Choosing the Right Anchor for a Liveaboard Sailboat

One of the biggest decisions any liveaboard cruiser has to make is which anchor to trust. With so many options on the market, and each sailor SWEARING by their favourite, it can be hard to separate myth from reality.

In this article, we’ll walk through some of the popular anchoring solutions for cruisers, what to think about when choosing a new anchor, and my own experiences, anchoring our Leopard Catamaran, SV Liger.

CONTENTS

• Anchoring solutions

• What to consider

• Our experience with the Mantus M1

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Anchoring solutions for cruisers

Anchors come in many designs, but not all are created equal. Classics like the Danforth still have their place, but for modern sailing boats that are full time liveaboards, new-generation anchors generally offer superior holding power, a shorter setting distance, and better resets in shifting winds.

Having lived on our boat since 2021, here are some of the anchors we commonly see on live-aboard boats, around the boat yard and in anchorages:

Mantus M1	The Mantus M1 is a modern anchor designed to set every time and hold firmly in a wide range of sea beds. The shank and shank boot are welded top and bottom, and the shank and roll bar are bolted to the fluke.
Rocna Mk II	An evolution of the Rocna Original design, the Mk II has refinements designed to improve setting and strength. The shank and roll bar are welded to the fluke.
Lewmar Delta	The Delta is a plough-style anchor that's designed to fall forward from bow rollers. They come standard with many production boats, but are not always sized appropriately by the boat builders for live aboard use.
SARCA Excel	Developed in Australia, the SARCA Excel has single plane concave flukes that direct the seabed over the rear of the anchor to force it deeper. It's designed to set well and and hold firm.
Fortress FX	Made of aluminum, the Fortress FX series was made to deliver exceptional holding power for its weight, particularly in soft mud. Many cruisers use it as a secondary or storm anchor, rather than primary.
Ultra Anchor	The Ultra is a polished stainless-steel anchor, with a concave fluke, known for its aesthetically pleasing design and top-tier performance. It's expensive, but well regarded for its holding power and setting.
Viking	The Viking anchor has aimed to achieve a good power to weight ratio. For this reason it's often used as a secondary or stern anchor.

How to choose the "right" anchor for your boat

Choosing the right anchor for your sailboat is a matter of analyzing how well the various anchor designs suit your budget, boat and intended cruising grounds.

When choosing an anchor for a liveaboard sailboat, consider:

• Boat size and weight: Start with the anchor manufacturer’s guidelines, but lean towards the heavier anchor as the “day trip” sizes often aren't enough for the demands of full-time cruising; think heavy weather and a boat loaded with gear.

• Primary cruising grounds: While many manufacturers say their anchors can be used in all ground types, some are more suitable for certain types of seabed, like sandy bottoms, mud, coral rubble, or weed. This about your primary cruising grounds, and choose an anchor that suits that substrate.

  
  

• Resetting ability: If the wind shifts 180° at night, will your anchor dig in again quickly, or will it drag across the seabed? Something that resets fast in the substrate you'll spend most of your time in is ideal.

It’s also worth learning from others. One of the best resources we've found, apart from talking to fellow cruisers, are the anchor review videos on YouTube done by SV Panope.

Our Experiences: Why we chose Mantus Marine

Our Leopard 45 came from factory with a 20 kg Lewmar Delta. It's an anchor that might be fine for a weekend cruiser, but it was nowhere near enough for a full-time liveaboard catamaran of this size. It was quickly replaced by something twice as heavy, and having tried SARCA, Rocna and Viking, we now rely on the Mantus M1 for all our anchoring needs.

The main anchor on SV Liger is an 85 lb Mantus M1. After using it for a Caribbean sailing season, we found that:

• It resets in a much shorter distance compared to the Rocna or SARCA Excel

• We’ve had far fewer instances of dragging, even in gusty anchorages

• It's proven itself to be able to handle shifts and squalls well

We did have to come up with some creative solutions to ensure the anchor fit and stayed in place when we were underway, due to the size of the hoop, but it was 100% worth it.

For the dinghy we carry a smaller Mantus M1 anchor, which has also impressed us. It can be tossed off the front with one hand and sets very easily, keeping our heavy, aluminum tender in place.

Our positive experiences with the Mantus M1 on the main boat and dinghy caused us to give our Viking stern anchor a new home aboard a Trinidadian friend's powerboat, and we've replaced that with a 45lb Mantus M1. No anchor is perfect in every condition, but the Mantus M1 has proven itself to be the most reliable for us as full-time liveaboard cruisers, so we've decided to go all in on the design across the boat.

Our 85 lb Mantus M1 digging down through the sand in St Martin!

Which anchor is best for your boat?

A reliable anchor lets you sleep soundly, keeps your boat safe, and saves you from stressful nights of dragging and re-setting. Whether you go with Mantus, SARCA, or another new-generation design, the key is to choose an anchor that’s proven, appropriately sized, and suited for the realities of full-time cruising.

For us, Mantus Marine anchors have earned their place on both our catamaran and our tender. They’ve consistently outperformed the alternatives we’ve tried, and that confidence is worth every penny.