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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ANCHORING & GROUND TACKLE | | | | | | | | | | In a future update to our mud test, PS will find out whether changing the fluke angle on the Fortress anchor (far right) to 45 degrees improves its holding power. Performing better than its rigid twin, the Super Max pivoting anchor (right) seemed to demonstrate that angle can make a difference. | | | | | | | | | | only average performance and a very high price tag, we'd take a pass on these if we expected to anchor mostly in soft mud. ROCNA15 The Rocna was designed in New Zealand and is built in Canada. We'd describe it as a plow-style anchor with a roll bar fitted at the rear of the foot. It is constructed of galvanized steel and is available in 11 sizes from 9 to 243 pounds. The maker claims the roll bar, plus the chisel tip and skid rails on the foot, will always force the Rocna to dig in to any bottom. We had no trouble setting this anchor in either test and rated it Good in both tests. At the long scope it performed well, hitting 500 pounds and then holding 440 pounds while only dragging about 6 feet. It did not do as well at the short scope where it dragged through the mud at 300 pounds. We found the 28-pound Rocna 15 priced at $383. Like all Rocna anchors, it carries a lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects. Bottom Line: Expensive with less than stellar holding power when set on a short scope. | | short section of wire cable fastened to the shank eye. The XYZ we tested is the only size currently available and it weighs just 13 pounds. It may look odd, but this all stainless-steel anchor topped the list in performance in our soft mud test. It set easily both times and managed to hit and hold 500 pounds at both scopes. The anchor dragged only a few feet in each test. It is quite expensive though, carrying a price tag of $395. The warranty period is one year. Bottom Line: Though very pricey, its light weight and superior performance in the soft mud bottom earned the XYZ anchor a top pick. CONCLUSIONS We have to wonder—based on the prices they seek—whether some of these anchor makers think their products are made from unobtain- | | | | | | ium rather than steel or aluminum. For us to select an anchor that costs nearly $400 as top pick when you can get nearly equal results at far less expense, the anchor needs to perform impeccably. Otherwise we'd seek out a less expensive product every time. The only anchor that performed at that level was the XYZ. We awarded it a top pick based on its performance. Other top performers, in order, were the HydroBubble, Bulwagga, and Davis Talon. All three are substantially less expensive than the XYZ. The HydroBubble performed nearly equal to the XYZ while both the Bulwagga and Davis trailed a step behind. A | | | | | | | | | | CONTACTS | | | | | | | | | | ANCHOR RIGHT AUSTRALIA, +61-3/598-4470, anchorright.com noteco.com/bulwagga/index.html DAVIS ANCHOR & MARINE, 800/328/4770 davisanchor.com FORTRESS MARINE ANCHORS, 800/825-6289, fortressanchors.com HYDROBUBBLE ANCHORS, 888/282-2535, anchorconcepts.com KINGSTON ANCHORS 613/549-2718, kingstonanchors.com | | ROCNA ANCHORS/ SUNCOAST MARINE, 604/781-8347 rocna.com SPADEANCHORS spade-anchor.com SUPER MAX, 800/824-0355, creativemarine.com TIE DOWN ENGINEERING (Danforth), 800/241-1806, danforthanchors.com XYZ MARINE PRODUCTS 212/486-3912 xyzmarineproducts.com | | | | | | | | | | The XYZ website describes the anchor as "a radical departure from conventional anchor design." We'd have to agree: In our last test we thought this anchor looked more like a sculpture than an anchor with its low-profile plow, the extra projection on the shank, and the | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Reprinted from Practical Sailor Copyright © 2006 Belvoir Media Group, LLC. Practical Sailor is published once a month (12 issues) by Belvoir Media Group, LLC., 800 Connecticut Avenue, Box 5656, Norwalk, CT 06856-5656. 800-829-9087. Subscriptions are $39 annually. www.practical-sailor.com | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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