Anchoring Mooring

In the first part of this series on anchor-shank strength, we examined how the shanks of anchors that supposedly met the most stringent industry standards could bend under loads that a typical cruising sailboat could encounter. With this installment, we wanted to demonstrate how that might happen in a fact-finding field test. Based on our previous findings, we concentrated our study on a specific group of anchors and specific type of load. The anchors are regarded as super high holding power (SHHP) anchors, and the load was a sudden, snatch (or dynamic) load applied at a 90-degree angle to the direction each anchor was set.

As more and more anchor-makers source their materials and move their fabricating offshore, Practical Sailor has been fielding an increasing number of questions about anchor quality. Is the tensile-strength steel used to fabricate anchors consistent with the application? Is anyone actually measuring shank strength? And how much does it matter? At the heart of this discussion is shank strength. There seems little point in having a high holding-capacity anchor, if the shank isn't strong enough to cope with projected loads.

Anchor testing at Practical Sailor has always been a controversial enterprise, sure to fire up someone. As one reader commented in response our most recent anchor report (PS, March 2013): Anchors are a whole lot like religion. No matter what the tests show, each of us has a favorite that well defend to the death! This month, our report on anchor-shank strength approaches the topic from a different angle. Rather than singling out specific anchors for holding power or design, we take a closer look at the way anchors are evaluated and promoted.

Taking the advice of a PS review, I installed a Lewmar V2 windlass on my boat in 2008. I went with the installers recommendation of 100 feet of galvanized chain and 100 feet of eight-part braid, connected with a rope-to-chain splice, and I have a Delta 35 anchor. I found that a chain hockle (a twist in the chain that jams the windlass) will terribly mangle the vertical windlass. I have just completed my second mangling and ordered replacement parts-but these parts will not save me from the next mangling. The Lewmar distributor told me to install a chain swivel, but PS has warned about this (PS Advisor, May 2010). Is an all-chain rode a dumb idea? Is there some solution?

Practical Sailor has carried out dozens of anchor tests over the years. This month, we set out to compare anchor performance when the boat position changes under the forces of wind or tide, a shift that often causes the anchor to move and reset itself. The test compares 12 anchors, including some newer fixed-shank anchors-such as the Rocna and the Manson Supreme-and some concave fluke designs similar to the Spade, one of the strongest performers past tests. The test field included: the CQR, Spade, Ultra, Super SARCA and SARCA Excel, Manson Supreme, Rocna, Kobra, and the Lewmar Claw.

With hurricane season in full swing and volatile fall weather approaching, storms can threaten the safety of sailboats by placing extra loads on dock and mooring lines. In the July 2011 issue, Practical Sailor evaluated rope chafe protection and found Fjords Chafe-Pro chafe guard trumped products from Taylor Made, Fiorentino, and Davis Instruments. This followup report-the result of aggressive bench testing and long-term field testing-compares the top pick Chafe-Pro to new mooring and dock line protection from Fjord and Robship, as well as do-it-yourself options like fire hose, leather, and a homemade Kevlar/Acrylic sandwich.

Many published anchor tests focus on holding capacity, and most conclude that newer, concave fluke-design anchors such as the Spade, Rocna, and Manson anchors perform better than older, traditional anchors such as the plow-design CQR, claw anchors like the Bruce, and Danforth-style anchors such as the Fortress. But how useful is this data? Rather than just testing anchors to specific, fixed loads, PSs recent evaluation raises questions about the various wind-induced loads placed on anchors in real-life situations and how future anchor tests should be carried out.

Quantifying anchor loads is tricky business, and our article on the topic, beginning on page 24, gives some insight into the trouble a tester faces when trying to compare the performance of various types of anchors. Apart from the obvious questions about the bottom type and the scope amount to be used for evaluating, testers need to sort out more subtle details, such as how the anchor should be set, how the load should be applied, and what the pull direction should be.

In the wake of questions about the tensile strength of steel used in the shafts of Rocna anchors, West Marine has issued “product specification notices” to customers who have purchased Rocna anchors since 2010 and recently posted the notice on its website (www.westmarine.com). West Marine is one of world’s largest distributors of the Rocna, a plow-style anchor sold in 34 different countries. The Rocna (www.rocna.com) earned a Recommended rating in our 2008 tests of heavyweight anchors, finishing behind the Manson Ray and the Manson Supreme (November 2008).

Letters to Practical Sailor, September 2011. This month's letters cover subjects such as: Johnson Pumps, Raymarine, Edson and More!