though, didn't seem to fare well in tests I've seen.

What I'm trying to balance is holding power, size, and cost. Because the storage area in the direct access is a bit smaller, I'd like to take as little space as possible, which means collapsible/foldable is desirable.

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You should be prepared for two things--engine failure, and a storm or other unexpected event forcing you to shelter in a random spot a long way from home. It both of these cases you will find an effective anchor to be extraordinarily valuable.

Think about it
 

Think about it (no pun intended to the O.P.). We all probably do this at one time or another. We spend 4 to 5 figures on a boat or PWC, and then cheap out on an anchor for $20.

Spend a reasonable amount to protect your investment, not just at a sand bar or shallow area, but also in situations described by Flying Scot.

You did a lot of research on an anchor for your boat. Apply that knowledge for an anchor for Jettie 1. Like the commercial in the days of yore, "set it and forget it".

Safe

You're probably right—the Mantus dinghy anchor checks all the boxes—size, hold, flexibility, weight—but $160 just seems like such a stretch for a PWC anchor...

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Here you go...


https://www.wholesalemarine.com/fort...hor-78755.html

Thanks for the tip—I literally just stumbled across that a few minutes ago—have you used it? I'm gonna measure now, but I think it might be a bit too large to sit flat in my storage compartment. It did look like it might be able to be disassembled, but it looks like screws not just quick clips.

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I have not tried their Guardian model.

Their Fortress FX7, which is too big for your purpose holds my boats well.

It is light.

I like light!

I have a small Danforth/ Fortress style anchor you can have. I'd guess it's 5-7lbs and doing nothing but taking up space in my shed.

PM sent!

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Back to the drawing board...21" is just too long.

Looks like I missed a Mantus sale last month! Maybe I should start a GoFundMe for my birthday in July...

FLL, you wanna pay me to list your front yard crap on Marketplace?!

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Ok, so I decided to just suck it up and buy the Mantus Dinghy Anchor (the Fortress linked above was just too big and required more assembly than I'd want to do).

I then discovered that NO ONE has them in stock, not even Mantus. Through my (exhaustive) research, I found one in a Maryland marine shop, and it's on the way—I should have it Friday!

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Mantus
 

What did the anchor end up costing? I am looking at Fisheries supply for $152

Cost me $160 shipped two day, so I could have it by the weekend.

Note, though, that there are a few versions:

Old: galvanized one piece and stainless two piece (fixed bar across fluke).

New: stainless three piece with roll bar (like their full-sized anchors).

The one I bought is the older, two-piece stainless version. I'd had a one-piece galvanized before that I sold to a friend—while on a ride the other day, I double-checked sizing and it's too big for my direct access storage compartment.

So, $152 shipped is a fine price. The kit, which comes with rope, shackle, and bag can be had for $185 shipped. I bought rope and a shackle online for $25, so I'll break even but I kinda like the one less part of the two-piece (though I'm thinking the new roll bar may help overall).

Sorry for the long answer!

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I'm tempted to get one of the small Mantus anchors for my dinghy. Please keep us informed about how it performs.

So here's the thing: this thread was really just a result of me being (selectively) cheap. I've owned a (one-piece, galvanized) Mantus dinghy anchor and actually used it as a stern anchor for my 20' 'toon on a few occasions (until I replaced it with another 8', as WAM can be choppy). It works amazingly well for its size, and being able to break it down further is perfect for my jetski storage area.

I was mostly looking for even remotely comparable options at a lower cost, but, as mentioned above, it turned out to be fruitless.

~$160 shipped for the anchor itself, ~$185 for the kit.

You may be able to find a one-piece galvanized around for under $100—if I remember, I saw them on small shop sites for ~$60, but they've been discontinued for a while, so I'm not sure if they were "real."

If I remember correctly, you grabbed a Mantus as a result of the research I did a few years ago, yes?

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Nope wasn't me. I bought a 33 kg Rocna Vulcan last year based on the recommendation of a friend with the exact same boat that I have that also happens to anchor out over 100 nights a year and has never dragged anchor. The Vulcan is quite similar to the Mantus and fits my pulpit perfectly. Could not be happier with the way it sets, holds, and effortlessly settles into my pulpit upon retrieval without any need to manipulate it. It is vastly superior to the CQR it replaced in every way that matters to me.

So weird—in a video I watched while researching anchors, the boat owner mentioned moving to a Rocna over the Mantus because of the curved shank and how it made the windlass work so much more smoothly.

There isn't a Rocna equivalent to the Mantus dinghy anchor—I checked during my research!

