How the Anchoring.com Anchor Selection Tool Works

The Anchoring.com Anchor Selection Tool gives you a recommended anchor style and size from two inputs: your boat length and the bottom type you anchor over. You pick a length from 16 to 90 feet and a bottom category, and the tool returns a suggested anchor. It is a starting point for selection, not a final verdict — you still need to confirm the recommendation against your specific boat and how you use it.

What You Enter

The tool asks for two things on the Anchoring.com homepage:

Length is chosen in fixed steps rather than typed freely, so pick the step closest to your boat's length overall. Bottom type is the seabed you expect to anchor in most often; "All Types" is the fallback when you don't know or anchor across mixed ground.

What You Get Back

After you submit the two inputs, the tool returns a recommended anchor style and size. The site frames this as matching "the right anchor and rode for your boat and conditions" — so treat the output as a matched anchor type plus a size class for your length band, not a guarantee for every situation.

Step by Step

1. Open Anchoring.com and find the Anchor Selection Tool section on the homepage.
2. Set Boat Length to the step nearest your boat's length.
3. Choose the Bottom Type that matches your usual anchoring ground.
4. Select FIND MY ANCHOR to get the recommendation.
5. Note the suggested style and size, then check it against your boat's actual displacement, windage, and typical conditions before buying.

Expected result: a specific anchor style and size recommendation tied to your two inputs.

When You're Not Sure

The tool links to an Anchor Selection Guide for cases where the two-input answer isn't enough. Use the guide when:

• Your boat's length and weight don't line up neatly (heavy builds, tall windage).
• You anchor in several bottom types and need to know which style covers the most ground.
• You want the reasoning behind a style before committing.

Limits to Keep in Mind

The tool works from length and bottom type only. It does not ask about boat weight, windage, rode type, or expected wind and current, so the recommendation is a baseline. For anything beyond casual day anchoring — overnight stays, exposed anchorages, or heavy weather — confirm the size against your boat's loaded weight and the conditions you actually expect, and size up rather than down when you're between steps.

Beyond the Anchor

Anchoring.com also sells the rest of the ground tackle the tool's output implies: rode and chain, swivels and shackles, bow rollers, and all-in-one anchor kits sorted by boat size (up to 20', up to 30', up to 40'). If you're starting from nothing, the kits bundle the core components so the anchor, rode, and hardware arrive matched. The site also groups gear by activity — Anchoring, Protect & Cover, Docking, Fishing, Boarding & Access, and Boat Utility & Care — if you need dock lines or fenders alongside the anchor setup.