How to choose an anchor for an inflatable boat
The most important requirements of any anchor are that it is easy to use, small in size and fit into a small place. Such a product should be perfectly easy to pull back out, be as light as possible to reduce the load on the boat and of course have a high resistance to chemical corrosion.
Anchor design
The most common is the cat anchor, which is most commonly installed on PVC boats. This anchor model weighs from 2 to 10 kilograms. The most common design for boat anchor is a folding anchor. The advantages of this anchor are low weight, compactness and small dimensions.
The second most popular is the Denforth anchor, which resembles a plough. This model is not very light and small, but has great traction with soil and rock. The Denforth anchor, which has a mass of about 2kg, can hold a boat with a weight of up to 80kg. The obvious advantage of this anchor is the ease with which the underwater hitch can be removed.
Another very famous anchor is the river mushroom anchor, which is shaped like a mushroom. Such model weighs about 3-10 kg. It works well on a rocky bottom, is small and very compact.
The Northill anchor, which is shaped like a star with four ends, is often but rarely used on PVC boats. The two ends of the star, which are parallel, have feet that dig the anchor into the ground, and the two extra beams sticking out in different directions only increase the grip. The disadvantages of this model are its great weight and size, high price, and difficulty in pulling it out.
There is also another type of anchor, the Porter anchor, which is very similar to the Admiralty anchor, differing only in the way the legs are attached, which are bolted perpendicular to the rod. This allows the anchor to oscillate from side to side. An important advantage of this model is that, when submerged, one leg clings to the ground and the other to the spindle, so great holding power is provided and the chance of the anchor cable catching on the protruding leg is almost minimal.
Main criteria when selecting an anchor
The most important requirement is the main purpose of an anchor, i.e. the anchor must provide a secure and good hold on the water, resisting the current and the wind.
The retention factor, which is usually calculated by special mathematical formulas, is usually indicated on every anchor in the shop.
The weight should not be too big, but not too small either. The optimal choice would be an anchor of 7-9 kg.
A very important criterion for selection is the type of ground, since every anchor behaves differently on different ground.
Another thing to consider is weather conditions, it depends on where you are going to fish and if it’s windy or calm.
It is very important to choose an anchor that is protected against chemical corrosion. The most popular and quality protection method is galvanizing.
