Anchor weight vs. size of boat?

[Alan]

For a 12' aluminum boat, what weight anchor would be sufficient? I know many things play a factor, but if you had a 12' aluminum, what would you buy?

Reason I ask is that I currently have a 15# mushroom anchor. But I purchased the Anchor Mate and they don't recommend anything over 12# for an anchor with their Anchor Mate. Does anyone think an additional 3# would be that big of a deal? Or should I go buy a 12lb ? And would a 12# be good enough for a 12' aluminum boat?

[BoxMN]

I guess my two cents says that I would not put an anchor mate on a 12' boat. Non-needed weight on an already small boat. But of course there are reasons to use it, just that I wouldn't. We had an anchor mate II on a 16' boat once, and I took it off after the first trip... so that shows my preference

A 15 pound or 12 pound anchor would be fine for a 12' boat, if the iwnd was that great that they would nto work, you should not be out in a 12' boat!

Good luck,

[Scott M]

That much weight is fine. The bigger influence in anchoring is the angle you are creating to your boat with the anchor. If you are using an anchor mate (if it is like an anchor buddy?) then you will be fine. Better leverage is all.

Or you can just use a ton of rope, but who wants to have someone snag that, haul it all in, etc.

Hope this helps.

***Okay, I was curious and looked up anchor mate...looks like a retrieval system, so it won't help change the angle...In that small of a boat 15 pounds should be more than enough, or get a higher end anchor like a grapple or richter anchor. Otherwise like I said, get more rope.

[Grant]

for what it's worth- a little hack I found to work was in my 14 footer, with a 12# Navy- I have a bow pulley and run the rope down the starboard side, so that I can drop it from the helm while on the river with the motor on and holding position in the current. I just tie off to a cleat I mounted to the inside of the hull at that point. to stabilize the pull on the boat in current or wind I bought one of those big honking "caribiners" that are sold to hold a wound up extension cord or rope, it's about 6-7 inches on the long dimension, clipped it to the bow eye and ran the anchor rope thru it. now the pull to the boat is exactly centered on the keel, and is from a lower angle to the bow, so that waves split low on the bow instead of higher up. a side benefit is when I pull the anchor all the way up into the 'biener, it keeps the anchor from swinging like the bow piece of an Anchor Mate does, and also give me something to grab ahold of when pulling the boat onshore, onto the trailer, etc.

[chickeywing]

A 12# river anchor holds my 14' just fine. Just remember to let out enough rope to let the anchor tip over and dig into the bottom.

[shae1986]

Go big or go home.