Four Different Types of Boat Anchors

There are many different types of boat anchors. The type of anchor you need will largely depend on the type of bottom you use it in most often. It will also depend on the size of your boat. This article will discuss some of the different types of boat anchors.

Kedge

One of the first types of boat anchors is the kedge design. This design is the classic style that most people are familiar with and is most often used on Navy vessels. They are rarely used on recreational boats because they rely on their great weight and size to anchor the boat. These anchors have twin flukes on each side and a horizontal bar high on the shank. This bar is designed so that one of the flukes will also be pointing down so it will dig into the ocean floor. These types of boat anchors work well on rocky and grass bottoms.

Grapnel

One of the next types of boat anchors is the grapnel. These anchors have four or more arms that are designed to snag on brush on the bottom of the ocean. These types of boat anchors are commonly used on very small boats. They work well on bottoms that are composed of gravel, mud, or sand. Grapnel anchors are also sometimes used for rocky bottoms.

Mushroom

Anchors also come in a mushroom design. These types of boat anchors can be used for small vessels. However, they are not suitable to use if the boat will be exposed to strong winds or currents. These types of boat anchors are also used for long-term mooring. The mushroom shape helps the anchor settle into soft bottoms.

Plow

One of the final types of boat anchors is the plow design. This design utilizes a sharp, triangular-shaped wedge similar to the shape of a plow used for land. These types of boat anchors are especially useful for grassy bottoms, but are not suitable for soft bottoms. Plow anchors are very expensive, but they are excellent primary anchors.

These are some of the different types of boat anchors. The kedge design is most often used on Navy vessels and works well on rocky or grassy bottoms. Plow anchors are very expensive but make excellent primary anchors as they are effective on many types of bottom conditions except soft bottoms. If you have a smaller boat, you may be able to use a mushroom design if the boat won't be exposed to strong winds or currents.