First a few facts about anchors:
Design is more important than weight. Holding depends on grip.
Steel is the strongest material. Not nowadays. High-tensile aluminium- magnesium alloy is twice as strong a steel.
All anchors work the same way. No, the design determines how the anchor works.
Just chuck it overboard. Not so simple. Skill comes into it. Plus chain, shackles and deck gear.
How do you choose the right one for your boat?
You could rely on tests published in the yachting press. The problem here is that the time when you most need an anchor is when the weather is bad. Not the sort of time most anchor tests are done. Easily measured straight-line pulls bear no relationship to wild veering situations where you most need a good hold.
An anchor should set quickly and provide sufficient holding power without breaking out. When veered 180 degrees it should continue to hold. A boat at anchor creates varying pulls which should improve the hold. What happens when the tide turns?
Do some research. Check the anchor sizes recommended by suppliers for your boat. Ask your friends about their experiences, check out the various suppliers websites.
What types are there?
The CQR - Is known to set quickly and hold well but can break out at the turn of the tide. It has pivoting head. An advantage is that it tends to plough if put under a shock load preventing a break-out.
The Delta - Very like a CQR except that there is no pivoting head. The shank is shaped so that it adopts a good fit when pulled into a stemhead roller. Its chief characteristic is to plough into the bottom.
The Bruce - Seems to be immoveable against shock loading. The shape is self stowing and is suitable for boats which stow on the stemhead. Not quite so quick to set.
The Fortress - This is a pivoting fluke design similar to the Danforth. Unlike the others which are
Made of cast or forged galvanised steel, this anchor is cast in aluminium alloy, making it much lighter that the competition. Sets very quickly, with no apparent movement at tide turn.
The Danforth - Sets quickly and drags rather than breaking out. Has sharp points which penetrate and hold well in softer materials. It can break out at tide turns but resets quickly.
Look-alikes
There are many imitations of the above designs. Small detail changes can effect the performance. Buying an anchor on the cheap is not a good idea. Get the best you can. The safety of your crew and boat depend on it.
The efficiency of an anchor is very much influenced by the scope which should be adequate to develop the full holding power of the anchor. The anchor rode should have enough energy absorption to minimise snatch loading.
We would like to conduct a survey of our member's experiences with anchors. What do you think of yours? What problems have you had.