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Think;

The thing you have to remember is not all boats react the same with any given anchor. There are MANY things to consider such as type of boat, size of boat, body of water (river, lake, pond, ocean, tidal / non tidal, etc, etc.), type of bottom (mud, weeds, rock, etc.).

Your testing of the Mantus anchor only proves one thing...it works good for YOUR boat in YOUR body of water in places you like to anchor. It might suck for a different style boat in a different body of water.

Just like my Digger works well in my pontoon boat on Winni. I don't use the digger on my Eastern as the Eastern works better with a different style anchor. You simply cant compare a down east style hull with a tri-toon hull. I also know the tri-toon will never see the salt but the Eastern may. The reaction of the boat in the waves will determine what works best along with the other factors mentioned above.

I'm sure Dave, whose boating experience far exceeds most of us on this forum, is using an anchor that works best for his boat, in coastal and tidal waters with varying bottom conditions.

FWIW;

Dan

I get that. It was just odd timing that I'd just happened to watch a video with the same outcome.

That being said, there are clearly anchor designs with much greater ranges of effectiveness than others. The 13lb. Mantus I started with has been tried, and performed flawlessly, in 4 other boats so far, ranging from pontoons to deck boats to center consoles—all of which once used Danforth or claw styles. Given what I found through research, it appears the Digger, box, and Fortress anchors have somewhat similar ranges of effectiveness.

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Yeah that curved shank makes the anchor instantly flip if it reaches the bow roller upside down. It's almost scary the way it happens because the anchor weighs 73 lbs and it happens fast enough that you can feel it in the whole boat. I'm thankful for the rugged welded aluminum roller frame that is embedded into the pulpit, otherwise, I imagine it could do some serious damage. That shank is a clever design feature that would be a pointless waste of space on a dinghy anchor. I think the Mantus will serve you well for decades.

So...

On the PWC in question, is it a chain windlass or regular rode?

I will start with only rope. 50' 5/16" with a nylon thimble and stainless shackle. I may cut that shorter at some point, depending on what I figure out for the necessary rode ratio. On my pontoon, I'm good with 3:1 in even choppy conditions (I've marked every ten feet with Sharpie to know exactly what I'm at). I have 4' of chain on those two.

My experience with my previous dinghy anchor is that 3:1 with only rope was sufficient. If so, I'll stick with that as it'll be easier to only have rope.

BTW, it was waiting for me at camp, so if anyone wants a pic or wants to see it in action, lemme know.

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Like a glove!Attachment 16041

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Do you have to assemble it for use?

More pics please.

The two pieces need to be clicked together. The new version has three pieces to click together (separate roll bar). I'll get some more pics later after I process some firewood!

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Here you go.Attachment 16048Attachment 16050Attachment 16051Attachment 16052Attachment 16053

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Wow!

That looks like a Medieval weapon!

Try not to impale any lake monsters. :D

The bigger the ship, the bigger the anchor
 

USS George H. W. Bush Reaches Shipyard Milestone; Installation of 30-ton Anchor
https://www.navy.mil/submit/display....Uksos48bLZLgFA

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (NNS) -- Deck department aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) installed one of two 30-ton anchor on the ship’s starboard side June 16, bringing the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier one step closer to completing its docking planned incremental availability (DPIA) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY).

Deck department detached the ship’s anchors and anchor chain early in its DPIA on Feb. 21, 2019.

“The anchor on load evolution is critical to ensure the ship gets out of the dry dock in a timely fashion,” said Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Darrell Joyner, the Petty Officer in Charge of the evolution, who added that over the last year the links were refurbished and repainted.

Sailors assigned to deck department, with the support of NNSY personnel, worked to re-attach the anchor. There are more than 2,000 feet of chain on an aircraft carrier and each of the links weigh 365 pounds.

“Our deck department has been working hard to bring over 250,000 pounds of chain and 60,000 pounds of anchor back aboard,” said Capt. Robert Aguilar, the commanding officer of USS George H. W. Bush. “Our ship is coming back together every day to look more and more like the fine warfighting ship that it is.”

The ship’s force completed the project, which began on June 8, in just eight days. Installation of the ship’s port side anchor is planned for later this month.

“We’ve got a great team here,” said Lt. Cmdr. Joe Kenworthy, the ship’s First Lieutenant. “I couldn’t be prouder to be part of the team.”

USS George H. W. Bush, which is the last of the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, is receiving essential life-cycle maintenance and modernization of various systems, improvements. These improvements will enable her to return to the fleet in top warfighting condition in support of our national interests.

The ship is more than halfway through its DPIA. This is GHWB’s the aircraft carrier’s first time in dry dock, since her delivery to the fleet in 2009. The ship is expected to return to the fleet in the summer of 2021.

30 ton anchor!

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