[Rhodes22-list] Ground Tackle

[Mary Lou Troy]

Doug,
I think your 3/8 in rode and 1/4 in. chain are sufficient. We've anchored 
for years with a 9 lb Danforth and only 6 ft. of chain. The only time it 
didn't hold was with a 5 Rhodes raftup but that wasn't intended to be 
overnight.

That said, we've always thought we didn't have enough chain so we just 
swapped it out a couple of weeks ago for 14 ft. of chain and immediately 
had it tested last weekend. We were anchored up in Swan Creek overnight 
with the Danforth well set with a 7:1 scope. There was a t-storm 
overnight  - with winds said to be 30 knots/gusts higher (by others in the 
anchorage with wind instruments). The winds were from a different direction 
than the windds when we set the anchor (maybe 90 to 120 degrees different). 
We had the pop top enclosure and the bimini up and sailed all over the 
place but the anchor held just fine. We had the outboard started as a 
precaution because there were quite a few very large boats boats and 
raftups nearby but we didn't need it. It was wild for 35 minutes or so and 
just very windy for another 15.

I do think the 9 lb Danforth is a little light but we've had such good luck 
with it and and I am so familiar with how it sets that I am reluctant to 
change. We have the 13 lb. Danforth that came with the boat as a back-up. 
It also has 3/8 in. rode and 16 ft. of 1/4 inch chain. There are a lot of 
people who don't like Danforths but in the Chesapeake mud ours always sets 
and has held through wind and current shifts. We keep talking about a 
second anchor of another type but just haven't figured out the storage 
logistics.

Mary Lou
1991 R22 Fretless
Swan Creek, MD / Ft. Washington, PA


At 03:33 PM 5/21/2004 -0400, you wrote:
>Back when we were discussing "Toys for Rhodes," Michael said that his first
>priority would be a working anchor system rated for 40+ knots.  As I am soon
>to purchase my anchor line and chain, I would like to ask the list, what
>anchor & rode combinations are all of you using?
>
>As you guys and gals have a lot of experience, what do you recommend for
>overnighting and weathering a Chesapeake Bay thunderstorm with some margin
>of safety?  Would premium 3/8" line with a moderate grade 1/4" chain be a
>good combination?
>
>Fair winds
>--Doug
>(whose "slightly used" Rhodes is still at the glider factory)
>
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