Lunch Hook?

[MacGyver]

Okay, so I have to ask, why call it a lunch hook? And how exactly do you use it?

The regular anchor is a bit of work to set, etc, so how is the use of a lunch hook better?

Thanks!
MacGyver (que theme song now)

[Tim Gardner]

Mac, It's lighter, easier to deploy & doesn't have to hold you overnight.

TG

[MacGyver]

Do you just keep it in a Lazerette? then deploy randomly over the side and attach to rear cleat?

This would then leave your actual good anchor ready up front for use if needed?

Mac

[Shawn]

My main anchor is a 16 pound Raya 800 with 38' of 3/8" chain and 300' of 1/2 rode. I also carry a 6 pound Raya 400 with about 9' of chain and 250' of 3/8 rode. I bought the Raya 400 as a lunch hook/ stern anchor but have never used it as i tend to just use the main knowing it will keep me in place. When single handing it I may try using the lUnch hook this season as recovering the main alone can be a little tricky mostly due to the chain.

Lunch hook is in a seat locker with the chain/rode in an anchor bag. I would likely still tie it off up front but recover from the cockpit (how I recover the main alone).

Shawn

[Salty19]

You really don't need a big anchor or a huge amount of chain for a lunch hook so long as you're planning to remain awake and alert should the anchor pull out.

A small bucket comes in handy for storage, so do the line reel organizers.





I use a 4.4 claw with 5' of 1/4" chain on our 19 as a lunch hook off the stern...it seems to hold in mud but I have not tested it in waves, currents or much wind-only a quiet cove or clam shoreline.  You could also make double duty of a secondary anchor (heavier, more chain, more line) for a lunch. Saves space/weight, should hold you if you fall asleep but harder to deploy.

One of these days I'll make a nice salty aft rail mounted box with line spool, crank and lunch hook mounted up top, or so I can dream anyway!

[Bob23]

   For a lunch hook, I use a small Danforth (forged model, not cast) 6' of 1/4" chain and 100' of 3/8" line. I don't know the model or weight of the Danforth but it's big enough to use as a secondary anchor. I store it all in a joint compound bucket in the portside cockpit locker.
   Because I'm usually achoring in a tide/wind area, I deploy both anchors running the lines out at about45 degrees to each other. This, along with my riding sail reduces swing almost to nothing, maybe 10 degrees each way. This year I plan to carry a third large Danforth on a bow rail bracket so it can be easily deployed.
   The Danforths seem to work ok in the sand bottoms that are common to my area. But the real reason I use 'em is because that's what I have lying around in the yard! The Defender price seems very attactive though and a plow does seem to be a better anchor. Also, note that Defenders Warehouse sail starts today and runs though sunday. You can order online.
Bob23

[NateD]

In boats our size, I think it is usually just as easy to use the primary anchor, even if you're only stopping for an hour or two. On bigger boats you can be talking about a 30 pound anchor and an all chain rode. That is a lot of work to deploy and retrieve if your just stopping for an hour or two. With anchors that weigh 20 pounds or less and mostly rope rodes, the primary anchors on our boats ARE lunch hooks on the bigger ones. I have a 10 pound claw in a stern locker, but the only time I have ever used it was to kedge off a sandbar that I discovered with my keel. Whether it is a short stop or overnight, I use the 22 pound primary on the bow.

[Greene]

Mac - we built a simple lunch anchor mount when we had our 19.  It fit nicely in the lazarette and was ready to deploy really quickly.  Note the line organizer in the same lazarette.








Just for grins. This is what the lazarette looked like when I bought the 19.



Mike

[skip1930]

Lunch anchor; it's a little 8 lb vinyl coated Danforth kept under the settee with a short chain and about 50 foot of line. I just lower it off the stern and cleat it. It's lunchtime and the stern turns into the wind or current while sitting in some quiet waters near the shore. I don't even care if it drags, were not going anywhere.

skip.

[Billy]

Mike,
How did you mount the wood anchor mount to the fiberglass?

That looks great.

[Greene]

Mike,
How did you mount the wood anchor mount to the fiberglass?

That looks great.

The line organizer was simply bonded with 5200.  As you can see in the picture the organizer slipped when the glue was drying.  I used an el cheapo plastic clamp on one end to hold it overnight and the darn thing broke.  Cleaning up that mess later was fun!

The lunch anchor served two purposes.  First it obviously holds the anchor.  Second it helped strengthen the lip on the lazarette opening.  The lip had a crack in it and it would move if you leaned against it while scrounging around inside the lazarette.  I used some adhesive (Lifetime I believe) and then put two stainless screws throughout he lazarette lip right where the arms lined up.  The two screws are then hidden when you close the lazarette lid.

I plan on doing this same project to our 23 this spring.  I WON'T be using any cheap plastic clamps this time though.

Mike

[lochinvar]

Mike,
Really nice organizers. Consider them *stolen*. I think if I use a longer vertical panel on the anchor side, it will help hide the blue carpet in the 19 I am refirbishing. I will be sure to use good clamps on the lid side!
My thanks,
-Shawn F

[brackish]

Mac, my "lunch hook" is a Fortress Guardian G-7.  The beauty of that anchor is that it has the same holding power rating as my main CQR, but is only weighs 4 lbs. because it is all aluminum.

[findtime]

Mac - we built a simple lunch anchor mount when we had our 19.  It fit nicely in the lazarette and was ready to deploy really quickly.  Note the line organizer in the same lazarette.








Just for grins. This is what the lazarette looked like when I bought the 19.



Mike