Klass
regular
Reged: 10/08/2005
Posts: 43
Loc: Gosport Hampshire
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Can I please have your opinions on the best stern anchor for the Med
We intend doing a lot of anchoring and not so much marina visiting during the summer months
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Jonny_H
regular
Reged: 15/08/2006
Posts: 1512
Loc: Liveaboard - following the sun...
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Lots of debate on anchors - watch the can of worms open before your eyes.
If its specifically a kedge anchor then there is a lot of support around for the Fortress/Guardian anchors - good holding power in a straight line pull and being aluminum are light enough to be man handled (as most people don't have a stern windlass).
Not cheap - but then the best kit never is!!
Jonny
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www.freewebs.com/jksailing
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BobnLesley
regular
Reged: 01/12/2005
Posts: 835
Loc: Aground in Wensleydale for 200...
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The most commonly seen appear to be danforths.
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Whilst you can have anything you want in this life, you can't have everything that you want; so choose carefully.
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tiercel
regular
Reged: 22/02/2008
Posts: 29
Loc: Eastern Aegean
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I can thoroughly recommend the Fortress anchor. Our FX23 has held our Westerly Falcon in some very difficult and windy situations, sometimes for days on end. We have 10metres of 8mm chain and 50 metres of 14mm multiplait. It is always easy to recover and is light to handle.
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www.travelpod.com/members/chickensafloat
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Tranona
regular
Reged: 10/11/2007
Posts: 1548
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Yes, most common setup now is Delta for bower and Danforth Brittany Fortress (for the rich) for stern.
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MapisM
regular
Reged: 11/03/2002
Posts: 3139
Loc: Italy
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Why are you bothering about it, in the first place?
After years of anchoring (and also overnighting) in the Med, neither I ever used, nor I can think of one single situation where I could have used, a stern anchor.
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Dockmaster
regular
Reged: 18/03/2008
Posts: 149
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After 3 years sailing the Med I have used a kedge on a number of ocasions mainly a fortress copy bot also carry a Bruce as a 2nd anchor.
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I could have done anything if I'd had the talent !
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jerryat
regular
Reged: 20/03/2004
Posts: 3257
Loc: Nr Plymouth
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Quote:
Why are you bothering about it, in the first place?
After years of anchoring (and also overnighting) in the Med, neither I ever used, nor I can think of one single situation where I could have used, a stern anchor.
Blimey! We used our Bruce kedge dozens and dozens of times in the Med. In fact, anchoring in a bay (or virtually anywhere there) without using a kedge to hold the boat head to wind/swell, was a definite no-no if we wanted a decent nights sleep without rolling like hell. We often had superb little calas etc all to ourselves that would have been untenable (for over-nighting) without the kedge.
We loved it when almost all the other boats pushed off to the nearest boat-park in the early evening 'cos 'it was too rolly' to stay the night!
That little Bruce of ours (7.5kg) has held us in an F7 and has never (yet!) failed to set and hold first time. If one would stow on our stemhead, we'd be tempted to use a larger one as a bower for the Med.
We use it a lot in this country too!
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MapisM
regular
Reged: 11/03/2002
Posts: 3139
Loc: Italy
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Huh? What sort of boat do you have, that doesn't stay head to wind on a bow anchor alone?
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Grehan
regular
Reged: 11/06/2001
Posts: 1168
Loc: Inland France
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What's your fore and aft anchoring system?
I assume it's something like (a) set the bower anchor (b) drop back on additional scope (some distance?) (c) drop the stern hook (d) move forward to set the stern. How d'you do (d)? On the windlass or using the motor (chance of prop fouling the stern cable?).
And leaving is essentially the reverse?
Interested in your comments.
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___ Grehan :: French Waterways information ___
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wagenaar
regular
Reged: 25/02/2003
Posts: 258
Loc: Spain, Galicia
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There are many narrow calas which do not allow a boat to lay on just a bow-anchor without touching the sides. Then it is the easiest to attach the bow to shore and use a stern anchor.
