Dinghy Anchor

[Jeff F]

I've got a small claw on a nylon rode. Not sure I've really put it to the test, but bigger versions on bigger boats have served me well in the past.

 

[Benthic2]

... does anyone feel they need a dinghy anchor that can hold against 6 HP?...

I thought the same thing. He said the mantus was enough to hold his sailboat in 10 knot winds......that seems like way too much anchor for a dinghy. I watched the video and came away with the idea that, despite his reccomendation, I'd buy the cheaper claw.

I guess it depends on if you are anchoring in a fast moving river, or just looking to secure the boat while you take a dip and eat your lunch. On your main vessel it's important to have more capacity than you expect to need, because you may end up anchoring in bad conditions during an engine failure to keep you off the shore. I am having trouble conjuring up a scenario where I'd need to anchor a dinghy in snotty conditions.....certainly can't imagine needing more than 6hp of holding power.

 

[Nomad Willy]

like this ?

Too much throat angle
Or too hard a bottom

 

[jgwinks]

Small cheap danforth knockoff. For their weight and cost they are really tough to beat, their biggest weakness not reliably resetting but I can't think of many situations where that would be a concern on a dinghy. Cheapest solution is generally my preference but especially on something frequently left unattended and easy to carry off. A small fortress anchor would be nice but I would rather not worry about someone else grabbing it, my cheap galvanized fluke anchor is unlikely to be stolen.

Aluminum is worth enough as scrap to make that a concern, let alone what a Fortress actually costs.

 

[catalinajack]

Manson Supreme, 10 or 15 pounds.

 

[Shrew]

I have a 2.5 lb Bruce-inspired Lewmar anchor now. My next dinghy anchor will be the Mantus.

 

[Xlantic]

Like Steve and others I have found the folding claw anchor to be totally useless, at least in sand.

I use two dinghy anchors, both copies, one of a Danforth and the other of a Bruce (claw). They both work very well for me, even in strong winds and swells.

I usually use the claw for the bow, pointing to sea, and the "danforth" for the stern, on the beach (with the anchors connected to the dink in a "clothesline" configuration). I believe the "Danforth" is probably better in sand but the claw is better in rocks and/or weeds.

 

[ghost]

How about a small CQR?

 

[diver dave]

I have a 2.5 lb Bruce-inspired Lewmar anchor now. My next dinghy anchor will be the Mantus.

same here. Plus, it has no sharp pointies...

The mushroom and grapnel were certainly noteworthy.

I guess one could bury the 10lb mushroom a hundred feet in the substrate and use it as a mooring.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Ghost, re the CQR in post 38 ..
I would want an anchor that set better.
It’s all about setting and moderate holding fot dinghy anchoring IMO tho.

Nobody seemed to like my note about using a heavy anchor like a Navy. I think it was assumed I meant heavy anchor .. like I said. My bad. I meant choosing an anchor that’s style-wise “heavy”. They make small Navy anchors .. small and light enough to easily handle on a dinghy. I think the fact that they make those small Navy-like anchors means they are intended for dinghy’s or dinghy sized fishing boat .. or a boat someone might use as a fishing boat.

Many seem to use a Claw on a dink and I view that as a “heavy” anchor ….. design. If the Claw works for dinghies the same weight cast Navy anchor would easily dupe or better w some Claws.

 

[ghost]

Ghost, re the CQR in post 38 ..
I would want an anchor that set better.
It’s all about setting and moderate holding fot dinghy anchoring IMO tho.

Nobody seemed to like my note about using a heavy anchor like a Navy. I think it was assumed I meant heavy anchor .. like I said. My bad. I meant choosing an anchor that’s style-wise “heavy”. They make small Navy anchors .. small and light enough to easily handle on a dinghy. I think the fact that they make those small Navy-like anchors means they are intended for dinghy’s or dinghy sized fishing boat .. or a boat someone might use as a fishing boat.

Many seem to use a Claw on a dink and I view that as a “heavy” anchor ….. design. If the Claw works for dinghies the same weight cast Navy anchor would easily dupe or better w some Claws.

I might have been stirring the pot. By accident of course.

 

[diver dave]

I think even talking about wall anchors might be too much drama with this group [emoji848]

 

[RickyD]

Wouldn't you want your bow pointed seaward and the stern towards the beach ?

You might think so but where I usually beach, I may drop the mantus and drive and set towards the beach. Then I bring the engine up and hop off the boat and walk the danforth up the beach and hand set it. I probably will need to retrieve some line off of the stern to keep the boat from banging the beach. Mostly I deal with surge rather than waves. The surge is like a mini Tsunami. Very low wave height but very powerful pushing up the beach. A one foot surge has many times flipped my 10' Achilles and tossed me in the water and dragged me way up the beach. Often when I anchor the big boat way out, I actually drag the engineless Achilles behind the Caribe. Then anchor the Caribe and row the Achilles to shore. Then I can drag the Achilles up the beach and let the dogs pee. The surge comes from a south swell but ends up circling around the island as I anchor on the north side. Until you experience it, it is hard to believe.

