Whats the best reef anchor

[maxi]

My new 6m boat will be ready in the next few weeks ;D ;D and i'm wondering weather to get a standard reef pick or another type. My mate reckons the best reef anchor is the Mooloolaba anchor as it pulls out backwards if stuck and holds bottom really well. If you have any advice it would be much appreciated.

Cheers

[revs57]

sarca..no doubt about it...I've gotone for my 6mt platey...hooks up firsttime every time, no drag, and easy retrieve. Some mob haVE ZEROXED it and they are a bit cheaper, but a fantastic pick and works

Cheers

Rhys

[dfox]

Maxi, id have both, the standard pick can be stored away without the pronges being bent as a back up...

[dicko1980]

This is my owner builder anchor that I run on my 5m Hooker. Most of the local pro line fishers run the same anchor but use mild steel as stainless is too expensive, when your losing a few a trip.. This isn't a worry for me as I am a boilermaker and can pick it up around the place to make a few foreigners when time permits. The anchor uses a cable tie as a trip to break away when becoming snagged. Any local fab shop or handyman can make one up in no time. ;)

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/8903/p32600709sd.jpg

[Craigo]

SARCA are the way to go, specialy if you can fit the bow mount.

Cheers

[indy]

G'day

I have never heard of the sacra can someone post a picture of one

Cheers pete.

[FishOn]

Again the situation and use must be taken into account.

Another 'breakaway' is the Hydrobubble http://www.anchorconcepts.com.au. Heard good reports but I do not have any first hand experience of these.

One thing that does need to be kept in mind is that the SARCA and any other anchor or mechanism (cable ties etc) that enables 'breakaway' should never be used when you want/need to anchor securely.

Breakaway anchors should not be used when you anchor up for night. Tides and winds cause the boat to reposition and therefore these anchors will release with no guarantee that they will bite again. And you have no way of knowing what's going on when you are asleep.

I have seen a 10-15m boat breakaway during the night (from a change in wind & tide) and the anchor did not bite again for about a kilometer. It was very nearly a big problem as the drifting boat just missed 3 other boats (from 1-5m near misses) and the anchor only caught again about 20m from shore. We were unable to raise the crew and could not motor to them as we were anchored to do a small motor repair in daylight the following morning.

Breakaway anchors are really good in many situations but should never be carried as the only primary anchor. Another primary anchor (not a smaller size or weight) that will not 'breakaway' should also be available. #Secondary anchors (one for each bottom type) could be of a smaller size. For safety reasons I would never go offshore without another two anchors to hold in each of the bottom types.

From experience:
* it won't be the thing that you know about ; or
* when only one thing goes wrong but when 2 or 3 things combine
that will cause you/others grief.

Kind regards
Trevor

[dicko1980]

That's a good piece of advice about anchoring Trevor2, I will have to change my anchoring techniques and go for another anchor at night or run a larger industrial cable tie on the anchor before pulling up for the night.

Cheers :D

[maxi]

Thanks heaps guys for the great advice It looks like I'll be needing two reef anchors.

[wacco_fozzy]

Guys, what does a Mooloolaba anchor look like?

Dave

[dfox]

Dave a mooloolaba pick is vertially the same as the pic dicko has shown above...foxy

[FishOn]

Indy the SARCA info is here http://www.anchorright.com.au/

Kind regards
Trevor

[indy]

G'day trevor just had a look at the web site and they really look the goods how much are these anchors going for i have a 6m plate boat

cheers pete

[fish-n-dive]

This is my owner builder anchor that I run on my 5m Hooker. Most of the local pro line fishers run the same anchor but use mild steel as stainless is too expensive, when your losing a few a trip.. This isn't a worry for me as I am a boilermaker and can pick it up around the place to make a few foreigners when time permits. The anchor uses a cable tie as a trip to break away when becoming snagged. Any local fab shop or handyman can make one up in no time. ;)



Nifty design dicko1980,

Do the wings need to be so big?

Cheers 8-)

[dicko1980]

Probally not mate, I just made it from memory from my mates anchor. I didn't have any dimensions to go from.