Photos of Anchors Setting

[Wotname]

Hmm... 60+ kts is a significant test, hope it goes well and the pick stays put .

[Sandy Feet]

After reading the positive feedback about Mantus Anchors here we decided to buy one and so stoked we did. We've been anchoring over hard weed bottoms for the last few days and it has always bitten instantly. I've dived every anchorage so far and it's always buried to the ring. On our last boat we had a Manson Supreme, also very good but it did fail to set well in other weedy areas although I can't compare them side by side. Last night my wife woke at 2am ish for no apparent reason other than she thought something was wrong. A second later heard the sound of an engine alarm (starting) and raced out on deck to see a catamaran about 15m in front of us just starting to sort themselves out. They started the evening about 300m in front of us but when the wind came in at 15k they started to drag. Of the 5 other boats in the anchorage 3 dragged, we watched one resetting 4 or 5 times to no avail but he was casual enough to leave the boat for the beach and return when it had dragged far enough that he wanted it back! I didn't have enough time to photograph his anchor but I got some shots from a boat that did hold (don't recognise the anchor) despite a very marginal set.

[Sandy Feet]

Hmmm struggling to post photos but here is an unknown anchor that despite a tenuous set held overnight when others dragged.

[Sandy Feet]

Mantus in same bottom.

[Hydra]

Originally Posted by Sandy Feet

Hmmm struggling to post photos but here is an unknown anchor that despite a tenuous set held overnight when others dragged.

This is a "Britany" anchor, sold by French brand Plastimo. In my own experience, it doesn't set so well in hard sand. Many tests have proven that in soft bottoms, it rolls on the side under very strong traction, then pulls out. It was "state of the art" in 1970.

Alain

[kas_1611]

Well the deed has been done and we are upgrading from the Delta to a spangly new 33kg Vulcan with 60m G70 8mm and 40m 16mm Anchorplait spliced to it. I hope to pick up a waterproof camera so will add some pics of this over the coming season from the various anchorages here in Croatia.

We don't normally anchor out in stormy conditions but have been hit by a sudden 45kt blow in the past so I'm confident now we'll be able to get a good nights sleep with the new anchor instead of waking up at every creak or clunk as I do at the moment. With the extra length on the rode now we can also access new anchorages and be able to set extra scope if we are expecting the wind to pick up. Most of all I feel the money spent is worth it for the added piece of mind it will give us to the security of our home.

Thanks to everyone for all their input on various anchors and how they perform. I hope to add to the collective knowledge soon

Keiron

[JPA Cate]

Sandy Feet,

Would you please tell us what weight your new Mantus is?

Thanks.

Ann

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Hmm... 60+ kts is a significant test, hope it goes well and the pick stays put .

Thanks. We actually only had an average wind of about 30 knots. I don't think the forecast was wrong. We had spent some time in that bay and the protection from SE winds was exceptionally good.

The wind protection a bay offers is a very important aspect of anchoring. It is often quite difficult to pick from the map alone even if you look at something with a detailed plan of the land elevation. Sometimes a bay with very steep cliffs and high hills in the expected wind direction actually turns out to not to offer much attenuation of the wind. Some bays have prolonged calms with short burts of stronger wind sometimes well in excess of of the average.

The stronger winds here in summer wind are predominantly from the one direction. The pilot books/cruising guides contain some information about the protection a particular bay offers with this wind direction. Two very similar looking bays may contain quite different recommendations "this anchorage offers excellent protection from the Meltemi" while a similar bay near by might contain the warning that the protection is poor. Presumably these recommendations are based on the author's experience and are usually accurate. Unfortunately, there is nothing listed for the less popular anchorages which we prefer. In winter the stronger winds can come from any direction and there is no information even in the most popular anchorages.

These days it may be possible to mathematically model the wind over the topography and predict the wind strength in a bay rather than just a general prediction for the area (although modelling things like the katabatic effect would be complex). This would be of use when selecting an anchorage. It would also have much wider application for other water users such as kite surfers.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by kas_1611

I hope to pick up a waterproof camera so will add some pics of this over the coming season from the various anchorages here in Croatia.

Keiron, it would be great to see some photos of a Vulcan. Unfortunately, there is a very long lag when a new anchor is released before we get much worthwhile information.

Anchor tests are not very frequent and when they are released they often provide conflicting information. There are few large scale independent tests with enough results to be statistically valid.