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mocruising
regular
Reged: 21/03/2004
Posts: 377
Loc: Corfu/Qatar
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We use a Fortress FX 55 which hangs off the pushpit on a specially designed bracket. We chose this as its light we have the option to use 10 m of 10 mm chain and the line is 100 m x 24 mm multiplait. This doubles up as our second anchor. (We have a third but it rarely see's the light of day.) Four years in the Med. and we have had to put it out half a dozen times due to the wind. Now that we are in Greece we use it more than ever as a kedge, in the small harbour's.
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jerryat
regular
Reged: 20/03/2004
Posts: 3257
Loc: Nr Plymouth
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Quote:
Huh? What sort of boat do you have, that doesn't stay head to wind on a bow anchor alone?
It's not JUST for head-to-wind situations as I said in my post!! If anything, it's primarliy used for holding the bow to any waves/swell.
Surely your boat won't lie haed to swell/waves without a kedge will it? Pretty unigue design if so.
There's nothing special in using a kedge - masses of boats both here, the Med and elsewhere do all the time. 
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tiercel
regular
Reged: 22/02/2008
Posts: 29
Loc: Eastern Aegean
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Worth bearing in mind that there are many situations where you go into a small harbour and want to go bows to the quay particularly where there is rubble by the quay. Also bows to gives more privacy on public quays. A good, easily handleable stern anchor/kedge is essential in the eastern med.
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www.travelpod.com/members/chickensafloat
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jerryat
regular
Reged: 20/03/2004
Posts: 3257
Loc: Nr Plymouth
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Quote:
What's your fore and aft anchoring system?
I assume it's something like (a) set the bower anchor (b) drop back on additional scope (some distance?) (c) drop the stern hook (d) move forward to set the stern. How d'you do (d)? On the windlass or using the motor (chance of prop fouling the stern cable?).
And leaving is essentially the reverse?
Interested in your comments.
Hi Grehan!!
The method we use varies quite a lot, depending on space available, proximity of other yachts, depths, wind/wave/swell direction, AND the latter's potential for change. Simple really!! 
If possible, and after checking the depths carefully, we will come in head to waves (more important than wind usually) and drop othe kedge off the stern. I'd better explain that we have a stern chain locker c/w chain pipe, so this is a really simple, single-handed operation, as the rode runs out on it's own. The kedge has 40-45 feet of chain spliced to 50 metres of anchorplait.
We motor forward to where we want to set the bower and let that go (again, the 35lbs CQR self-launches and can be controlled on the windlass from the cockpir of foredeck) and then we have a cup of tea while it sets, after which we back it in on the motor. The final act is to pull in the kedge and centre the boat where we want her. Takes ages to write down but is very easy to do - usually!!
If the above method is not suitable, we'll anchor in the normal way, then row out the kedge and drop it where needed to hold the stern in the right place. If we're going stern-to rocks or trees, we'll set the bower, row a line ashore to our chosen fixed point, then 'centre the boat where we want her.
The risk of the prop fouling the kedge rode has never been a problem as it tends to stream astern (obviously!) while we're dropping the bower, and is hauled in as we pull the bower home.
It is really a very simple 'system' as it has to be, because I use it single-handed a lot. Most of the problems I've seen on other boats result from either a lack of preparation, or the fact that the kedge is not permanantly or even semi-permanently ready for use. You know the sort of thing - it's dug out of the bottom of the locker at the last minute, then the chain/rope rode has developed a 'mungle' and takes half an hour to sort out!
Our Bruce hooks onto the protected middle rail of the port pushpit with it's shank held in a grooved teal block fixed to the rubbing strake by a bit of bungie. It takes around 5 seconds to release AND launch, so is fabulous if we have to kedge of the mud after a 'navigational' error!!!
Here's a (not very good) picture showing the set-up:
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jerryat
regular
Reged: 20/03/2004
Posts: 3257
Loc: Nr Plymouth
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Quote:
There are many narrow calas which do not allow a boat to lay on just a bow-anchor without touching the sides. Then it is the easiest to attach the bow to shore and use a stern anchor.
Hi Henk!!
Really good to hear from you again!! Hope you and Mar well and enjoying the 'new' boat!
I agree with you re the narrowness of some calas, and we've used that method many times. I'm really surprised that anyone finds the use of a kedge strange, and can't imagine trying to sleep at night without one when the wind usually drops and a boat will almost always lie in the troughs of the waves/swell.
