Best Pontoon Anchor

[Rattletrap]

Originally Posted by Phantom

Thinkxingu -- Your issue is quite simple ...... not enough scope !

By your own admission you are expecting it to hook with 20' of line and hold a 20' toon. NOT gonna happen !

Solution - if you are truly always at the FL75 sandbar or Margate or similar-- then be prepared to jump off and set it manually

If you go to Patrician, Blueberry, Braun or other sandbar then you will be afforded the opportunity to have 40-60' of line off your bow and you'll catch just fine !!

I have a 26' bowrider, if I go to any of the sandbars first listed -- I know I am gonna get wet !! because the nature/ boating culture of those sandbar does not lend to a lot of scope (simply, I would look like an idiot with 80' of line out).

Have to agree with Phantom here. My own experiences of loosing the "hook" was almost always because I didn't have anywhere near enough scope out. I have a 20' pontoon also and where I go, I just let it run for 40'-60' then wrap it around the cleat give it a good pull and it's set all day. After having an undersized primary anchor 7lbs (given to me by the dealer) I now have a 13lbs flute anchor with about 5' of chain on it and it's never let me down.

[NoBozo]

I have been anchoring since 1968...in Tidewater. I always had a deep keel sailboat. Hull shape matters: Windage (superstructure)..and keel below the waterline. If you have a deep keel, while swinging on the anchor, you will be less likely to "Sail" around the anchor. If you have a lot of superstructure and not much underwater..you will Sail Around the anchor with the wind.

The last was a C&C 32. I had three anchors aboard the C&C. A Real Danforth 22S. That's a 22# "Standard". Stamped Steel. A real Danforth 12H, Thats a 12# Hi-Tensile. A "Hi-Tensile" is a Forging ..look up "forging". The High Tensile is VERY Sharp and WILL Bite. I also had a 25# CQR Plow.

Anchoring is an acquired skill. Just throwing the anchor over the side with a ball of line probably isn't going to work. No matter what anchor you have...Lower it over the bow and pay out the rode gently backing down.

Scope: If you need to anchor in a tight space...use more chain. For a 20' boat in three feet of water..I recommend 6 feet of chain on 3/8 twisted nylon.

Everyone... I have observed on the lake uses anchor line AND Docklines that is WAY TOO Big. Heavy line gives NO Stretch. Lighter line gives you better stretch.

If you have a TOO Big diameter anchor rode, there will be no stretch (Vs the weight of your boat.) and a passing wave will JERK your anchor out of the bottom. Food for thought. NB

[NoBozo]

The Danforth Anchor was invented during WWII.. to haul the larger beach landing craft OFF the beach after they had discharged their cargo. Danforth lost their patent some time ago. I don't know the details. The dam burst and every Tom Dick and Harry came out of the woodwork to capitalize. There is a lot of Fake Danforths out there. NB