If you have a mud bottom, then a muchroom mooring anchor will be quite adequate. A 200 lb mushroom should be adequate ($220.00). After that everything depends on depth. Assuming a 40 foot depth, you would want about 60' of heavy bottom chain - it doeasn't need to be galvanized) (5/8" will be OK for $480.00), 40' of lighter top chain (3/8" galvanized mooring chain = $160.00), a 3/4" shackle to attach the bottom chain to the mushroom ($12.00), a 1/2" shackle to connect the top and bottom chains ($5.50), a mooring buoy with 60 lbs buoyance ($52.00) a 1/2" shackle to attach the buoy to the shain ($5.50), a 5/8" x 15' mooring pennant ($50 if you buy it pre-spliced), a 1/2" shackle to attach the pennant to the chain ($5.50) and a pick-up buoy of some sort (a 4' mast type buoy will run you about $36.00). The grand total is about $1,125.50. The mooring should be good for about three-four years if you drop the top chain into the mud for the winter. After three to four years you will need to replace the top chain. The bottom chain and the mushroom should be good for about 10 years.

Alternatively you can cheap out and go with a heavier mushroom and rope up to the float. If you use rope, you need a heavier mushroom because you don't have the weight of the chain (240 lbs in m the case above). I would use a scope of 3 times the depth (120' for the 40' depth above) of about 3/4" three strand nylon (~$120 for commercial grade line). With rope you can use a smaller mooring buoy. You will need to do two eye splices in the rope around thimbles. With shackles, a 300 lb mushroom, rope, a buoy, a pennant and a pick up buoy, you would be looking at about $600.00. You could go with heavier rope for an extra $100.00.

For other than a mud bottom, you will want more dead weight in your anchor and may find that a ton or so of rock will work.

You can set a mushroom yourself, but anything heavier will require someone with a suitable lifting tackle. You might be able to hire a fishing boat to set the mooring for you.