The Joys of a Well-Hung Anchor

Only the anchor rollbar is visible, and the chain extending away into the distance

A good anchor is so important, not only for keeping a cruising boat in place, but also for the cruiser’s peace of mind. It’s great to see a puff when you drop the anchor, because it means that you’ve got a nice, sandy substrate for the gear to dig into, not an inch of sand above hard marl. But it doesn’t stop there. Chris nearly always jumps in the water to physically check to see that the anchor is well set. For years we had an anchor that worked well in some conditions, not so well in others. Often we would lay a Texas rig, a second anchor attached to the first by a length of chain. It would hold the boat well in place, but was a bitch to set and haul, especially in choppy waters. So the last time we were in the states we splurged and got a 73-pound Rocna anchor, a brand many of our cruising friends swear by. We won’t say that it’s perfect, but it’s certainly worked for us so far. Here’s a picture of it well buried in the sand between Big Farmers and Big Galliot Cays in the Exumas, Bahamas. That’s what we like!