Sandbar Anchor - Suggestions

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igblack87

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I boat in the northeast (south of boston to plymouth) and am looking to do some sandbar days with my twin 5 year old boys + family. We have the spit (in scituate), browns bank, and a multitude of other boat accessible areas. Been looking into a couple of small anchors but wanted all yours opinions....what should I get?

Here is what I have been thinking:
- river anchor - seems easy to store and applicable to multiple different situations
https://www.overtons.com/overtons-12-lb.-coated-river-anchor-kit-288319.html?cgid=anchoring
- small fluke anchor - also seems easy to store (although a little bit bulkier)
https://www.overtons.com/#13-fluke-style-galvanized-boat-anchor-14-lbs.-315796.html?cgid=anchoring
- stick anchor - i really like this one, looks like it could fit in a rocket launcher, easy to store, would hold in the mud/sand that we have in my boating area

am i going in the right direction or am i off the deepend?!

Thanks!
Ian
 
So just to clarify... you're going to use you main anchor out in the water, and then you want another anchor to hook on land to keep the boat near the sandbar and not float back out?
 
DennisG01 said:
So just to clarify... you're going to use you main anchor out in the water, and then you want another anchor to hook on land to keep the boat near the sandbar and not float back out?
Click to expand...
Yes! Apologies, should have clarified that in the original post.

Ideally I want to go stern in and use the main anchor for deeper water.
 
Gotcha.

For me, a small fluke anchor has worked very well over the years. It's light and easy to store somewhere - use one of those electrical cord reels from Home Depot to store your "beach anchor" rode. It can hold about 100' of 3/8" rope. You can use a snap clip to attach-deattach to the anchor rode if it'd be easier to store them separate.

I have also used one of those curly-cue dog tie-out stakes. And, many times, I just tie to a rock or tree.

FYI, you COULD go bow in and just tie the main anchor's rode to a stern cleat. You can get closer that way.
 
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Why not just beach the bow and put the lower units all the way until they are buried in the sand/mud?






(just kidding)
 
The setup that I have used for the same anchoring situation is a claw anchor with about 10ft of chain and 3/8 inch anchor line. It fits in a small bucket and I only bring it on the boat when I'm going to use it. The chain is way overkill for this anchoring situation. However I have found that is much reduces the tripping hazard vs. the anchor line which tends to ride just above the ground especially at middle tides. Going off of memory I think the claw anchor is 12 lbs. You may be able to get away with a small anchor on a 22 ft boat.
I have toyed with the idea of using the corkscrew dog run anchor however that has to be manually placed vs. being able to "toss" the anchor off the stern of the boat.
 
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I'm in the area (Browns, Spit and Worlds End) and use a small Danforth anchor for such activities. Happened to have it, but it works well.
 
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For a stern anchor look at the smaller Fortress or Guardian with some chain. They’re light and easy to store and also can be taken apart for storage. I find coming in bow first while dropping the bow anchor much easier. Then spin the boat around, get your beach gear off, put your stern anchor in and take up the bow anchor slack. It’s hard to back against the tide when it’s moving around here (I’m on the north shore so similar waters)
 
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I likewise have a small fortress anchor for my 208, 10’ of coated chain and 3/8” line. Key modification…I have the stem of the anchor and initial chain inside pipe insulation to prevent it banging around the boat or my legs and I use an extra large Lands End type canvass bag to store. Line feeds out of the bag easily. Easy to move around, rinse at the end of the day, leave off the boat at the dock when not needed and just leave it on the boat deck at the Marina (can also drop it into the cuddy). Also have a roll-up ladder to get on/off the front of the 208 for sandbar days.

Drop the Fortress off the back as I come in and let the line run out of the bag, tie off to stern cleat. Run the bow up the sand, unload, peel out the bow anchor as needed up the beach, pull the boat off with the stern anchor as much as you like. Lots of tidal current in Barnegat Bay NJ and this keeps me lined-up nicely. Definitely like having both anchors.

When I was a kid in the Puget Sound, lots of rocky beaches so I always needed a method to keep the boat off the beach. Worse comes to worse, I have an inflatable SUP to get an anchor ashore.
 
Another possibility is the Sand Anchor Spike which you put down in sand / zilch etc above water line and then beat down with the weight on it. Like this

1729643619081.jpeg

It is easy to stow but it is not a real anchor so its only use is to be set on the shore/sand bar. Popular on lakes and have seen them for sale at WM down south in FL as well.

H
 
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i vote stick/spike anchor. you will never trip or bash your foot on a partially burried anchor again (at least not yours)
 
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The only problem with the stick or spike anchor is that you have to be out of the boat to deploy it rather then just tossing an anchor. If you are in an inland lake or very protected area this may be no big deal. Where we typically take the boat to the beach there is wind, current and tide which wants to swing the boat. It is much easier to have an anchor to toss out, have it grab to hold the boat in place, then get out of the boat and readjust as necessary. For us in an express boat we have found the 2 anchor system works best.
 
I use a black Cooper anchor on the stern with about 8' of chain. Works perfectly in sandy bottoms.
 
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