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I'm just back from camping on board my Reefrunner in Shark Bay WA. We live aboard, so it's a bit different , but I also do a ,lot of mooring and camping ashore, at least a month each year.
When sleeping aboard, I'm generally anchored on sandy or silty bottom, using a #2 Sarca and about 8 metres of chain. it is usually shallow, to get right up in the corners of the bays I use to keep out of the wind. And the wind will blow really hard overnight up there, believe me. The Sarca has never moved an inch, although we don't tend to get a lot of wave action.
When I'm camped ashore, I'll have a really good anchor down and lots of chain. I just couldn't sleep leaving it on something small, no matter how well it has held previously. As for using a stern anchor overnight--I would really caution against it. I can here the howls beginning from here, " me old man did it like that, me mates do it like that, i do it like that, never a problem" ---I've seen boats sunk at anchor overnight purely because of that stern anchor. Nearly did it myself once, before I woke up to it. Boats need to be able to swing to the wind and tide to ride correctly--you stop the boat from doing that, an unexpected, unforecast wind change/squall can leave you hanging side on, or stern to the wind, and you'll fill it up via the well before you know it. Now, I'm not familar with where you are talking about, it may be appropriate there, but be cautious.
As for using 2 10lb danforths--if the bottom is mud or sand they hold great, but you are much better just using a single larger one. 15 or 20 lb with a reasonable amount ( say, 6-8 metres of 8mm) will hold a boat that size against anything. If the wind or tide swings it right around, it will just adjust itself. Using two small 10 lb anchors you run the risk of breaking one loose, dragging it across the other, tangling, then you don't have much holding you.
You probably want the stern anchor to save swimming out in the morning? Fair enough, I hate that too. You can rig up a running mooring, with an endless rope. Drop the suitably sized anchor out far enough, secure the shore end, tie your boat off on a painter to the endless rope. Pull it in and out at will. Like below
Mooring.jpg
This is a good setup if you plan to spend more than a night out there--you don't really need a pulley out the anchor end for short stays, a nice stainless shackle will do-gal tends to rub through the rope. if you don't want to go that far, i'd just go with the single larger danforth and put it where you can wade it in the morning. Simple and safe. As for your other questions, yes, have some protection on the riding rope where it attaches to the boat--I don' know what you bow setup is, but just have some plastic tubing over the rope where it can rub on the boat.
And lastly, leave your anchor light on--apart from any other considerations, it's easy to see its still there when you get up for a leak.LED globes draw zilch and are very bright, if you don't already have one in it.
Originally Posted by scottar
