Need Anchoring Suggestions: New G23 With Box Anchor & Bungee

[SoCal G-Man]

I upgraded my boat from a Malibu Wakesetter 23 LSV (4100#) to a new Nautique G23 (5900#) and I am having anchoring issues. I boat throughout California and Western Arizona, in lakes and rivers only, with mud, sand or clay-dirt bottoms.

For years, I used a large box anchor with anchor buddy lines (I use 7'-22' and 14'-50', depending on depth) attached with no other line or chain to anchor the bow of my Malibu, and a 3/8" anchor line from the stern to shore. I would pull the boat in until there was only @ 3-feet of stretch left in the line, then tie off the stern to shore. (That's what other Malibu LSV owners with my same setup advised. Even with wind and wakes, my Malibu barely moved, and I could safely anchor 10' from my friends' boats.

I tried the same method on my Nautique, and the boat swayed all over the place. I even tried both lengths of anchor buddy lines. At first I thought the anchor was moving, so I chained my backup box anchor to the main anchor, and marked alignment points on shore to watch, and the anchors did not move, however, the boat still swayed enough to hit other boats, had they been closer to my port and starboard sides. Another boat owner next to me suggest that my boat is too heavy for the bungee-style line. He also recommended doubling up bungee lines before switching to a regular anchor line. We pulled out that day and headed home, so I didn't get a chance to test it with two lines attached to one anchor, and I don't really want to buy another anchor buddy line only to find out that it didn't work.

I would appreciate any advice, especially if anyone has experience with my type of boat, with a similar box anchor & anchor buddy bungee line setup.

Thank you.

[SoCal G-Man]

Problem solved! Thanks to Greenfield for the feedback.

[GMLIII]

Can you post feedback? I'm interested in this thread as well

[Peteg5]

I'd be interested in what solved the problem too as I have the same original setup you mentioned and notice a lot of swaying in wind.

[Tallredrider]

I am anxious to hear what Greenfield had to say...

I think the anchor buddy is too long of a bungee for most boat applications. The amount of stretch is huge. The ones I have seen stretch from 14 to 50 feet, so I would expect a huge swing with a heavy G boat. I have a small bungee that stretches just a few feet and find it to very effective.

[RDT-G23]

I use the same slide (box anchor) I used on my Cobalt 226 (same length as the G23, but MUCH lighter). That said, I only anchor in ~6'... I put a Fortress out back if the wind is variable... I'm in sand when I anchor, FWIW.

[SoCal G-Man]

Greenfield advised me to stop using their product. It is designed for boats with a gross (loaded on the water with fuel and gear) weight of 4,000-lbs. The tech was surprised my 7'-20' line even worked with my previous boat (Malibu LSV 23) and he said I am lucky I still have my anchor, as those lines wear faster when kept stretched. When I asked him about putting two (2) bungee lines together, he advised against that as well, stating that the boat will move considerably even doubled-up on lines. He did mention that the box anchor weight ratings are outdated, and that I may need the XL given the weight and freeboard of the G23. He directed me to Ryan at Slide Anchor for advise on which line to use with my current box anchor. I had met Ryan a few times over the years and he spent nearly 30 minutes on the phone with me. At the end of the day, I will be going back to a 3/8" nylon anchor line with no chain. Ryan was very helpful. He educated me about the amount of stretch in a 3/8" nylon vs 1/2" nylon, and he also talked me out of buying the higher end braided nylon because it does not "give" enough. As for the bungee lines, Ryan suggested using them as a back-up on the hard line in case the main line ever snaps, to help retrieve the anchor.

I will try out the set-up next week at Lake Nacimiento. If it pulls my box anchor around the bottom, I will order the XL.