Settle an argument re: anchors

[Jimm]

for my '04 Outback on a clay/mud bottom. I've gotten 3 opions and none of them match mine, which to protect my fragile ego Ima not gonna say!!! But its not the 15lb mushroom anchor that came in the boat. Thanks.

[Surf Wagon]

Box

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[mikenehrkorn]

I also have a mud bottom lake and really haven't gotten any anchor EXCEPT a box anchor to work consistently. I swear by mine...

[haknslash]

Agree with the others.

Clay, mud and silt bottoms here as well. Box anchor will hold like a champ in it! Actually if it’s rough out or in stiff current you might think your anchor is trapped under a tree when you try and pull it up lol. It sticks that good in mud and clay bottoms!

The only time I have it struggle to hold is in small pebble rock bottoms in rough conditions. Then again aside from a massive Mantis anchor lol I don’t know what would stick in those conditions. If it’s too rough in that cove or too exploded to the main channel in those fine pebble or rock bottoms then I move to a more calm or secluded cove and it holds fine.

Only time I used a mushroom anchor was when I had a jet ski. It sucked because all it does is bob up and down since there is nothing to dig into the bottom. Previous boat we used a Danforth style and it struggled to hold and always favored rolling to one side making the flukes marginally effective at best.

Get yourself a box. It will hold especially in mud, clay and silt bottoms!!

[MLA]

I use a danforth style with chain and proper length of rode. Our lakes have a clay mud bottom and rarely an issue holding a 22ft boat with bimini deployed.

[Stazi]

I use a danforth style with chain and proper length of rode. Our lakes have a clay mud bottom and rarely an issue holding a 22ft boat with bimini deployed.

Same for me. Danforth with a chain rode.


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[haknslash]

Below are some pics pics from a trip to the gulf in the previous boat. It shows what I’m talking about with what we experienced using the danforth anchor. Notice it favored one side of the anchor than the other which causes the flukes to not fully or equally set. Even after setting it equally with my feet driving both flukes down into the sand it would always eventually roll. This is with proper scope / rode length. It worked well in I’d say 75% of the time under varying conditions for nearly 3 years. It wasn’t a bad anchor by any means but it wasn’t great either for us. The box anchor I’d say has worked 95% of the time in just one season of use and on larger lakes. I only used the box with the previous boat as a backup or secondary when the danforth couldn’t hold alone. So far so good using it by itself on a larger and heavier boat. I’m also glad I’m not dealing with an rusty, nasty anchor chain any longer that can stain or ding the gel as you retrieve. With the box you drop it and that’s it. Eazy peazy.

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[bteeter]

I second the box anchor. It holds like a champ in NC's clay/silt/muddy lake beds even on rough/windy days. Got tired of my danforth dragging all over and replaced it with this one. Well worth the $100 I paid on sale
https://www.overtons.com/slide-ancho...or-314790.html

[sandm]

I used danforth to tie up at the sandbar in wisconsin. worked great. sandy bottom. just have to get out and step on it a little with feet to get it to set properly but when anchoring at the sandbar we were only in 4ft of water at most.
back home we never anchored as the reservoir banks were too steep to get anything to hold. have not tried at mead as no anchor on current boat and not really a fan of some of the desert dwellers that live off the beach so we just find a wide open spot and drift

[bergermaister]

I gave up on the danforth and chain because I ended up with a few dings in the gel of the compartment where it lived for storage when loading it back in. Most of our areas are sandy bottom.

Box anchor works the majority of the time and I love the way it folds up - however I did have an 'oh shit' moment anchored in shallow (4-5') water and the winds kicked up - it drug a nice trench across the bottom and put the boat in a bad spot.