Continuing anchor discussion

Peter - when I’m next on Grey Goose I’ll grab you a shot of the Anchor Mate doing its thing with my 20Kg Manson Supreme. The combination work well. The anchor mate works to secure the flukes tightly with the shank hard against the roller. No movement at all even in significant seas. 

Thanks mark 

Edited by Rock - 03 January 2023 at 08:23

Ratbasher - a 2nd vote for a bridle to the midships cleats. I found my 400 sails a lot less at anchor if I do that. Though I do get some funny questions about it in anchorages :)

Owen - in between the legs of the cleat itself and yes, to provide for a longer bridle.  I've enclosed each leg within 1.5m of anti-chafe webbing which can easily be moved along the leg but which stops in place once set.  Suggest not to use plastic as this will make the rope sweat under load. Although I've no scientific evidence, I think that putting the line through the fore cleat spreads the load between cleats while still permitting the required stretch.  I simply could not believe the stretch I was seeing on the rope at 60kts of wind; it was like something out of the 'Twilight Zone' for those with memories back that far, yet the anchor (single 20kg Rocna) held fast.  I've found 10m to be fine but another option is perhaps 30m each leg taken back around a spinny block aft to a winch, thus allowing greater adjustment.  The bridle could always double as a towing bridle or for a Jordan series drogue (next season's project).  However, this all means that the bridle must be considered a consumable item and replaced every so often.   

Edited by Ratbasher - 05 January 2023 at 12:52

In an article in a UK magazine, the writer recommended 10mm nylon climbing rope as being an ideal bridle rope for 30-40ft yachts, possibly going to 12mm for larger yachts.  He recommended 2 lengths of rope in a bridle over the anchor roller and fastening them right back to the back of the yacht, so that there was at least 10m of rope snubber to absorb the shock loads.