The outcome of this following story is that I need a different anchor. What's the best anchor for holding my boat, Sea Ray 185 Sport, in soft mud and clay and gravel littered with submerged, but still standing oak trees? I've been playing russian roulette with my danforth ever since I started frequenting this tree-filled reservoir. I've caught a lot of trees but so far have managed to come away with my anchor, chain, and rode. This is one of those not if, but when scenarios.

So, last night, much to my delight, my teen daughter and her friends ask me to take them to the lake for some after dark swimming. First I'm thrilled that I get to go to the lake a third day in a row during our heat wave (oh yeah, and time with my daughter). Second, this is really a challenge for the girls as they are scared to death of what might be in the water. And, third, this is the only way to see stars in the night sky; there aren't any (well hardly any) in our light polluted suburbs.

This splash went much better than the last where the girls all huddled together in fear of the denizens of the deep and each time they touched each other they panicked at something in the water and climbed back into the boat. This time they stayed in the water in the dark for 45 minutes without a single scream of fear.

We had some KFC, listened to some music (*#@^ I hate the stuff they listen to!), and checked out the Milky Way, the Big Dipper, the North Star, and some planets. They asked a question and I mentioned BABC and promptly got reprimanded for talking to strangers online (something they have been forbidden to do since they were little and especially now that they are young teen girls).

Then the fun was capped with pulling up the anchor to go home. They've seen the anchor get stuck before and are familiar with the drill for retrieval. So no worries. After a few tries I got agressive and planned on winning or donating my anchor gear to the lake. My daughter felt the release and told her friends the anchor was loose; she's learning the boat and doing me proud.

The anchor wasn't coming up easily even with the obvious release we all felt. I put the boat in gear and pulled again and another release. This time the anchor was coming in, but it was heavy. This is where it gets good. Remember, teen girls. On a boat. A wilderness lake. It's dark, even the moon is behind the hills. What does any good father do? "Geez girls, it feels like maybe I'm pulling up a body." A few screams and a "Stop it, Dad!" And there it is, "Look girls! It's an arm." They peer over the side and see a long dark object (a decomposing arm?) stuck to the anchor. More screams and then a closer look. "Dad, it's just a branch."

I guess girls just like to scream, but it doesn't stop them from wanting a closer look. This boating with kids thing is pretty good; wish I'd started years earlier. Oh, and back to the other point of this, I need a different anchor for this tree filled reservoir. I can't keep offering my danforth to the lake denizens.

Kids and boats seem to go together. Thanks.

Just guessing here, but you might try a mushroom style anchor - would probably be less prone to collecting body parts.

When you figure it out let me know. I'm thinking the same thing for that lake. There are also a lot of weeds to penetrate if you are close to shore.

Now, a buddy of mind that boats there swares by his modified mushroom. I don't know what it is called, but it is like a mushroom, but it is essentially divided into thirds.



I've been thinking about a box anchor, but it sounds like it may be a bad idea with the trees.

I was thinking mushroom, but with all the grass you mention I'm not sure it would work half the time. Your modified mushroom looks like a much more likely hold for our lake and it would be very hard to lock onto a tree branch with the mushroom shape. I'd have to swap the mushroom for the danforth for my Clear Lake trips, but the hard part of that would be remembering to do it. The modified mushroom, good suggestion. As I was pulling into Lake Sonoma at sunset, I was watching every departing blue boat for Cobalt! lol

I use a mushroom on our muck bottom lake, never had a problem with it holding or retrieving it. Don't think we have trees, however.

I keep a fluke and mushroom anchor on the boat, and use a heavy duty, stainless steal snap link on a swivel to switch back and forth.

I experienced the same thing last time out but I pulled up a tree the size of the boat; I seriously thought I would be leaving my anchor, but after almost swamping the boat, it came loose. I'm happy to hear I'm not the only one! I was thinking of a mushroom type at the time but was wondering if there was something better out there. Thanks for the post!

Bryan, you have now figured out one of the main characteristics of teen age girls when they travel in 'packs'.

They scream. At the slightest provocation. And they try to outdo each other in volume.

Another characteristic is they like to listen to 'music' that drives parents nuts.

Nothing new about these characteristics. Teen girls have not changed in many years.

Thank heavens!

We didn't go out this weekend. The wife works weekend nights which takes away some of our boating depending on what else is going in. When we do go, it is usually Sunday afternoon getting to the lake at about 3:00pm and coming off the water at sunset. I am off this coming week and will be heading to the lake a few days when there is no traffics.

The other thing to consider is a fortress FX7 in addition to the modified mushroom. The fortress can come apart and store in a carry bag so it is always on the boat. So, if you don't swap before hand, at least it will be on the boat to do the swap on the water.

That specialized version of a mushroom anchor is called a River anchor at the local Chandlery.

Estrogen Based Life Forms will never change due to their chromosomes.

I've seen this one advertised before, this may help you. Anchor



Hope this helps

In lakes I use this instead of my fortress.



It stows easily, it holds well in mud and rocks (in mild and less current), and in weeds it gets tangled up and holds.

I use it with no chain. I'm sure it would do better in a little stronger current with some chain, but I like to keep it light just for easy, quick anchoring.

And it's cheap enough that I don't worry if it gets hung up. In fact, with a little force from the engine, you can break off one of the fingers if it's hung up and still retrieve your chain and rode instead of cutting it loose.

So you've tested that theory there, HF?

Got a 3 fingered anchor sitting in my garage.

Anyways, the first one I got was too light for my boat. Still held ok, but slip'd a lot.
Got hung up on a rock at Lake Mohave and pop'd that sucka loose with a little back throttle.

Got the next size up and it holds much better. Even in windy conditions.