Stern Anchor - what size

[Bend Session]

I’m looking to throw a stern anchor on my boat.

What size anchor, chain and rope are recommended?

Was thinking a 11 pound Bruce, 20 feet of chain and 50 feet of rode for my 26 skippy.

 

[Long Beach Bob]

...I would go longer on the rope. At Catalina and the channel islands, we frequently tie the stern rope around a rock for a solid mooring for the night... With frequent winds these days, it might save pulling the anchor at 2 am on a dark, windy night..

 

[Blackfish]

In wound go with a 16#. 15’ of chain and and 100 feet of rode.

 

[CI_SeaWolf]

Longer rode is needed, you need to be able to have some scope in order for the anchor (even a Bruce) to hold

 

[Bend Session]

Longer rode is needed, you need to be able to have some scope in order for the anchor (even a Bruce) to hold

I have a 16# fluke style anchor (fortress), may try that with 20 feet of chain and 150 rode. The fortress anchor is kinda big, not sure how it will fit in my deck hatch.

 

[CI_SeaWolf]

Are you anchoring in an open rodestead? Is this overnight? Normally when you go in, you should observe how everyone else is anchored, from personal experience, if the other boats in the anchorage are on a bow hook only, you should do the same. My pops didn’t follow that one night on Santa Cruz, woke up about 10 pm with the stern hook blown loose, had to clear all ground tackle and re anchor on a single hook in deeper water. I was younger, a bit scared as we were close to the rocks, pulled in 150’ of rode, 30 ft of chain, and a 16 lb Danforth in about 5 minutes…..bow hook was a Bruce.