[alberg30] Bruce anchors

[Marjorie Goettle]

From: Marjorie Goettle <mgoettle at erols.com>

Lee,

We have a Bruce 22 mounted on 25' of 3/8" chain and then rope.  In
holding power, it is supposed to be comparible to a Danforth 12, but it
has worked better for us.  We find that the Bruce sets better in the
Chesapeake mud as well as holding well in shifting currents of so many
areas we have cruised north and south of the Chesapeake where a Danforth
is not even a viable option.  There are certain anchorages on the
Chesapeake where we repeatedly plow the bottom again and again before
setting when we use a Danforth.  Admittedly, when we do set, we stay
set, but still Bill really appreciates the Bruce holding the first time
in those places.  We use the Bruce as our primary anchor, going to a
Danforth 20H in "heavy" conditions, both on and off the Bay.  If we had
it to do again AND HAD A WINDLESS (sp??), we would buy a Bruce 33 which,
with a decent amount of chain should probably hold an Alberg in anything
short of a hurricane.  Our Danforth 22 held us through a tropical storm
with hours of wind over 50k in a sheltered anchorage on the Bay, and
through a several day gale behind Long Island in the Bahamas where the
wind shifted so that our windward shore was Cuba, so I am judging that
it could be considered an Alberg "storm anchor" and should be
compariable to a Bruce 33.  As it is, a Bruce 22 plus its chain is all
Bill can handle and often more than I can. The Bruce has held us though
many t-storms on the Bay, including one in Mattawoman Creek (near
Washington on the Potomac) where every boat in the anchorage dragged
past Jubilant.

I think that the chain has lots to do with our good holding experience
over the years, whatever the anchor.  Anchoring in the clear waters in
the Bahamas was instructive.  We could watch how the anchors set and
held.  The Bruce really dug in best when we gave it a sharp tug back
with only about 2 to 1 scope out, and continued the tugs as we let out
more scope.  If we waited until more scope was out to really back off,
the chain would not straighten totally.  Again and again, we watched
only part of the chain moving as we swung.  The anchor kicked in only
when the winds really piped up.

Marjorie Goettle Jubilant #435

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