Anchors for Muck, for Under 200 Bucks

In soft mud, the low-priced Lewmar Claw stands out in short- and long-scope testing

The soft mud of dying marina served as our proving ground.

In a perfect world you’d be able to glide into your favorite anchorage during peak season, spill out a comforting 7:1 scope and retire below without worry. In reality, favorite anchorages are often crowded, and you’re forced to use less than optimal scope. Add a pudding-like soft mud bottom to the mix, and you can expect a marriage-testing drama to begin when the first squall rolls through. Curious to see what types of anchors holds best under this common combination of a short scope and a soft-mud bottom, we put 17 anchors that sell for no more than $200 to the test with both 3:1 and 7:1 scope (see “How…