So if I believe this, don't I have the knowledge of an experienced
person about it?

Yes you have the knowledge but without experience to evaluate it, that
is the issue that I have with inexperienced people passing along second
hand "knowledge" as "fact".

I have the experience to know that a kellet will not increase ultimate
holding power of an anchor, nor will it significantly decrease shock
loads under the conditions where it is important. I know from
experience that even a 3/8 chain rode will be pulled bar taut with
approximately 1200 lbs of pull on it. Once the rode is bar taut, a
kellet is worthless. A kellet is useful for reducing swing radius in
light to moderate conditions. Period.

wrote:
So if I believe this, don't I have the knowledge of an experienced

person about it?

Yes you have the knowledge but without experience to evaluate it, that
is the issue that I have with inexperienced people passing along second
hand "knowledge" as "fact".

I have the experience to know that a kellet will not increase ultimate
holding power of an anchor, nor will it significantly decrease shock
loads under the conditions where it is important. I know from
experience that even a 3/8 chain rode will be pulled bar taut with
approximately 1200 lbs of pull on it. Once the rode is bar taut, a
kellet is worthless. A kellet is useful for reducing swing radius in
light to moderate conditions. Period.

In order for your experience to prove that, wouldn't you have had to use
all possible combinations of anchors, rodes and kellets? If you haven't
used all possible combinations, then you're not drawing the conclusion
about all kellets based upon experience, you are drawing the conclusion
the same way an inexperienced person draws conclusions: by evaluating
the facts and arguments involved.

For example, maybe you don't have the experience of actually using a
kellet with a danforth anchor, but you know that the danforth has almost
identical properties to an anchor you do know about, so you project your
conclusion to danforth anchors even though you don't have direct experience.

Using this same method, people without experience X can be as right and
knowledgeable as people with experience X. You see what I'm saying? I
don't disrespect your experience, surely experience helps people gain
vast amounts of knowledge, but it's not the only way to gain knowledge,
thank goodness, or none of us would know very much.

--
Stephen

-------

For any proposition there is always some sufficiently narrow
interpretation of its terms, such that it turns out true, and
some sufficiently wide interpretation such that it turns out
false...concept stretching will refute *any* statement, and will
leave no true statement whatsoever.
-- Imre Lakatos

Stephen, the type of anchor has no impact on the effectiveness of a
fully loaded rode with a kellet. Why? Think about how a kellet works.
A kellet artificially increases the catenary of a partially loaded
rode. That can be useful to decrease swing radius in light to moderate
conditions. It may also assist with setting an anchor on scope too
short for conditions.
All well and good until the wind starts to blow, the rode loads up and
pulls taut, and now the low angle achieved by the initial use of the
kellet returns to the higher angle associated with short scope. At
exactly the time you need maximum effectiveness from your anchor, the
rode is puled bar taut, returning your swing radius to its normal
dimension, and decreasing the effective holding power of your anchor.
A kellet can be useful in certain specific circumstances but to claim
universal effectiveness is foolhardy. When the wind starts to blow I
like to know that my anchor was properly set on the correct scope for
conditions, not set in a way that partially compensates for short
scope. Here's the proof: Have you ever heard of a large commercial
ship or a naval ship relying on a kellet to anchor? Of course not.
How would you like to be in front of a board of inquiry or Court
Martial proceeding explaining why you entrusted your ship to short
scope because you used a kellet on Mic's recommendation.