Plough-type anchors are designed for sedimentary bottoms like sand, silt and mud.
ANCHORS
AND ANCHORING
AND ANCHORING
Anchoring is an important aspect of fishing and boating in general. Good ground tackle is also important safety equipment. For example, if you are being blown down onto a rocky coast with your engine out of commission, you really want your anchor to hold!
Don’t be shy about the length of your anchor warp. You should be carrying enough warp to be able to deploy about three times the depth of the water you are anchoring in.
The diameter of the warp and the material it is made from make a lot of difference to how easy it is to pull. Skinny ropes have less surface-area and that means you have to clench your hand really tightly to get a decent grip, which is hard work.
Twelve-millimeter rope allows a good grip and provides a balance between comfort, capacity, and cost. Of course, bigger boats require heavier anchors and chains, and in turn, heavier warp.
Ropes (or ‘lines’ in boat speak) are made of many materials, but two types are most commonly used for anchor warps these days. Polypropylene is cheap and it floats, but it is harsher to handle and susceptible to damage from the sun’s UV rays, becoming weaker in the medium term. Nylon sinks, is abrasion and UV resistant, stretches a bit, is easier on the hands and, although more expensive than polypropylene, is probably the better option for an anchor line in the medium to long term.
A section of chain is used between the warp and the anchor (the combination of warp and chain is called the ‘rode’). This is partly to resist wear, but mostly to hold the shaft of the anchor down so that the head can dig in to get a good hold on the seafloor. Skimping on the chain length and weight is counter-productive, so again, don’t be shy.
The diameter of the warp and the material it is made from make a lot of difference to how easy it is to pull. Skinny ropes have less surface-area and that means you have to clench your hand really tightly to get a decent grip, which is hard work.
Twelve-millimeter rope allows a good grip and provides a balance between comfort, capacity, and cost. Of course, bigger boats require heavier anchors and chains, and in turn, heavier warp.
Ropes (or ‘lines’ in boat speak) are made of many materials, but two types are most commonly used for anchor warps these days. Polypropylene is cheap and it floats, but it is harsher to handle and susceptible to damage from the sun’s UV rays, becoming weaker in the medium term. Nylon sinks, is abrasion and UV resistant, stretches a bit, is easier on the hands and, although more expensive than polypropylene, is probably the better option for an anchor line in the medium to long term.
A section of chain is used between the warp and the anchor (the combination of warp and chain is called the ‘rode’). This is partly to resist wear, but mostly to hold the shaft of the anchor down so that the head can dig in to get a good hold on the seafloor. Skimping on the chain length and weight is counter-productive, so again, don’t be shy.
FORMULA FOR CALCULATING
ANCHORING REQUIREMENTS
ANCHORING REQUIREMENTS
Anchor weight
Length of boat in metres x 1kg - 1.5kg E.g 5m boat should have an anchor at least 5kg.
Chain length
Length of boat in metres x 1.5m E.g. A 5m boat should have at least 7.5m of chain
Rope length
Length of boat in metres x10m OR known depth of usual anchorage x 3
* This is varied as you never know exactly where you’ll anchor
New Zealand Fishing News
New Zealand Fishing News