All last summer I was having problems getting my anchor to hold in the lake. (Lake Conroe TX) The bottom is hard pack sand and with the rough water the boat always comes loose. Has anyone found an anchor that will hold in those conditions? Mine will hold for only minutes than I have to swim out to retrieve the boat.

I'm using the run of the mill hooker anchor that I bought from Academy. It says it is for boats up to 25' I use it on a 22' Scarab. What am I doing wrong?

Roby

Get a fortress anchor. They work 10 times better than a standard danforth style. Make sure you have plenty of rode(chain) for weight which helps reduce the pulling angle on the anchor. Last thing to do is have plenty of scope. 5-7 times the depth is recommended. In other words, if you're anchoring in 10 feet of water, let out 50-70 feet of line. You want to pull on the anchor almost horizontally...it's the only way they will hold in rough water. If the scope is too short, you're pulling up on it too much and not enough horizontally.

That's about it.

Ive anchored in travis in 80ft of water, i better get 800ft of rope

it does work much better with more out like that. the good thing about travis is your anchor hooks on a rock and holds you. the bad news is about 5 times a summer, i get to go diving to get my stuck anchor back.

This long scope can pose a problem when many boats are anchored in close proximity as anchored boats can drift in all different directions. Many of times I have had to reposition my boat when it gets close to another boat. However for the most part it seems like it is mine that is always coming loose. Perhaps I need to take Anchoring 101, or maybe if I spent more than 30 dollars for anchor and rope I wouldn't have problems.

Roby

then anchoring on the beach in lake erie, Itstough cause there can be some pretty big waves but its real shallow so I've found the anchor your useing will hold fine you just need to let more line out.
If drifting too much throw an aft anchor too.

Forget the Fortress anchor...pure junk (no disrespect intended Baja Daze). The only thing you're doing wrong is your not using the Box Anchor...end of problem. I gave my Fortress away after the first time I used my Box Anchor. I'm not alone in my opinion either...


http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...ght=box+anchor

Just find a large SeaRay to piggy back off of. Let them worry about it.

None taken, Indy. What works for some may not for others, it all depends on the bottom, too.

I swear by mine, though. Out of probably 300 anchorings with mine over the last two years, the total times it pulled out was zero including plenty of rough conditions.

I was a turn boat for a race this year. So it was important that I stay in position. I threw out my old Fortress. It wouldn't hold. So I pulled it back in and threw out my new Box Anchor.It wouldn't hold.

After quite a bit of struggling I threw out both anchors and didn't move again.

Sometimes it takes teamwork.

As Baja-Daze said, throw out plenty of scope to get the right angle to keep it set. Setting solo a second anchor is necessary for the drifting. Another amongst many creative ways is to throw a stern line to an adjoining buddy's boat and tie off on his stern keeping the boats in unison with winds/currents...