Anchoring

Anchors Move

The mud tests suggest that when looking for a good anchorage a sand bottom is worth seeking out—because it’s easier for any anchor to...

Nylon Rope Endurance Test

Nylon three-strand dock lines, anchor rodes, and mooring pendants are the sailor’s safety net, so to speak, and have been for nearly a century....

Know Your Gypsy

When buying chain, there are two things to look for. The first is quality, which we explore through our testing. The critical question, though,...

Mooring Chain Background

Almost all chain used for permanent moorings is made of welded steel alloy, galvanized to forestall corrosion not, in the long run, to prevent...

Bad Holding Ground Primer

Modern anchors of the recommended size that are set and rigged properly offer plenty of holding power in good sand or mud. Except for...

Common Bottom Type Abbreviations

There are 15 basic bottom terms and 58 types listed on NOAA chart 1 (https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/publications/docs/us-chart-1/ChartNo1.pdf), the guide to chart symbols. (We’ve listed only a...

Shore Ties and Accessories for Extreme Anchorange

Several sailboat equipment makers have introduced gear to cope with unusual mooring needs, but there is still a lot of improvising. In any ‘extreme’...

The lightweight anchor

All anchors are a compromise. Since some anchor types work best in certain bottoms, it is a good idea to carry anchors of different...

Choosing an anchor with the appropriate holding power

Physical measurements of anchors cannot produce definitive conclusions about anchor performance, but they offer clues to likely performance in different conditions. Our analysis found that...

Hurricane Season: A season for planning

The arrival of hurricane season is always a good reminder for boat owners to put together a storm plan detailing where and how the...

40-Footer Boat Tours – With Some Big Surprises! | Boat Tour

Join us at the Miami Boat Show as we get on four 40-footers for boat tours! A Beneteau 37.1, Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 410, Dufour...