new ground tackle for my 2120

[rloomis]

Originally equipped with a Lewmar claw 11# (5Kg) but earlier this season I lost it to a rocky bottom that just wouldn't let go
and ended up having to cut the rode. An excuse to upgrade all around...

The old setup: 150' 3-strand with 15' chain and 11# Lewmar Claw.
The Lewmar Claw wouldn't free-fall without having to go out on the bow and kick it off the roller every time I wanted to drop.
The original 3 strand rode would hockle and jam in the windless regularly, sending me out on the
bow with a wrench to free it from the gypsy almost every time I tried to retrieve.

The new setup: 250' 8 plait with 20' chain and 15# Manson Supreme.
Not only do I no longer dread having to anchor, but actually enjoy it now -- boating is fun again!
The Manson Supreme drops off the roller when I free-fall the windlass, the new 8-plait rode piles
neatly in the anchor locker on the retrieve with no more jams. I marked off the rode in 5 fathom
increments using a permanent marker so now it's easy to know how much rode is payed out or retrieved.

Some think they're ugly but I love the look the look of the new anchor. Like it's there to mean business and not just
whatever was cheap and handy got slapped up there. I attached to the slotted hole, so if I ever get this one
hung up, I can hopefully just drive over it and let the rode pull the anchor up from the reverse direction.

 

[Megabyte]

Nice work on the upgrade.

 

[Lucky John]

8 Plaite is the only way to go with that set-up. I had the same problem with high quality 3 strand. Windlass was sent back 3x's and since using 8 plaite not a problem. Sometimes you can get lucky if your anchor gets hung. Leave out alot of slack an then give it some throttle the total opposite of the the heading that you were laying on anchor. Popped a few that I never thought I'd see again.

 

[bigpondonly]

Very nice!!! You been out lately?

 

[Lucky John]

Looking at the pic again, the only thing you might need is a two way swivel on the chain to anchor :wink:

 

[Bryan 2530]

Nice anchor!!

I twisted mine up this season, go it straight again with a press and a little welding but thinking I might upgrade for next season if the boat doesn't sell.

Who has the best price??

Defender list that one at $179.99

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?pat ... &id=901897

 

[rloomis]

Looking at the pic again, the only thing you might need is a two way swivel on the chain to anchor :wink:

Good eye. I do have a swivel, but didn't install it. Depending who I asked, I'd get different advice saying I needed one or not.
The people saying I needed one were usually people trying to sell me swivels.
The anti-swivel argument was that if I'm not anchoring long term over multiple tide swings, I didn't need it and adding one
just introduces a weak link to potentially fail.

I haven't been experiencing any problems with the anchor coming back to the roller oriented the wrong way, so I seem to
be doing OK without the swivel. But, after some additional research, I came across advice that said if the chain leaves the boat
(as in my case, since I'm not using an all-chain rode), a swivel should be used since the chain has a 75% chance of coming back
on the gypsy on a different side than when it left. That made sense to me.

The swivel I have currently serving as a paper weight has a SWL of 1250 lbs. The shackle is rated for 1500lbs, and I think the chain
is something like 2600lbs. It is true the swivel would be the weak link, but honestly, if I'm exceeding 1250lbs of load on my ground tackle,
I'm very likely having some much more serious issues going on than to worry about my swivel. I'll probably install the swivel next time
I'm out messing about in my boat.

 

[rloomis]

Nice anchor!!

I twisted mine up this season, go it straight again with a press and a little welding but thinking I might upgrade for next season if the boat doesn't sell.

Who has the best price??

Defender list that one at $179.99

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?pat ... &id=901897

Thanks Bryan, that is a good price. I paid a little more for mine at a local Westmarine plus adding local sales tax, but saved shipping
costs for an anchor, so it came out not too bad overall I thought. I did buy the rode and chain from Defender. I bought their house brand, spliced to order.
Their 8 plait saved me a lot of money over the Lewmar brand and it's working very well in my Lewmar pro-fish 700 windlass.

 

[Bryan 2530]

Just an FYI, West Marine will match almost any internet price, just scan the barcode with your phone.

 

[got_em_on]

just picked up some 8 plait from seco south they make the rode for lewmar. They will make any length you need and also do the splice for you. I had them put 15 foot of chain on each end figuring that at some point I am going to lose it in the wreck and have to cut it off. That way i only need to reverse it and am ready to go.

 

[Brent]

I was looking at anchors at http://www.marinepartdepot.com/anchor.html last night while watching the Michigan State -Kansas bball game.
Are these well made?