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Anchor Selection Guide

Choosing a suitable anchor is a decision that depends on different criteria. A J24 sailing on a lake with mud bottom certainly will not use the same anchor as an Odyssey 49 sailing in Miami. Choosing the right anchor depends on having a good balance between the time you will be anchored, the size of your boat, the climate conditions, and the type of bottom you will sail at.

Anchors come in different sizes and shapes. The following article will explain the different types and their pros and cons to help you decide which anchor you will need depending on every situation.

How long will you be anchoring?

Based on how long you will be anchored, the essential criteria to look at is holding power.

	Avarage Holding Power (Times its weight)	Very Short Period (5-hours top)	Short Period (less than one day)	Long Period (more than one day)
Claw Anchor	25		x
Wing Anchor	50		x
Plow Anchor	80		x
Fluke Anchor	20	x
Plow Anchor with Roll Bar	150		x	x
Grapnel Anchor	5	x
Mushroom Anchor	10			x

What size is your boat?

The weight and resistance of the anchor will help determine which anchor is best for your boat, depending on its LOA.

	Boats Up to 15 ft	Boats Up to 16 ft - 20 ft	Boats Up to 21 ft - 50 ft	Bigger Boats and Mooring Buoys
Claw Anchor		x	x
Wing Anchor			x
Plow Anchor		x	x
Fluke Anchor		x
Plow Anchor with Roll Bar				x
Grapnel Anchor	x
Mushroom Anchor				x

What bottom type are you sailing at?

The shape and sharpness of the anchor will determine how well some types of anchors develop on the different types of bottoms.

	Clay	Rock - Coral	Mud	Sand
Claw Anchor	Struggles the most	Does not work	Works good	Works good
Wing Anchor	Does not work good	struggles the most	Works good	Works good
Plow Anchor	Does not work good	struggles the most	Works good	Works good
Fluke Anchor	Does not work good	Does not work good	Works good	Works good
Plow Anchor with Roll Bar	Works good	Works good	Works good	Works good
Grapnel Anchor	Does not work good	Works good	Does not work good	Does not work good
Mushroom Anchor	Works good	Works good	Works good	Works good

Anchor Material

Deciding the material of the anchor is also essential. While most sailors use galvanized anchors due to the better price-benefit factor, if you want quality, stainless steel anchors are the ones with a better appearance. Aluminum anchors are preferred by racing sailboats and dinghies because of their very lightweight.

Material	Cost	Resistance	Corrosion Resistance
Galvanized Steel	Inexpensive	Strong	Resistant while Galvanized
Stainless Steel	Very expensive	Strong	Resistant
Aluminum	More expensive than Galvanized Steel	Not as strong as Steel	Resistant