Rocna anchors and long scope anchor chain – successful anchoring in the Ionian

The bays in the Ionian are deep!  Very deep!  Holding is generally good, but with the deep water, you need all the help you can get!

Whilst lazy lines are becoming more common in the harbours, there are still a huge number of places, where you are reliant on your anchor as a means of staying secure.  

At Nisos Yacht Charter, we replace the standard Delta style anchors, supplied as standard with the boats, with the excellent Rocna anchor.  Over the years, we have tried pretty much all types of anchor, and we are convinced that the Rocna anchor is head and shoulders above the rest.  

With its distinctive hoop, the Rocna always lies the correct way up and with tension, burrows deep.  It is not unnormal to have to drive the anchor out in the morning!

In addition to the Rocna anchor, we replace the standard 50m of chain supplied with the boats, and fit a new length of chain from 70m to 100m – the maximum we can fit in the anchor locker.  On the new Bavaria 34 “Scotch Pi” we managed to get 100m on her!

Having a decent length of anchor chain, really helps in keeping you secure and also really helps when choosing a bay to anchor in for the mandatory lunchtime stop and swim.  The bays can be deep, and you often see charter boats struggling to find somewhere to anchor safely.  Not the Nisos yachts though!  

Take a look at the anchoring videos on our Youtube channel for more hints and tips on successful anchoring in the Ionian:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxKAl5_vL67YAEQ53ZDJfJA/videos