The Voyage of the Swan
Outfitting: Anchors
I personally know of more cruising sailboats lost at anchor than lost at sea. I don’t know if the statistics have been compiled, but I would not be surprised if this were true in general. In any case, few would argue the need for superior ground tackle and anchoring technique when cruising.
The Yankee 26 I cruised to the South Pacific had 240 feet of 5/16” BBB chain attached to a 35 pound CQR. Many thought
the gear was too large for so small a vessel, but the anchor never dragged once in three years. Therefore, no, it was not too large.
Our choice of ground tackle for the Swan is,
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• A 45 pound CQR at the bow with 300 feet of 3/8” hi-test (G4) HDG chain with alloy
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steel shackles, safety wired with galvanized wire.
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• A spare 35 pound Bruce.
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• A 10 pound Fortress (FX-16) for a stern anchor and kedging off.
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• 100 feet of 3/8” G4 HDG chain in reserve.
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• 100 feet of 5/16” G4 HDG chain with 200 feet of 1/2” 3S Nylon at the stern.
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• 20 feet of 5/16” HDG chain with 150 feet of 3/8” 3S Nylon for kedging off or drudging.
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• An 8 lb. mushroom anchor for drudging.
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• Three 50 foot 1/2” Nylon snubbing lines with chain hooks (galvanized wire to secure).
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• Spare alloy steel shackles, line, galvanized steel thimbles, galvanized wire.
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• Plenty of heavy canvas for chafing gear.
The Yankee 26 had no windlass, just a chain stopper. However, I am older now and the gear will be heavier, so we will use a vertical Muir manual windlass and a heavy chain stopper to take the riding load from the windlass, since it is only good for 500 pounds. The snubbers will do the work most of the time, but the chain stopper will take the load in case a snubber chafes through.
Below is a diagram demonstrating the value of a snubber. Not only does the nylon line absorb shocks, but extra chain can be lowered below the snubber/chain connection to create a chain “kellet,” flattening the catenary and creating a gravity spring.
