Photos of Anchors Setting

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

We can get our Ultra to dig in deep, but I think it's due to anchoring here multiple times, knowing the bottom... and practice. Diving on ones anchor on a regular basis is an eye opening experience.

We've actually begun using a different technique than last season, where we now let down the anchor using the windlass motor until we see it hit bottom, the anchor gives off a bright reflection, then backing up slowly as we let out the rode. Pull back gently as it digs in, then slowly increase revs to 2000. No more releasing the windlass brake and free fall. So far this season, no need for second tries. Because the anchor reflects so brightly when it reaches the bottom, from the bow I can actually see it dig in when the reflection disappears.

As I solo, I usually get to the spot I want to anchor and start it to reverse up and the drift. Usually I start dropping whilst at the helm and the walk to the bow. In sand and weed patchy areas I'll try to position myself so i will drift over sand and go up to the bow to judge when to touch bottom. The Rocna is shiny so I can also see when it touches. Usually I will let out the chain and then wait until I am pointing to the anchor then put it in reverse to gently tighten tje chain and then go for the higher revs.

At town quays I have to do everything from the cockpit so where I drop is guess work.

I was just about to go to bed when the wind swung around to coming right down the chain at 20 knots and brought down something like a tropical rainstorm. So far so good with the holding, but bed can wait.

At the end of the quay there was a 60ft old aluminum race boat (maybe not so old but it's pretty beat up) Their anchor let go and they ended up side on. They had to head out. The wind has eased off but the rain is still bucketing down.

When anchored out, if you're not dug in on inspection, it's easy to either reverse up or even re-drop. At a town quay your only option is to go out and try again which is a pain and avoided at all costs, especially if solo.

[noelex 77]

An Admiralty anchor, probably more correctly a Hall pattern.

I don't think they had dreamed of the idea of a streamlined design that would bury more than just its flukes when this model was conceived .

It was on dropped by a local tourist boat on short scope.

Notice how the substrate is creating a significant upslope. This is only a very limited local effect, but this means the effective scope is much higher than the numerical scope would indicate. However, if the wind shifts 180° the opposite is true and the anchor's effective scope would be much less.

[noelex 77]

This was another convex plow anchor.

I am not sure of the identity of this model. It is close in shape to the Delta, but the underside of the shank is chamfered. The very early original Delta had this feature, but it was changed to a square edged profile on later models. My best guess is that this is a very early Delta that has been re-galvanised or has sat unused for a long time, but it may well be a completely different model. There are a multitude of other very similar convex plow anchors.

The chamfering of the underside of the shank is a good feature. It reduces the drag of the anchor when penetrating the substrate, allowing it to dive deeper. Even better, it has minimal effect on the drag when the anchor is pulled. The ideal anchor design has minimum drag when diving, but maximum drag when pulled in a horizontal direction.

Anchors like the Ultra, Vulcan, Bruce, Fortress and others already have a streamlined profile on the shank. The Spade has a triangular shaped cross section (on most models), although the fabricated shank is thicker, so the bottom profile is still very blunt.

It would be great to see a "Mark II" version of anchors like the Mantus, Rocna and Manson Supreme with a chamfer on the underside of the shank. The benefits are going to greatest for anchors that set deeply. For practical purposes, the chamfer needs to be reasonably blunt where the anchor sits on the bow roller, but even this would be better than the existing square edge profile.

The portion of the shank close to the fluke, and surprisingly at the other end where the shackle is attached, penetrates the substrate early. Streamlining is especially important in these areas that bury early. Resistance here will effect most sets. The area of shank near where the shackle is attached does not have to rest on the bow roller and this could beneficially be made a reasonably sharp "V".

[noelex 77]

This convex plow anchor was dropped in light/medium weed. I had the privilege of watching it set. I love seeing anchors in action like this and will present the photos of it setting over a few posts.

However, I would not encourage others to be this near when a boat is anchoring. I have had a couple of close calls. Propellors and bow thrusters can be dangerous.

