Take your time. Anchoring procedure, especially in weeds or rock, involves the slow approach, such as choosing your anchor for the conditions. Cruise the anchorage watching the depth sounder to find a good location. Don't anchor near a lee shore (where you end up if your anchor drags). Don't anchor directly downwind of another boat (who ends up on YOU when their anchor drags). Try to determine from the chart where mud or sand is, and where rocks and weed aren't (unless you have a specialized anchor).
In mud, weed and some rock, a Rocna, CQR or Bruce anchor with 30 metres of chain can work well. A Danforth tends to drag in strong wind almost everywhere. If you want a folding anchor as a backup, a Fortress is a good choice. There are new anchors that seem to do well in testing, but I have no experience with them. Here's a great article comparing anchors: Best Sailboat Anchor (Paul Shard)
Thunderstorms are common in mid-summer in most Canadian waters, and the time you spend anchoring securely will result in a better sleep at night - or at least more time before you drag!
Many people use Loran or GPS anchor alarms but sometimes low-tech works! You can drop a weight over the bow which is attached to a line with a little slack led to a metal pot in your cabin. The idea is that when you drag anchor, the weight pulls the pot to the floor and wakes you. My mate swears another good anchor alarm is saying "Gee, I hope the anchor doesn't drag" on going to bed. Guaranteed to keep me awake.
