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wrote:
Since I am considering building a trimaran, weight will be a major
consideration. With a monohull, I do not mind the weight of my waaaay
oversize Delta plus the weight of a very large Danforth and also a
smaller CQR but this might be unacceptable for a trimaran where
lightwweight means performance AND safety. How to solve this problem?
A Fortress anchor seems like a start but you really need more than one
type.
So.....why not make a Delta style anchor from composite material with
metal edges and somehwat weighted point but a composite shank and body
for low weight. The holding power of plow anchors is not a function of
their weight but of their surface area. A well designed anchor will
penetrate the bottom even if it is lighter than a less well designed
one.

For a small cruising cat you could get by with a 22# Delta; we use a
35# on our 36 foot cat. You can push the limits a bit more with a
Spade. However, beyond that there is diminishing returns. You'll
what a reasonable amount of chain - ours weighs about 50 pounds.
Maybe a windlass - another what, 30 pounds? A few hundred feet of
line, a second anchor, maybe a spare rode, etc. You'll have well over
100 pounds of ground tackle, why try to save 10 pounds on the one
piece that benefits from strength and weight?

BTW, one of the spiffiest cats I've been on was a large, custom
Catana. There was a small sink in the master stateroom - on close
inspection I realized it was carbon fiber, and only weighed a few
ounces, but must have cost several hundred dollars. I had the feeling
it was more of a statement than a true saving. On the other hand, I
remember Duracell, which Mike Plant sailed around the world for a US
record, had no toilet seat or cover on the head. I'm sure that shaved
a few minutes off the time.