Hopefully photographs showing anchors performing in use can provide not only a real world perspective on anchor performance, but also objective information on new anchor designs long before we have any anchor test results.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by kas_1611

Well the deed has been done and we are upgrading from the Delta to a spangly new 33kg Vulcan with 60m G70 8mm and 40m 16mm Anchorplait spliced to it. I hope to pick up a waterproof camera so will add some pics of this over the coming season from the various anchorages here in Croatia.

WOW 33kg you have gone to the extreme end of the sizing. What size Delta did you have?

We have same sized and similar weight boats. I currently have a 16kg Delta and have been looking at a Spade but maybe a Vulcan is an option, however I've only been thinking 20 or 25kg.

What did you pay for the Vulcan and from where. Most Rocna sites don't list or price the Vulcan. I upgraded to 100m of G70 8mm and new windlass, just need the new anchor now.

[hoppy]

Ohh yeah... As I will be full time cruising this year, I will have my diving gear on board and finally bought an SLR UW housing which I've wanted for 10+ years but could never justify it. Decided to get an Ikelite housing and a Canon 100D/SL1. Hopefully I'll get some decent anchor photos this year.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by hoppy

Decided to get an Ikelite housing and a Canon 100D/SL1. Hopefully I'll get some decent anchor photos this year.

That will produce some great images. The larger sensor size (compared to my compact camera) should really help in the lower light that is present on the seabed.

I find I have to work hard at holding the camera still to get sharp images and the larger sensor should allow a higher film speed.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

That will produce some great images. The larger sensor size (compared to my compact camera) should really help in the lower light that is present on the seabed.

I find I have to work hard at holding the camera still to get sharp images and the larger sensor should allow a higher film speed.

I also ordered this

When snorkelling I always found it difficult to get down the 5m to the anchor without using my arms to the extreme which was not good with a camera in the hand. Do you and mermaid use a weight belt? My dive vest has integrated weight pockets and I think I will get a weight belt as well for snorkelling because I really cant see myself getting down with the new housing

[noelex 77]

The effective loss of use of your arms when photographing is a problem. It also makes attitude control difficult.
We both use a weight belt. I think it is important for safety not to be negatively buoyant as you dive a bit deeper. As you decend the air in your lungs is compressed so your can end up sinking as you go deeper even if you are positively buoyant on the surface. So the weight we use is only small, but it is a help especially in keeping still. See picture below for the size.

Good free diving fins (which are large) are a help, but most of the time the photographs are from 10m or less. The spear fishing free divers can get down much deeper than this so with a bit of practice the depths are not a great problem.

My tips would be:

Use a wide angle lens. Most of my underwater shots are taken at the maximum wide angle setting of 25 mm. A bit wider again would be better.

Take lots of photos. Framing is difficult so many will be duds.

You don't need to frame all the shots using the viewfinder just pointing the camera in right direction is often OK. This is paticuarly true of photos taken with the camera close to the bottom. If you lie close to the bottom it easy to kick up substrate which clouds the subsequent pictures. Often holding the camera just above the bottom with the rest of body upside down and close to vertical in the water so your fins are well away from stirring up the substrate works well.

Get the camera close to the anchor.

Probably the best photos to actually show what the anchor is doing (drag marks etc) are from above the anchor, but the nicest photos are usually the ones taken from the side with the camera close to the bottom.

Try and keep still when taking the shots. The shutter speeds are likely to be low.

Taking shots into the sun is surprising often the best angle.

Consider using a red filter. This compensates for the loss of red light with depth. My camera has a digital red filter that seems to work well. I think this could be reproduced with post production colour adjustment especially if you shoot in raw mode, but the in house digital filter produces better colour reproduction than I can achieve otherwise. Presumably a real red filter would work better again.

Watch safety. You will be diving in areas that other boats are using. A divers flag on a float (or a second diver who stays on the surface) is sensible. My mermaid and I often take turns with one diving down while the other is on the surface as lookout and recovering their breath.

Do some post production. Most of the deeper shots will need some contrast enhancement.

Have a look at the anchors around you especially upwind. As well as more photos to show us, with a little practice you can often make a reasonable stab at what windspeed they will start to drag.

At least check the appearance of the O ring before you dive. With a clear housing you can see the seal after the case is closed. The only time I have had water entry, a corner of the desiccant bag was partially trapped under the O ring. With a careful inspection I would have seen this before use.

If you see any mermaids give them a wave .

[Sailor g]

Originally Posted by Sandy Feet

Mantus in same bottom.

Sandy Feet. Those are amazing photos. The anchor doesn't even look like its underwater. The water must be crystal clear. 🌊