Anchor Sizing Guide report
The anchor is the main part of the mooring equipment. An iron ship-stopping device is attached to the ship with an iron chain; when the sailor casts the anchor into the water, the ship can be stopped. Most new boats are not equipped with an anchor, but every boat should have one. You may want to leave the anchor in a secluded cove for a relaxing afternoon or even an overnight stay, or park your boat in the lake and go fishing.
An anchor is one of the most important critical boat safety devices. Proper anchor placement can keep your boat from drifting into dangerous areas if your boat loses power. The best anchor depends first and foremost on the size and type of your boat.
Large ships or yachts that can capture a lot of wind will require heavier anchors. Boats used for long-distance cruising may need to be anchored in rough weather and on various bottoms, thus requiring heavier gears and several different anchors suitable for different bottom conditions. Here this post shares the anchor sizing guideline.
Anchor Sizing Guide
An anchor is an essential safety device for any ship; its main function is to fix and stabilize the ship. The best anchor selection is usually based on the length and weight of the boat. The weather and anchoring conditions you generally encounter should also be considered. No one anchor will work for you in every situation, so if you have space to carry two anchors, preferably of different types and sizes. Many people carry a small anchor for a short stay and a larger working or storm anchor. The anchor with sufficient size should be strong to hold your boat for an extended period, like overnight or in an emergency, such as if you run out of gas.
Recommended Anchor Size Chart
You can find the recommended anchor sizes based on various types, lengths, and weights of the boat in the below table.
| Anchor Weight | Sail Boat Weight | Sail Boat Length | Catamaran (Sail) Weight | Catamaran (Sail) Length | Power Boat Weight | Power Boat Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 lbs | 1 ton | 17" | 0.7 ton | 14" | 1.1 ton | 17"-19" |
| 18 lbs | 2 ton | 23" | 1.4 ton | 20" | 2.2 ton | 24"-26" |
| 26 lbs | 3.8 ton | 30" | 2.7 ton | 26" | 4.2 ton | 31"-33" |
| 35 lbs | 6.3 ton | 35" | 4.5 ton | 31" | 6.9 ton | 36"-40" |
| 46 lbs | 10.2 ton | 41" | 7.3 ton | 36" | 11.2 ton | 43"-47" |
| 60 lbs | 14.6 ton | 47" | 10.5 ton | 41" | 16 ton | 48"-53" |
| 77 lbs | 21.5 ton | 52" | 15.6 ton | 45" | 23.5 ton | 54"-60" |
| 100 lbs | 30 ton | 58" | 21.6 ton | 51" | 32.9 ton | 60"-66" |
| 132 lbs | 43 ton | 66" | 31 ton | 58" | 42.1 ton | 68"-74" |
| 176 lbs | 63 ton | 73" | 45.4 ton | 63" | 69 ton | 75"-83" |
| 220 lbs | 85 ton | 80" | 61 ton | 70" | 93 ton | 83"-91" |
| 290 lbs | 123 ton | 90" | 89 ton | 78" | 135 ton | 93"-102" |
| 350 lbs | 174 ton | 100" | 125 ton | 86" | 191 ton | 103"-113" |
| 440 lbs | 262 ton | 113" | 190 ton | 98" | 287 ton | 116"-128" |
| 550 lbs | 400 ton | 129" | 290 ton | 111" | 438 ton | 133"-146" |
| 660 lbs | 550 ton | 144" | 400 ton | 125" | 600 ton | 149"-163" |
| 800 lbs | 776 ton | 164" | 550 ton | 142" | 830 ton | 169"-186" |
Common Anchor Types
Once you have a better idea of what size anchor your boat will need, you will also want to consider the type of anchor. Let's explore some of the most popular options for crews when exploring anchors.
- Mushroom Anchor
Very large mushroom anchors are used for mooring or securing buoys. Small mushroom anchors may be effective on soft river bottoms but have minimal grip; they should only be used on personal watercraft and small fishing boats.
- Fluke Or Danforth Anchor
This anchor style is a good choice for smaller boats because it folds flat for easy grip, and its heavy weight allows it to sink stably into the sand and hard mud bottoms, but it doesn't work well in deep mud or grass.
- Reef Anchor
Reef anchors are great for coral reefs and rocky bottoms. Many boaters choose to hand-weld and DIY reef anchors.
- Claw Anchor
Claw anchors have a wider shape and work well on the muddy or sandy sea bottom. These anchors are also strong enough to grip the ground on rocky bottoms. It may not perform adequately on very loose bottoms or thick vegetation, which is challenging for all types of anchors.
- Plough Anchor
Plough anchors have a single penetrating point attached to the central shank and are ideal for sandy, muddy, and weed bottoms. You might notice arched shanks in modern plow anchor designs. This anchor type is also great for rocky bottom uses as long as it gets a good grip.
- Grapnel Anchor
Shaped like a grappling hook, this folding grapnel anchor has multiple prongs or points and is designed to grab onto structures at the bottom - such as rocks or submerged wood, rather than sinking into the bottom. These anchors are great for small vessels, inflatables, and jet skis and are recommended by many as secondary or emergency anchors.
Conclusion
Are you anchoring in very deep water? If so, choosing an anchor one size up would be best and allow you to set the anchor faster and with less line. Anchoring in a calm protected cove can be quite different than anchoring offshore or on a large open bay. You should also check the weather; high winds, tides, and waves make anchoring difficult. The above chart can be used as a starting point based on your boat size. You can choose from several different models depending on the conditions you will be in and the storage space you have.