We've watched boats do that, and roll hideously whilst we ride gently up and down. Most SWMBO's I know won't stand it for too long, so these boats often weigh anchor and clear off to a marina after a while, leaving us enjoying a lovely anchorage all to to ourselves.
Kind regards, Jerry
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MapisM
regular
Reged: 11/03/2002
Posts: 3139
Loc: Italy
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Hey, I didn't say that there's anything special in using a kedge, did I?
I was just reporting my experience: believe it or not, I enjoyed many peaceful nights anchored in the Med, occasionally with strong winds, and never used it.
Whenever swell and wind took different directions (which is rare anyway), it has never been so bad to become really unconfortable.
I guess it might also be a matter of choosing the right spot - whenever a bay is badly exposed to waves/swell, I just look for something better.
Then again, when I wanted to spend a few days in the same place, I just deployed both bow anchors, properly distantiated, attaching a couple of crossed lines stern to shore. As secure as in most marinas. But also in this case, why on earth a stern anchor would be necessary? If any swell is entering the bay, surely it's from the open sea and not from the shore, innit? Therefore, isn't it better to offer the bow rather than the stern to it?
Anyway, each to their own of course.
Though if you've been cruising around the med a bit, you'll have to admit that the boats fitted with stern anchors are very rare. Not as much as a coconut in Antarctica maybe, but almost.
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tiercel
regular
Reged: 22/02/2008
Posts: 29
Loc: Eastern Aegean
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MapisM, what part of the med are you in? Just looking around the marina here in Samos about 70% of the liveaboard boats have stern anchors on their boats.
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www.travelpod.com/members/chickensafloat
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tiercel
regular
Reged: 22/02/2008
Posts: 29
Loc: Eastern Aegean
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MapisM, what part of the med are you in? Just looking around the marina here in Samos about 70% of the liveaboard boats, of the sailing variety, have stern anchoring kit.
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www.travelpod.com/members/chickensafloat
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jerryat
regular
Reged: 20/03/2004
Posts: 3257
Loc: Nr Plymouth
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Hi MapisM!!
>> ............... Whenever swell and wind took different directions (which is rare anyway), it has never been so bad to become really unconfortable... <<
Sorry, but I disagree, We spent over five years in the Med and the swell (in particular) very often came from a very different direction than the wind. A wind direction change can be next to instant, the swell/wave train takes a lot longer to change. This is so wherever we've cruised.
>> ............ I guess it might also be a matter of choosing the right spot - whenever a bay is badly exposed to waves/swell, I just look for something better..... <<
Couldn't agree more if one has no means of holding the boat in the direction one needs to make staying comfortable. However, my point is that the use of a kedge makes the necessity of doing so much less.
>>...... Then again, when I wanted to spend a few days in the same place, I just deployed both bow anchors, properly distantiated, attaching a couple of crossed lines stern to shore. As secure as in most marinas. But also in this case, why on earth a stern anchor would be necessary? If any swell is entering the bay, surely it's from the open sea and not from the shore, innit? Therefore, isn't it better to offer the bow rather than the stern to it? ...<<
Oh sorry, I'd assumed everyone on here understood that one always anchored with bows to the swell/waves!!! Certainly we've NEVER tried using the kedge to keep the STERN to them, and I can't imagine why anyone would want to!! Damned noisy and uncomfortable I would have thought.
>> .......... Though if you've been cruising around the med a bit, you'll have to admit that the boats fitted with stern anchors are very rare. Not as much as a coconut in Antarctica maybe, but almost......<<
Certainly not rare in my experience!!! Most of the boats we met had stern anchors, though a fewer number had them permanently set up the way I posted above, hence my remarks about not being prepared etc.
I am really puzzled by your observations MapisM, where are you based/cruising?? Perhaps there's an area where people feel no need for a kedge.
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MapisM
regular
Reged: 11/03/2002
Posts: 3139
Loc: Italy
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This year I'm starting my second decade of Med boating, and I'm currently based in Sardinia, but I cruised the Adriatic, Ionean, Thyrrenian and Ligurian seas.
I'm still missing the Spanish coasts and islands, is that the area you're referring to by chance?
Re. the kedge usage, I did guess that you generally use it to keep the boat bow to swell, but I was focusing on anchorages with the boat tied to the shore, where wagenaar said - and as I understood you agreed - that he uses the kedge and ties the bow to the shore (thus obviously keeping the stern more exposed to swell), whilst I always do the opposite.
