Anchoring Mooring

Practical Sailor adds three anchors to our test lineup: the Quickline Ultra and two updated versions of the XYZ Extreme anchor, the original of which we reviewed in the April 2006 issue. The three anchors were attached to rode and tested in shallow, muddy water along the Florida coastline. The anchors were rated for how well they set and how well they fared under load. Sustained holding power was recorded for all three anchors. Price, weight, warranty, and stowability were also considered in the final ratings. The shiny stainless-steel anchors were easy on the eye, but weighing the pros and cons of stainless anchors versus galvanized anchors left testers more inclined to purchase a galvanized anchor. Galvanized steel is more likely to show corrosion and so has a good warning system for metal failure.

I don't know David Dumas, the owner of a lovely Kadey Krogen trawler named Kinship, but I like his style. Fighting against draconian anchoring restrictions on Marco Island, Fla., Dumas recently had his day in court, and the world is a saner place because of it. Dumas, his pro bono lawyer Donald Day, and local boating activists deserve credit for their perseverance. Thanks is also due to the National Marine Manufacturing Association (www.nmma.org), the Seven Seas Cruising Association (www.ssca.org), and members of BoatU.S. (www.boatus.org) whose lobbying efforts last year resulted in a new Florida law that clarifies anchoring rights in the state. Dumas anchored his boat in Marco Islands Smokehouse Bay last January with the intention of toppling a Marco Island ordinance that restricted boats from anchoring within 300 feet of a seawall for more than 12 hours. Similar ordinances, with equally shaky legal footing, are in place in many communities across the nation.

In our July 2005 issue, we reviewed an innovative Mooring Bridle Plate from Colligo Engineering and Design, a company located in Mesa, Ariz. Now the folks at Colligo Marine have come up with a new product, one designed to help boaters lay out their storm anchoring system when prepping for the big blow. The Hurricane Anchor System provides an easy, secure method of attaching three anchors to your vessel, utilizing two or three mooring bridles (depending on whether you purchase the mono- or multihull model) while reducing the possibility of rode fouling by allowing the boat to swivel at anchor.

Do those shiny, polished stainless steel anchors that hang from the bow rollers of boat-show boats actually set well and hold? In our latest anchor update, Practical Sailor examines the ability of some very expensive stainless steel anchors to set and hold in soft mud. The lineup includes the 28-pound STL Powerhold 350, an adjustable 25-pound anchor from Hunter Boat Anchors, and an odd-looking anchor called the Ton.

PS puts adjustable anchors to the test in soft mud.

After six months, Acco proof coil looks the best of the seven test chains.

The XYZ, Bulwagga, HydroBubble, and Talon XT are top performers.

Slips too expensive? A mooring may be your answer. We search for the toughest chain.

Slips too expensive? A mooring may be your answer. We search for the toughest chain.

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