Recommendations for Anchor and Chain Sizing

[JohnnyB]

I'm a new sailor/Horizon Cat owner with plans to do extended solo overnight trips up and down the East Coast. I'm looking for recommendations on an anchor size/weight as well as chain size/length that one would feel comfortable with leaving the boat unattended at anchor? I'll be doing shore excursions for resupplying and sightseeing and want to be as stress free as possible knowing my boat is unattended. I recently picked up a 25lb Mantus M1 anchor that I think is a pretty good start. Now I'm wondering what size/length of chain most folks are using on the East Coast? General recommendation seems to be a chain length equal to the length of the boat so ~20 ft. Has anyone successfully stuffed that much chain in their locker?

Thanks
Johnny B

[crazycarl]

I have a 19 and it carries a 12lb danforth with 20' of 5/16" chain and 150' of 3/8" rode. The only time I had it drag was at last years Florida 120. I was in 9' of water with all the chain and another 40' of rode out and I ended up on shore when 53 mph winds blew through during the night. I now also carry a 30lb plow with 30' of 5/16" chain and 150' of 3/8" rode as a storm anchor.

What part of the east coast will you be sailing? I'm in Oriental, NC. It' on the ICW.

[JohnnyB]

Thanks, this is exactly the real-world experience I was hoping to tap into. I had a 17lb claw anchor with 10 ft of 1/4" chain. After watching some anchor testing videos from SV Panope on YouTube I lost a bit of confidence in the claw anchor.

I've seen Oriental, NC in quite a few sailing videos as people make their way up/down the ICW. I'm in Cape Coral, FL. After I gain some experience with my HC, I plan on chipping away at the Great Loop.

[MarshHen]

It is all (or mostly) about scope.  I would not leave nor sleep on my boat with less than a ten to one scope.

I have 20' of 5/16" chain and a Rockna anchor that has never failed me.  I think the Mantus you have is as good or better.  I also keep my anchors and rodes under the starboard cockpit seat.  With the help of a snubber tied to the bow's D-ring and led aft, I can deploy and retrieve the anchor from the cockpit most of the time.

[MarshHen]

Wow!  The Great Loop on an HC would be quite the feat.  Keep us posted.