 

[Xlantic]

You might think so but where I usually beach, I may drop the mantus and drive and set towards the beach. Then I bring the engine up and hop off the boat and walk the danforth up the beach and hand set it. I probably will need to retrieve some line off of the stern to keep the boat from banging the beach. Mostly I deal with surge rather than waves. The surge is like a mini Tsunami. Very low wave height but very powerful pushing up the beach. A one foot surge has many times flipped my 10' Achilles and tossed me in the water and dragged me way up the beach. Often when I anchor the big boat way out, I actually drag the engineless Achilles behind the Caribe. Then anchor the Caribe and row the Achilles to shore. Then I can drag the Achilles up the beach and let the dogs pee. The surge comes from a south swell but ends up circling around the island as I anchor on the north side. Until you experience it, it is hard to believe.

The "clothesline" technique for anchoring the dinghy would solve the problem.

In lieu of tying to a tree or rock on the beach I tend to use a second anchor there.

 

[rsn48]

My solution. Yes the grapnel sucks but that's what I bought in a kit, which I recommend if you have a smaller RIB, mine is 9 1/2 feet. First for your needs on a benign summer night watching fireworks, just about anything will do. You could go to a construction site and steal one of those cinder blocks, attach a line to it, fill in the holes with cement and you're good to go. Or according to our Maritime Museum in Victoria BC, the original anchor was a large roughly rounded stone with line attached.

Of course the most important requirement is that your anchor not be able to punch a hole in the PVC or hypal.... whatever it is. I planned to use the grapnel anchor on a beach pushing a couple of points into sand or dirt, or behind a log or large stone just to keep the dinghy at the shore.

I bought the kit I recommend, it has everything for 'safety' including the grapnel. What I did is I took the grapnel to my local dinky chandlery (French Creek... for the locals) and had the guy add twelve feet of chain, more for weight than anything else in case I wanted to stay roughly stationary while watching fireworks and what have you. I'm not sure I'd trust any dinghy anchor used on smaller RIB's.

Safety kit I recommend with grapnel anchor: (Canadian price)

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/fox-40-deluxe-marine-safety-kit-0790043p.html#srp

 

[Bryant]

Dinghy anchor

Shopping for a dinghy anchor and wondering what works best. The vast majority of use would be in mild weather, shallow water (less than 20 ft) and for the most part would remain close to the boat. Won't leave it unattended.



Nice for heading out to see fireworks, music or watching the sunset.



Used a plastic on for kayaking and worked really well, anyone use one for a dink?


Seems like the Grapnel style is popular... never used on, but they sure fold and store easy.

Would most likely use a small stretch of chain (5 to 10 feet).


Dinghy is 10.5 feet empty weight at 400#.


Thoughts?

Small Fortress anchor, two feet of chain and 20 ft of good line will do everything you need.

 

[jbloyd]

Other options

I tried using a really crappy toaster oven but forgot to attach a line to it so can't really say how it would have worked.

Here in the PNW, besides having a decent dinghy anchor, the anchor buddy is almost a "must-have". I saw a kludged system diagrammed in this thread and that may save a couple of dollars if you don't want to use the bungie cord device. Adding a sand spike (or something similar in function) to the kit can be handy too if you are in fast-changing tides and can't find a rock or tree that's sufficient.

 

[Seevee]

Thanks for all the recommendations. Was going to get a grapnel, but the reviews and comments really sucked, so I ended up with a Bruce style claw. Looks like it will work fine... and very reasonable.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PGWMMP5/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?smid=A3VQTEFXHZ70BS&psc=1

 

[RickyD]

The "clothesline" technique for anchoring the dinghy would solve the problem.

In lieu of tying to a tree or rock on the beach I tend to use a second anchor there.

That looks like way more trouble than my solution unless I have only one long anchor line. The idea for me is to keep the motor from bouncing off of the sand. I don't have any problem with waves swamping the boat. If I did, I could always just anchor it in reverse.

 

[Xlantic]

That looks like way more trouble than my solution unless I have only one long anchor line. The idea for me is to keep the motor from bouncing off of the sand. I don't have any problem with waves swamping the boat. If I did, I could always just anchor it in reverse.

Yes, it takes some forethought and practice but it avoids having to wade out to set and retrieve the dinghy.

 

[RickyD]

Yes, it takes some forethought and practice but it avoids having to wade out to set and retrieve the dinghy.

Right, I didn't look at it from that perspective. Since I go to the beach at least three times a day (dogs) I try to row and land my Achilles with them. Or, if I'm way off shore and the wind is blowing, I tow the Achilles behind the Caribe, anchor the Caribe and row the Achilles in.

 

[Benthic2]

I think even talking about wall anchors might be too much drama with this group [emoji848]

 

[diver dave]

I’ll donate my CQR to see it tested in drywall.

 

[OldDan1943]

Oh joy, another anchor war.

 

[BruceK]

The essential issue is an anchor which penetrates the sea floor but not the tubes or floor of an inflatable. Rare to see an anchored dinghy off on a merry frolic of its own.