In sand: Plow or Fortress?

[Panope]

Sounds good Brian.

Until now, I've never commented on the Chesapeake test. I know you have received some flak, but I just want you to know that I think it was a good test, albeit a completely different test than mine.

You have my word that any future testing that I conduct on your anchor(s) will be executed with the most honesty, accuracy, and fairness possible with an emphasis on making sure the camera system affects the anchor as little as possible.

Steve

[Fortress]

Originally Posted by Panope

Sounds good Brian.

Until now, I've never commented on the Chesapeake test. I know you have received some flak, but I just want you to know that I think it was a good test, albeit a completely different test than mine.

You have my word that any future testing that I conduct on your anchor(s) will be executed with the most honesty, accuracy, and fairness possible with an emphasis on making sure the camera system affects the anchor as little as possible.

Steve

Steve, thanks for your message of support, and I greatly appreciate your ongoing efforts to conduct fair, honest and straightforward anchor tests.

Your underwater filming techniques have been highly innovative, to say the least.

Several years ago there was an Italian boating magazine, Vela e Motore, who did an anchor test and they had a diver (or possibly two) filming this test on a sand sea bottom.

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It was a straight pull test with some very interesting looking anchors, along with a few more common models. I received a tape video file which I digitized and I will upload it.

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With all of the discussion about an anchor's resetting capability, this test served as a reminder that if an anchor does not hold much in a straight pull, then you might never find out how well it performs during a wind or tidal shift.....it will have broken free from the sea bottom long beforehand.

Safe anchoring,
Brian

Fortress Marine Anchors - The World's Best Anchors!

[Cheechako]

I think the only anchor test has any value to cruisers at this point is a 180 degree reversal test. The seller whose anchor consistently holds or resets will sell a lot of anchors.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I think the only anchor test has any value to cruisers at this point is a 180 degree reversal test. The seller whose anchor consistently holds or resets will sell a lot of anchors.

What follows is offered in a neutral (non critical) tone of voice:

While the straight pull test is easily repeatable (or testable), and should yield good results for well designed anchors, it seems to me the "wind shift" or reversal test is more telling.

I think many accounts of "anchor dragged during the night" are probably attributable to a wind shift.

And I think many sailors who are on a hook are rightly concerned about dragging, but a cause of their fear is the anticipation of a wind shift during the hours they are trying to sleep at anchor, or as a squall or storm passes.