ANCHOR OPTIONS
Just as important as a good chain, is what it is attached to. We have used Bruce, CQR, Danforth, and Delta anchors. While all have their pros and cons, we have found that our Rocna anchor provides the best all-around holding in a multitude of bottom conditions. We still carry a Delta as a secondary anchor.
Floating anchor chain is a popular technique in the coral atolls of the South Pacific, but it can be used anywhere your chain might become entangled or there’s a sensitive environment that you want to protect. As an anchored boat swings the chain drags across the bottom, potentially destroying whatever lies in its path. In seagrass beds, this devastated area is called a halo, for when viewed from above the chain has made a circle of damaged vegetation. If you must anchor in seagrass, floating the chain will greatly reduce the size of your halo. The Department of Natural Resources in Washington State has made floating mooring chains mandatory in an effort to reduce the impact on their fragile seagrass environments. Florida has banned anchoring altogether in areas deemed threatened by too much yacht traffic and anchoring.
This technique also helps protect your bow rollers, chain, and anything else that may be damaged by large shock loads when anchoring in rocky bottoms. Much like coral, rock and boulder bottoms tend to ensnare anchors and rode. As the boat moves and dances around with wind changes and gusts on the surface, so too does the chain on the bottom. The longer your anchor rests on the bottom, the more likely it will become entangled. If it is left for too long, the risk is that all the rode becomes trapped, leaving nothing to buffer the shock loads of the bow pitching in wind chop or swell. We have witnessed rollers bend, windlasses ripped out of decks, and even brand new 12mm chain snap because of these loads. By adding a few floats to the chain to keep it off the bottom, you can help ensure an easier retrieval and keep the shock-absorbing property of scope.