On Fri, 24 Oct 2014 10:53:33 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

One thing interesting about this test is that the research vessel
used, the R/V Rachel Carson, was designed by Roger Long, a former
contributor to rec.boats.cruising - Roger is still active on some
other boating forums and is presently cruising south for the winter on
his sailboat.

http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/magazine/2014/october/the-fine-art-of-anchoring.asp

There are lots of caveats with a test like this, some of which were
noted at the end of the article:

---------------------------------
But there were some things the tests couldn't measure. For example, a
straight-line pull test can't predict how well an anchor will reset
during a wind shift. The tests also can't tell the ultimate holding
power of a wellset anchor that's subject to dynamic loads, such as
when wind and waves act on a boat. Finally, the results hold for just
this one bottom. But there are so many different types of bottoms that
testing in them all would be an overwhelming undertaking.

No anchor test will ever manage to be complete, and despite all the
caveats, the process was a commendable attempt to conduct consistent
and comparable straight-line holding power tests in a specific bottom.
While the testing wasn't perfect and won't begin to satisfy everyone,
it succeeded in adding to the limited body of knowledge that exists
about anchoring and to confirm that anchoring remains as much fine art
as hard science.
-----------------------------------

The biggest issue for me is that all of the testing was done in a soft
mud bottom. That's fine for the Solomons area of Chesapeake Bay but
the most important thing for us is an anchor that sets well in many
different kinds of conditions like sand, grass, loose rock, etc. We
have been using Spade and Rocna anchors for over 10 years, over many
thousands of miles of cruising, and have had excellent results.


Anchoring has so many variables that any one test run means very
little in the overall art of anchoring. And, it is an art. The
sailor (artist) must have a variety of anchors at his disposal
and know how, when and where to use each one. About the only
thing that makes the sailor proficient is experience, experience
and more experience in all manner of holding grounds.

Expecting one particular anchor to work well or even adequately
in all holding grounds is folly.

Most charts have information on them concerning the composition
of the bottom but, even so, the bottom conditions are only
charted infrequently and not very densely. The art of using
a lead with a cup/wax on the business end is virtually forgotten
and it's the rare sailor seen using one.

I use a variety of anchors among which my 20-pound Danforth
Deepsets are probably the best all-around anchors for holding
strength in one direction. But, using a single Danforth is not
the greatest setup during a wind or tide current shift. It
doesn't always reset properly.

My 20-pound CQR resets more reliably but often has difficulty
setting in the first place in certain types of bottoms.

My 25 pound Herreschoff fisherman anchor is great in rocks
but terrible in soft muddy conditions.

Two 20-pound Danforth Deepsets set out Bahamian style can't
be beat for reliable holding once well set. This system
negates wind and tidal shifts and the anchors don't *break*
out because the pull is always from a small number of degrees
deviation due to the angle of the rodes.

Most of the recent anchors like the Rocna are a gimmick and
not as reliable as the older patent anchors. That people pay
such exorbitant prices for these dubious anchors is folly.

--
Sir Gregory