NEW ANCHORS TEST / COMPARATIVE # Mars 2015 # Sailing Today
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A RANGE OF NEW ANCHOR DESIGNS HAVE APPEARED OVER TIME, JONATHAN NEEVES REVIEWS THE BEST seabeds, that fits ail bow budgets. Acknowledging anchor design is an essential part When embarking on a longer-term cruise to areas with unknown anchorages and taxing weather, it is wise to take a portfolio of anchors. Each one, by itself, should be of a size to be the main bower anchor, but each should be of a différent design, allowing you to plug the weakness of one style with the strength of another. 'Most acknowledge newer designs are more reliable include the Spade as my main anchor (a Rocna or Suprême would also work), a Fortress and either a Delta or Kobra, and a complète spare rode: a chain/nylon combination. In this article I list most of the anchors available in the UK. Almost ail of thèse anchors work well or reasonably well in softer sands and firmer muds. Most people acknowledge that the newer designs are more reliable, set more quickly and hold more tenaciously than the older models, but dont forget thèse older styles are still in use (with happy My recommended portfolio would BUYING CHECKLIST :> Does it fit your bow roller, especially with long-shanked or roli-bar anchors? f What types of seabed are you likely to encounter in your cruising plans? Does the anchor's engineering match the

ROLL BAR, CONCAVE ANCHORS Peter Bruce of the Bruce anchor invented the roll bar in 1970, but never actually used it in any of his commercial designs, The roll bar allows the anchor to self-right without the need for weight in the toe, thus allowing a better fluke area-to-weight ratio (and fluke area is related to holding capacity). Once the anchor has started to dive into the seabed the roll bar becomes an impediment - slightly offsetting the higher fluke area-to-weight ratio. A concave, roll-bar, unballasted anchor with a sharp toe, available in stainless and galvanised steel. The fluke is...

CONCAVE, WEIGHTED TOE The Spade was a revolutionary anchor design in the early 1990s that combined a shallow concave fluke with a weighted toe. Often expensive, with complex designs, such as a hollow shank and multitude of components, thèse anchors are good in sand but also perform well in light-to-medium weed, where the weighted toe aids seabed pénétration, as well as in seabeds with loose rocks and stones. Arguably the first of the new higher- performance anchors, introduced in the early 1990s. Although expensive, the anchor has an enviable réputation, consistently performing at or near...

FLUKE ANCHORS Made by reputable suppliers, thèse anchors have very high fluke area-to-weight ratios, which is reflected in their holding capacities. They stand head and shoulders above other anchors in mud and sand but can be defeated in anchorages with loose stones (or loose coral) and médium weed. They can be very difficult to stow on a An enduring design, introduced in 1939, and still a very acceptable product. The anchor has a strong réputation in America and develops exceptional hold in sand, clay and mud. It is defeated by medium-to-thick weed, unless in very large sizes (beyond those...

WHAT CHAIN? Chain is now designated by the strength of the wire (in MPa) from which the chain is manufactured: G30 (or G3), G40 (or G4) and G70 (or G7). Chain failure is very uncommon and G30 chain is more than adéquate for yachts. Much chain is marked by the manufacturer with its own simple but unique marking, but most Chinese chain is unmarked - so ask for a test certificate for the batch you want to buy, It should be proof-tested to twice its working load limit and each batch (which might be as long The standard of galvanising also détermines the life of your chain and galvanising...