This was the start. The anchor has just been dropped in weed at this stage and is totally unset. It is upright facing backwards with the chain leading back towards the fluke:

[noelex 77]

This is the start of the setting process. When some engine force was applied the anchor rotated around (180° from the previous photo) to face the correct way. It has also fallen over onto the preferred setting position:

[noelex 77]

Here the anchor has rolled upright and is just starting to dig in:

[noelex 77]

It went on for several metres like this and then started to dig in properly. You can see the cloud of sand that is being given off, which is promising, but the cloud is sometimes just caused by ripping out the weed, which tends to be pulled out with the weed roots attached.

Note the chain on the right side of the photo. It disappears into the weed, which makes it difficult to tell for sure, but it looks like there is little, or no catenary left which suggests 2/3 reverse throttle or more.

Unfortunately, the anchor was not holding. It was slowly moving back. These slow movements back can be difficult to pick from the boat, but with good transits and/or differential GPS you can detect quite small movements. An anchor should be able to hold full reverse (on a sailboat) without moving.

[jongleur]

[QUOTE=noelex 77;1896751]This was a convex plow anchor.

I always do my best to try and identify the anchor design

Does anyone know? Also, if you think I have misidentified any anchors in previous photos please let me know.

A Kodiak maybe?

Carver Marquis 7342422 Kodiak 60 lb Galvanized Steel Boat Fixed Plow Anchor | eBay

[Yeti]

I've been following this thread for quite a while now and I can finally make a small contribution. I'm kinda excited....

This is a Rocna 15 attached to 5/16 chain, no swivel. Dropped on the east side of the Zuniga Jetty just off the entrance to the SD Bay. The depth was 15-17' plus 4.5' from wster to bow roller. I laid out 70' of chain. I believe that makes the scope somewhere in the area of 3.5-1. Idled back until I stopped and then applied 1500rpms for less than a minute. I believe the result looks pretty good.

First time I was able to free dive on this/any anchor and I definitely have a new level of respect for others that do it well! I've scuba dived on my SL Claw at this location in the past. Vis was not good today as the sky was very overcast and it was late in the day. I was very lucky to be able to find the float (a great idea I totally learned from this thread). The first experience of free diving and poor vis means the pics weren't as great as they could have been. But they're something.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by jongleur

A Kodiak maybe?
Carver Marquis Galvanized Steel Boat Fixed Plow Anchor

Thanks for the link. That is a model I have not seen, or even heard about before, although I don't think it was the one I photographed.

Notice on the Kodiak the two attachment points on the shank. These produce different fluke angles (usually 32° & 45°). It is not an original idea, it was used on the Oceane anchor, but is interesting nonetheless.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by Yeti

I've been following this thread for quite a while now and I can finally make a small contribution.

Thanks Yeti.
That looks like nice soft substrate. We have not had many anchors photographed on this sort of bottom, so keep the images coming.

[noelex 77]

This sequence documents the anchor moving back. The weed prevents seeing if it is digging in more, but the larger clouds of sand are promising:

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I felt a little foolish after going over their boat to show them how it's done properly, then only being able to dig a 90 ft 4 inch deep trench with the tip of their anchor.

I'd used the Same 75 pound CQR for a full season on the same boat, so I was quite confident I could get it to set.

The final decision after I showed our friends how to anchor.... They're buying a new anchor, either a Rocna or Ultra... Their decision as to which one.

What a fantastic apples to apples comparison. I don't know how many times people have told me the reason I've dragged a CQR all over half the anchorages in the PNW while trying to set it is because I don't know how to set an anchor.

To be fair, your Ultra is 100# and the CQR is 75#. In hard sand, this may have made a difference, though I doubt you'd do better with a 100# CQR.

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

An Admiralty anchor, probably more correctly a Hall pattern.

I don't think they had dreamed of the idea of a streamlined design that would bury more than just its flukes when this model was conceived .

It was on dropped by a local tourist boat on short scope.

Notice how the substrate is creating a significant upslope. This is only a very limited local effect, but this means the effective scope is much higher than the numerical scope would indicate. However, if the wind shifts 180° the opposite is true and the anchor's effective scope would be much less.

I would have called this a "patent" or "stockless" anchor, and really they were designed for big, heavy shipping, and are still used for some major ship applications. They are really not particularly useful, IMHO as a small boat anchor.

[JPA Cate]

"They are not particularly useful as a small boat anchor." Muckle Flugga

Do they work for ships, then?

Any pics?

Ann