Selecting An Anchor Size

The old rule of thumb when selecting an anchor said that an anchor should have one pound of weight for every foot of boat length. This rule of thumb is still a good approximation. However, the quality of both an anchor's material and design have improved dramatically in the past 20 years or so, and this rule doesn't need to be followed quite so rigidly. For smaller boats especially (under 28') one can get away with about 1 pound of weight for every 1.5-2 feet of boat length. As the boat gets bigger though, the 1 pound/1 foot rule should be followed more closely.

We've compiled 3 charts below for selecting the right size anchor for the 3 most popular anchor models. These recommendations assume normal anchoring conditions for an average sized boat in its size class. If your boat is uniquely heavy or wide beamed, select the next size up. If your anchoring in really strong winds, select the next size up. Remember, you can never have too heavy of an anchor.