The Davey Hook is a traditional form of grapnel anchor that has been used by generations of small boat sailors, particularly in areas with rocky or weedy bottoms where a conventional anchor might fail to hold. Its origins are obscure, but it appears to derive from the hooks used by fishermen to recover lost gear from the seabed.

The design consists of four curved prongs radiating from a central shank, with the prongs bent at an angle that allows them to catch on rocks or penetrate weed. Unlike a conventional anchor, which relies on its weight and the shape of its flukes to dig into soft ground, the Davey Hook works by entanglement - hooking around rocks, into crevices, or through the stems of weed.

For the dinghy cruiser, the Davey Hook has several advantages. It is compact and easy to stow, with no moving parts to jam or break. It holds well in conditions where other anchors might drag. And it can be recovered easily by sailing or motoring over it and breaking it out from above - a useful trick when anchored in deep water or strong current.

The hook can be made from mild steel rod, bent to shape and welded at the centre. The prongs should be of sufficient diameter to resist straightening under load - about 8mm for a dinghy-sized hook. The overall spread of the prongs determines how effectively the hook will catch, and should be roughly equal to the length of the shank.

I have used a Davey Hook as my primary anchor for many years, and have found it reliable in a wide variety of conditions. In soft mud it will sometimes fail to hold, but in such ground a lighter anchor can be used. Where the bottom is rocky or weedy, the Davey Hook comes into its own.