Anchoring a MacGregor 26S using a big anchor as a temporary mooring
Just picked up a 45 lb Manson Boss anchor and it’s huge! I’m planning on using it to secure my MacGregor 26S as a temporary mooring.
It is a rather unwieldy object, more akin to a medieval torture device/siege weapon than a suitable sailboat anchor to be honest.
It is clearly overkill for my little trailer sailer, and my original plan to use it as a storm anchor has now evolved into using it as a temporary mooring.
I’ve never set anything up like this before and I have a feeling that a lot of potential details are going over my head here.
So far my plan is to put it down in about 20-25 feet of water, or maybe further out in my little bay with about 35 feet of depth.
My options are to use very big mooring chain, roughly 20-30 feet of it, or to use a longer and lighter chain. But my concern is getting it wrapped up. The heavier chain will be less likely to cause this issue, correct?
Also, the length of rode can probably be longer if I anchor deeper, as I’ll have more room to move around in my scope.
I have heard conflicting advice on whether to put a “retrieval” line with a buoy tied to the crown/fluke portion to make it easier to pull out, but have also heard this is a recipe for wrapping it up and dragging.
What is the expert advice and opinion of you wonderful people on this forum?
Any experiences worth sharing using a Manson Boss, or just in general using a gigantic anchor and a small boat?
Much appreciated!
This thing is huge!