Bob at Boat Bits is dead on with his post today, although I suspect he and I may disagree on our choice of anchors. The point is, THAT’S NOT THE POINT!
Whuh-huh?
Here’s what I mean: anchoring success is mostly about technique. That’s Bob’s point, and I agree. Having said that, I’m still pretty happy with my current anchor, one of them newfangled concave designs whose proponents have been vocal in the recent “anchor wars” you see on various cruising forums. As far as I can tell, it’s a great anchor, hype and hyperbole notwithstanding.
But I don’t expect the anchor to make up for my own shortcomings when it comes to selecting a suitable anchorage, laying out an appropriate amount of rode, settings it properly, and taking steps to detect and monitor a dragging situation. “Duh!”, as we used to say.
So let’s see what Bob has to say on this:
I’ve had more than a few emails requesting that I do more anchor reviews and I guess I should address that issue…
NO…
First, there is already too much talk about anchors in print and on the web plus anything that I’d add to the equation would simply piss most people off. Trust me, you don’t want to hear my views on new anchor designs…
That said, I will point out that at some point in time if you anchor you will drag as it is all part of the gig and whatever new anchor is the "hip" thing will not prevent it. You may, of course, get better at anchoring and this will make the act of dragging less likely, but at some point in time you WILL drag. Again, it is just part of the gig and you will have to learn to live with it.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Bob goes too far in the negative direction. While he’s right that new products and new technologies don’t guarantee a better product, things do change and improvements are made. I don’t see too many recreational boats carrying a fisherman’s anchor any longer.
Technology shouldn’t be just accepted any more than it should be immediately rejected. Continuous improvement is an inherent part of the human experience.
I have no problem with new and better designs in gear, and being that our boat has had electric propulsion for nearly seven years, some might even say I actually embrace it.
Though, where anchors are concerned there is a such a hype/snake oil/con element in the mix it is pretty safe to just stick with what works rather than jump on the new helium filled anchor because tests done in a parking lot prove it is better than a Bruce… Tests done by the person who sells the helium filled anchor, of course.
Ah, but the yachting press tests also say that the new helium filled anchor is great but then again they get paid by the folks who sell the helium filed anchor… Even if the tests are done without advertising dollars being a factor, I have yet to see an anchor test anywhere that actually mimics how anchors behave at anchor when a boat, wind and tide are involved. That infamous test in the parking lot next to the beach springs to mind (then again, if I ever need to buy an anchor to anchor a truck in a beach-side parking lot I do know which one to buy…).
Maybe I should mention that on our boat 50% of the anchors ARE fisherman type and when boats all around us were dragging in Simpson Bay Lagoon during Hurricane Omar (a category 3 hurricane) the anchor that held us was a fisherman while several boats with those newfangled aluminum concave beasties wound up on the beach.
Technique trumps technology more often than not… and that was the whole point of the exercise that before you replace something like an anchor maybe not such a bad idea to learn how to use it first.
I am on a 44′ 37,000 lb cruising sailboat so I may have different requirement for an anchor. My number one requirement is that I can sleep soundly knowing I am not dragging. To this end I have a 55lb plow and 250′ of chain. I know how to set my anchor in most conditions and have come to truly appreciate my ground tackle set up.
That being said I have a Garmin 176 with an anchor watch installed to the coach roof above my bed – now I can sleep.
The moral is any anchor can and will drag. Knowing what you are doing and having good equipment is definitely a good idea but always keep an eye on your boat while at anchor.
Now if I can just get my anchor watch to call me on a VHF channel of my choice if the anchor drags when I am ashore… perhaps the integrated Garmin VHF radio and chart plotter! Anyone from Garmin listening?
An integrated VHF, AIS (Rx/Tx), antenna splitter, and anchor watch alert just might get me to fall off my wallet and buy a new unit!
Funny topic. Having cruised for a while, I’m constantly amazed at the antics I see some people go through when setting their anchor. Of course we get the same stares back when we enter an anchorage, drop the hook, grab a drink and then wait until I finish it before actually setting the anchor. Anyway, nice heavy chain is even more important to me than how advanced my anchor is (although I admit that I have a Rocna as prime, Delta as second, Fortress as a backup and a claw under our bed). Last year when we were somewhere in the Bahamas we dove on our anchor in 45kts of breeze – just to see how it was sitting. We had about 8:1 scope out. The funny thing was that we still had catenary and there were still several snakes in the chain. In other words, we hadn’t even gotten to the point where we needed an anchor. Our chain was still primarily holding us. The anchor was preventing gradual drift out of our radius, but having hundreds of pounds of chain out was the key.
Bob’s post rehashes some of the more common fallacies that traditionalists tend to come up with.
Anchors don’t require “technique” or skill to work, at least not after deployment. They are not machines that are operated or controlled. They are dumped on the seabed and more or less left to their own devices. The only skill the boater needs to pay attention to is an adequate rode make-up, choosing an adequate bottom type, and applying a gently increasing force to set the thing.
When that gale comes through at 3 AM and brings a sharp wind reversal with it, your anchor will handle – or not – things on its own.
Bob needs to qualify this sort of disparagement with his experience – or I daresay lack of – with the different types of anchors out there.
Re new generation anchors for the uninitiated, start here:
http://www.petersmith.net.nz/boat-anchors/new-generation-anchors.php