How to choose the best boat anchor?

There are 4 types of stainless steel boat anchors that are available to buy at Stainless Direct, please see the below guide for what size of anchor and what type of anchor is most suitable

What anchor weight should I buy?

The weight of your anchor depends on the length of your boat and many other factors such as sea bed, wind speed, tide, swell. Please see below for a quick guide

The above table is just a guide only, if in doubt we recommend always going bigger – bigger is always better!

Which type of anchor is best for me?

Folding anchor – Also known as a Grapnel anchor or a fold up anchor, it is generally used for smaller boats such as kayaks, dinghies and canoes etc.. It folds up very compactly making it easy to stow and saves space onboard

Crown anchor – Also known as a Danforth, Fluke or Crown anchor, this anchor performs well in mud and sand and is easily stowed on most bow rollers

Bruce anchor – Also known as a claw anchor, it is a very popular anchor with recreational boaters around the world. It is an excellent multi-purpose anchor as it performs well in most sea bottoms including mud, sand, rock and bottoms with heavy grass

4 Prong anchor – Also known as a lightweight grapnel anchor, it is commonly used as a retrieving anchor to recover items and gear that go overboard, the 4 prong anchor works well with rocks and reefs and is worth having onboard

Which anchor? For most boaters a Bruce anchor is the best balance between price and performance

If you've used a crown anchor in the past, and you have had luck with it, choose the same anchor. If you've never used an anchor before and if your setup allows it, choose a Bruce anchor as it is the best all round and most popular boating anchor on the market

If in doubt, we always would recommend having a kedge (secondary) anchor onboard to cover most scenarios

All the above information is for guidance only