choosing the right anchor
Who knew that choosing the right anchor could make such a difference. Any one who has spent time on a boat will tell you the importance of having the proper style and size anchor. The last thing that any boater wants, is to be attempting to anchor, and it fails to set properly(AKA dig in, hook). There are many factors as to what would cause an anchor to fail to set. We will discuss the style of anchor factor and hopefully help you better understand which anchor will work best for you.
The first factor we will discuss is the style of anchor. This are a multiple of styles to choose from, but the choice will depend of the type of seafloor you will be doing most of your boating. Some styles are better than others in different ground conditions such as a rocky bottom, or a grassy bottom and so on. There are a few styles that are fairly multi-purpose. There are many style but we will discuss the 4 most common styles of anchors. There is the Fluke(aka Danforth) anchor, Claw (aka Bruce) anchor, Delta anchor, and the CRQ anchor.
Fluke anchor
The Fluke anchor, also known as the Danforth, is a very common style of anchor used by many. This style works best when used in muddy or sandy bottom conditions. It is often chosen for smaller boats less than 30ft or boats without anchor rollers. The reasoning for this is its ability to be stored easier. The flukes of the anchor easily lie in-line with the shank and allows easier storage in the front anchor locker. The fluke anchor does not rank high for rocky or grassy bottoms. Our top pick for a fluke style would be the Fortress brand due to its strength to weight ratio. It is very light compared to others
Claw anchor
Next we will discuss the Bruce anchor, or the claw anchor, depending on who you are talking to. This is one of my personal favorites. This style is a very multi purpose design. It does well in mud, sand, and rock. The shape of the 3 claws allows the anchor to set easier than other styles and is very good at resetting if it does happen to lift. I would recommend this style anchor for a boat that has an anchor roller. The reason Claw anchor is recommend for a bow roller is because of the fixed shape for stowing. It would be difficult to store the claw shape in the average anchor locker. the size of the boat that this style can hold is dependent on the weight of the claw anchor being used. Some claws can be upwards of 120lbs and hold 80ft vessels.
Delta anchor
The delta anchor is another widely used style of anchor. This anchor is very versatile when is comes to the bottom that it will properly set in. Those include mud, sand, rock and more. Deltas are excellent for use in a bow roller/ pulpit setup due to their solid once piece fixed design. We do not recommend this style for smaller boats simply because of its fixed shape. Its shape also requires it do be heavy for it to function properly.
CRQ plow anchor
The CRQ plow anchor falls in the same category as a delta anchor except the is one major difference. The difference is the hinge that is on the shaft. This hinge allows the anchor to remain holding even with significant tidal changes and wind changes. The CRQ plow anchor is often used for larger blue water cruiser that are often on the hook for extended periods of time. This anchor is not particularly needed for simple day cruising or island hoping. A simpler design would be sufficient in those situations.
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