I think Ill wander around the piers with a tape measure at the weekend Ramona
Probably make one out on scrape steel first to get all the angles right and a few tests use the press at work for a few bends

I just had a dream HO2s boat was finished!

Very nice South Ace

There is very little that is new in anchors. Have a look at the Oceane by spade, cut a slot in the shank and you have a new manson!
www.bluewatersupplies.com/new_gen_anchors.htm

The Bugel started it all and when you check angles and dimensions they are all startlingly similar. The angle of the shank to the spade on all these anchors is within 1/2 degree.

Decide whether you are going to cart the anchor about on a bow roller or in an anchor well and choose an anchor design to suit. Remember that SS anchors like the ss ultra in your picture are the most common item stolen off boats. Something not mentioned in brochures!

HG, if I were living aboard i think i'd find a way to mount and easily release and retrieve (unweigh and weigh???) a stern anchor. Hate it when conditions mean I'm side on to wake / swell and would make it relatively painless.

I have been living aboard for 5 years or so and not one time I have used a stern anchor, the only time I would think about it would be if I was up a shallow creek in a deep hole.

Most anchorages i visited did not require a stern anchor and a number of times I experienced 35 to 65knot weather fronts/changes and would not have liked to have a stern anchor that could possible snag my prop in a emergancy.

living on on the Pick for nearly 6 months in Airlie beach I experienced about 10% of swell against wind which was very uncomfortable but I feel a stern anchor would not of helped especialy in the night when the wind drops out or changes directions.

Cyclones if your not in a marina you can go up a creek and tie all four points to mangroves and put a strearn and forward anchor out for security as cyclones tend to give winds from all points of the compass.

My advise is to anchor up with the best gear and set it between current and the forecast conditions.....

anyways that's just my opinion .

Southace, your personal critiscm is uncalled for. As you started this thread on anchor use I have chosen not to comment. Please keep your opinion of other members personality to yourself as I do about you.
cheers frant

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frant said..
Southace, your personal critiscm is uncalled for. As you started this thread on anchor use I have chosen not to comment. Please keep your opinion of other members personality to yourself as I do about you.
cheers frant

you have your own personal thread use it
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Sailing/General/Frants-thread-do-it-in-here/

heres a interesting design

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DrRog said..
HG, if I were living aboard i think i'd find a way to mount and easily release and retrieve (unweigh and weigh???) a stern anchor. Hate it when conditions mean I'm side on to wake / swell and would make it relatively painless.

For more than twenty years I spent many nights at anchor bridled up off one anchor with the boat, 18 tons, sitting side one to the tide and wind. The anchor rope had a two way swivel about half the rode with the bridle line permanently attached. Many nights in very unpleasant conditions. When caught out with bad timing with fronts etc we would end up just hanging off the bow line. In your case if you have the sea room, try a bridle and set the boat so that she sits about 30 degrees off. Once you have anchored normally, attache a rope with a rolling hitch to the anchor rope just off the bow. Run the line to a main winch and ease out another 30 feet of anchor rode. Tension in the bridle line until the boat sits at the appropriate angle. You may only need to alter the setting by a few degrees to transform the boats motion.


Caution: Don't try this in close company of other yachts.

a

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Ramona said..

DrRog said..
HG, if I were living aboard i think i'd find a way to mount and easily release and retrieve (unweigh and weigh???) a stern anchor. Hate it when conditions mean I'm side on to wake / swell and would make it relatively painless.

For more than twenty years I spent many nights at anchor bridled up off one anchor with the boat, 18 tons, sitting side one to the tide and wind. The anchor rope had a two way swivel about half the rode with the bridle line permanently attached. Many nights in very unpleasant conditions. When caught out with bad timing with fronts etc we would end up just hanging off the bow line. In your case if you have the sea room, try a bridle and set the boat so that she sits about 30 degrees off. Once you have anchored normally, attache a rope with a rolling hitch to the anchor rope just off the bow. Run the line to a main winch and ease out another 30 feet of anchor rode. Tension in the bridle line until the boat sits at the appropriate angle. You may only need to alter the setting by a few degrees to transform the boats motion.


Caution: Don't try this in close company of other yachts.

Cool! Thanks for that, Ramona.

First try of the Manson Supreme today. Anchored in 4m of near calm crystal clear water off Little Island near Hillarys.

Quite a thing to watch as it played out on the windlass. It glides away like a foil, perfectly upright.

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FreeRadical said..
First try of the Manson Supreme today. Anchored in 4m of near calm crystal clear water off Little Island near Hillarys.

Quite a thing to watch as it played out on the windlass. It glides away like a foil, perfectly upright.

It's good init, FR.

Hey Ramona, I was on a mooring when I read your post. Not exactly sure I'm properly visualising you mean about the bridle, but I think this is the general concept? I don't suppose it has to be that long.
Bloody marvelous, Ramona. I owe you a beer and my wife owes you a glass of GSM or similar.

That's pretty much it. I used a longer bridle to get more adjust ability. I was mainly concerned with having the boat beam on to the tide for purse seining. I would adjust either end to get it exactly at 90 degrees. Scrunch up pieces of toilet paper and toss over the side to check the drift. For comfort, the boat at 30 degrees would probably be better in fresher conditions. Experiment with tiller positions as well but just be aware the yacht might "sail" up the anchor so ensure you have room.

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Ramona said..
For comfort, the boat at 30 degrees would probably be better in fresher conditions. Experiment with tiller positions as well but just be aware the yacht might "sail" up the anchor so ensure you have room.

'...in fresher conditions" - and windage is hugely increased lying abeam to the wind so holding would become a factor. I'm usually just dealing with waves from very frequent ferry and recreational boat traffic in Sydney Harbour (this is the context of my original comment). If the wave size and shape 'suits' my hull size and shape it can send breakfast flying off the bench. I think I'll be making up a big bridle I can easily use on moorings as well as at anchor.

It occurs to me that you could run the line further aft and so lie at any angle within 180 degrees (360 degrees). This would provide the benefits of stern-to anchoring (less swinging and sailing - for example, www.jordanseriesdrogue.com/D_14.htm ) combined with this method of controlling the aspect / position to the conditions. Ah, so much to experiment with. Looking forward to it.

Thanks again.

PS: Someone else's point of view on the usefulness of stern anchors as an addition: http://justalittlefurther.com/the-blue-view/the-blue-view-stern-anchoring/

PPS: Sorry for derailing your hread, HG.

All good here DR Rog Ill be reading the link don't worry

I would be inclined to sit on a mooring the same way as the neighbouring vessels. If they are all swinging off a bow line and the tiller is fixed central then I would do the same. Often there is not much room at the moorings for vessels to act differently.

Hanging off a stern anchor only will be ok for awhile in calm conditions but not good for a rudder in poor conditions.

The holding power of a modern anchor is not really a problem. I used a home made version of a plow in SS similar to an excel [before they were invented!]. A trawler beam on, 18 tons, long keel with a breeze and tide and a purse seine net on the lee side from bow to stern with sometimes an enormous strain and never a problem.