"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...

I've never had a problem getting mine out, straight vertical pull does
it every time. I've had a few issues like that with other anchors
however. Patience, wave action, and a little power are your friends.

The operative words there are "straight up". It will come out fairly easily
with a little patience but PLEASE don't use the windlass to drag the boat up
to the anchor. Motor or sail up and slightly over before trying to break it
out. The Spade sets very firmly and realigns itself by pivoting about its
point. It will realign itself well under the worst natural conditions but
if you get cocked sidways while drawing yourself up it will not have time to
realign with the new pull and put an awfull lot of side stress on the shank.
Not a problem with the steel models but the aluminum ones can bend.

If you bend it I will replace it but it takes a couple of months to get a
new shank from Tunisia and it cost me the freight and I have to mill the new
bolt hole. Just use normal good anchor techniques and neither of us will
have any problem. :-)