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wagenaar
regular
Reged: 25/02/2003
Posts: 258
Loc: Spain, Galicia
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One reason not to put the stern towards shore was the presence of a self-steering. This meant you had to stay away quite a distance from shore and it would not be possible to step on it, but would have to use a dinghy to row ashore. Putting the bow towards the shore often made it possible to just jump on shore with a rope and tie it to a proper attaching point. I've done this in the Med, but also in Sweden and Finland.
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MapisM
regular
Reged: 11/03/2002
Posts: 3139
Loc: Italy
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Aha. I didn't consider that - it's a problem I don't have.
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JamesFrance
regular
Reged: 24/10/2006
Posts: 321
Loc: Carcassonne & Sant Carles
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I have acquired an alloy FOBlight anchor suggested for far heavier boats than mine, together with a leaded rope which sits in a bag.
This seems to be popular with the French and very easy to use over the stern. I have not used it much yet but it seems a good idea and I have added some chain to stop chafing mainly.
I would be interested to hear opinions on this.
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James
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Swagman
regular
Reged: 01/02/2005
Posts: 1229
Loc: Both self and boat in UK for t...
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I'm like the other guy.
Have carried a second anchor for three yars all around the Med, and never used it once. Never.
Only now retain it as a spare for bower.
JOHN
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Boring cruising blog at http://www.yotblog.com/swagman/2246
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Roberto
regular
Reged: 20/07/2001
Posts: 1176
Loc: miquélic - Lorient
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Quote:
I have acquired an alloy FOBlight anchor
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I would be interested to hear opinions on this.
I have one too, like other light weight anchors (namely Fortress) when you drop it in the water it tends to "fly" a little but never found that too worrisome, if the rode is not pulled too quickly the anchor sets reasonably fast
I use it mainly as lunch hook, when I do not want to pull out the heavier anchor which needs windlass and stuff, with the light anchor I renewed with the pleasure of arriving and leaving an anchorage under sail alone (as I can easily handle the anchor plus its few metres of chain), no engine for windlass
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I never tested it in more than 25knots of wind (held well so far) and will probably never do as in stronger conditions or if we wish to spend a night at anchor we always use the heavy one.
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Carolwildbird
regular
Reged: 06/07/2007
Posts: 649
Loc: Fowey/Plymouth
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what's a "FOBlight" anchor? new one on me....
EDITED- ignore this post- just found details on google!
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AKA Caroldevon (but now mainly in cornwall!)
The life and times of the Wild Birds:
http://art-of-remembering.typepad.com/wildbird/
Edited by caroldevon (10/06/2008 11:54)
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wagenaar
regular
Reged: 25/02/2003
Posts: 258
Loc: Spain, Galicia
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To prevent the "flying" I put first a few meters of chain out of the bag , so it hang already outside the ship and then dropped the anchor. The chain pulled the anchor down much faster and there was not that much "flying".
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charles_reed
regular
Reged: 29/06/2001
Posts: 4030
Loc: Central Mediterranean/Adriatic...
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Happily we're not all alike.
My stern anchor is a Delta, mainly because it self-stows so well. It's on 25m of chain and 75m of octoplait.
It's been used quite frequently around the Med - Siracusa, Salerno two mention two most commonly.
That's because I tie-up bows-to (not every boat has a sugar-scoop stern) and the wind pilot is excessively vunerable.
My third is an old-fashioned Danforth, scarcely ever used, especially since it snared the cable between Gugh and St Agnes.
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Chris_Robb
regular
Reged: 15/06/2001
Posts: 2494
Loc: Portsmouth
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Well - the wind might not be blowing in the same direction as the swell! in fact this is probably the most normal situation.
Mind you, a flat bottomed motor boat probably does not role around like a MOB (manckey old boat), so perhaps thats why you never needed to use a kedge.....
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JamesFrance
regular
Reged: 24/10/2006
Posts: 321
Loc: Carcassonne & Sant Carles
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Agree entirely with what you say there. Many a sleepless night rolling before we learnt how to align boats with a stern anchor, also previous boats would try to sail the main anchor out by tacking constantly in strong winds with no sail set.
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James
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