Chesapeake Anchor Holding Power Test

Good day,

Just a quick note to let you know that during the week of August 4th, we will be conducting an anchor holding power test in the soft mud bottoms of the Chesapeake Bay aboard the 81-ft Rachel Carson, a research vessel that is owned & operated by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science in Solomons, MD.

Chuck Hawley, who is a long-time sailor with an impressive resume will be aboard to serve as an independent reviewer of the testing. Chuck was formerly the VP of Product Testing at West Marine for many years, and he was present at the tests we conducted in the SF Bay way back in 1990, and he was involved in West Marine's highly-publicized tests that were conducted in 2006.

We will also have aboard a solid group from the boating media as well, with writers from several of the USA's largest magazines.

I will keep you updated on the progress of the testing once we begin, which I am sure will be of great interest to many of you.

Have a great weekend,
Brian Sheehan

Fortress Marine Anchors

Thanks for the heads-up on this, Brian. When you say "We will be conducting and anchor holding power test".. is this a test sponsored by Fortress to compare their anchors against others? Regardless, it will be interesting to see the independent views and published rag evaluations. Do you have your test sites picked out? Will they include Rivers?

Spec's on Rachel Carson:

Type: Research vessel
Tonnage: 78 GT
60 DWT
Length: 81 ft (25 m) o/a
Beam: 18 ft (5.5 m)
Draft: 4 ft 8 in (1.42 m)
Installed power: Two MTU 10V 2000 M-72 diesel engines, 2 × 1,205 hp (899 kW)
Propulsion:
Two Hamilton HM 651 water jets
30 hp (22 kW) Wesmar V2-12 bow thruster
Speed: 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph)

healhustler said:

Thanks for the heads-up on this, Brian. When you say "We will be conducting and anchor holding power test".. is this a test sponsored by Fortress to compare their anchors against others? Regardless, it will be interesting to see the independent views and published rag evaluations. Do you have your test sites picked out? Will they include Rivers?

Spec's on Rachel Carson:

Type: Research vessel
Tonnage: 78 GT
60 DWT
Length: 81 ft (25 m) o/a
Beam: 18 ft (5.5 m)
Draft: 4 ft 8 in (1.42 m)
Installed power: Two MTU 10V 2000 M-72 diesel engines, 2 × 1,205 hp (899 kW)
Propulsion:
Two Hamilton HM 651 water jets
30 hp (22 kW) Wesmar V2-12 bow thruster
Speed: 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph)

Click to expand...

Hi Larry,

We are paying for the boat charter, the test gauges and data logging equipment (which includes a running line tensiometer), the competitive anchors, etc.

We have picked the testing site with input from the local university and Rachel Carson crew, and it is not far from where this research vessel is docked.

The location is at approximately Lat: 38°18'58.49"N and Long: 76°26'48.94"W

Thanks,
Brian

I pass by the Rachael Carlson when we head out the harbor. To bad I wont be in the area that week. You could see the test from the waterfront.

What anchor brands will be tested?

I look forward to see what anchor will come in second place?

dwhatty said:

What anchor brands will be tested?

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Dwhatty,

Please see the below attachment.

Brian

Thanks Fortress.

Well at least we now know which one is most likely to come in at the bottom of the test.

Bill, you're a trouble maker!
As a Fortress dealer I can tell you
they are a first class company to deal with and they stand behind their products.

I'm interested. And two thumbs up to Brian and Fortress for having the confidence and courage to present the test before the fact. Best of luck and may the Best Anchor Win!


Present 42 Sundeck

Could this mean no more anchor threads? Could the Great Debate be settled?

THD said:

Could this mean no more anchor threads? Could the Great Debate be settled?

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Yep, this will settle it once and for all----that is until someone in the US gets a Sarca, and starts it all over again.

fryedaze said:

I pass by the Rachael Carlson when we head out the harbor. To bad I wont be in the area that week. You could see the test from the waterfront.

Click to expand...

Too bad, Dave. You could have been our officially designated TF observer. Looks like a fair assortment of anchor types. I can't deny that the recent TF ad for the Fortress anchors in California had me interested. I do keep a F-23 on my bow rail, mostly for a stern application, but I sure like the idea of storing an big-assed oversized (but relatively lightweight) anchor somewhere just in case. If it had been here in FL, I'd probably have done it.

I've got a Fortress for a back-up/stern anchor although my primary is a claw. The claw brings up less bottom mud (thus less holding power?) and doesn't "bite" me with moveable fins. Also, my perception is that the claw is better in handling tidal current directional shifts, my primary concern.

Go team rocna!!!!!!

I think I`d rather see an independent organization doing the testing, but maybe no one does, and this is the only way testing gets done. Is soft mud bottom a fair all round test for all anchors?

Fortress Anchors said:

Good day,

Just a quick note to let you know that during the week of August 4th, we will be conducting an anchor holding power test in the soft mud bottoms of the Chesapeake Bay aboard the 81-ft Rachel Carson, a research vessel that is owned & operated by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science in Solomons, MD.

Chuck Hawley, who is a long-time sailor with an impressive resume will be aboard to serve as an independent reviewer of the testing. Chuck was formerly the VP of Product Testing at West Marine for many years, and he was present at the tests we conducted in the SF Bay way back in 1990, and he was involved in West Marine's highly-publicized tests that were conducted in 2006.

We will also have aboard a solid group from the boating media as well, with writers from several of the USA's largest magazines.

I will keep you updated on the progress of the testing once we begin, which I am sure will be of great interest to many of you.

Have a great weekend,
Brian Sheehan

Fortress Marine Anchors

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Why bother? We already know that the Fortress will show what it always has - outstanding, best of breed performance. But having said that, I await the result with bait breath!

I am curious as to how clocking wind and/or tidal current shift conditions will be tested. It will also be important to document the setting process for each respective anchor and individual test. After all anchoring is at least 80% technique.

HopCar said:

Bill, you're a trouble maker!
As a Fortress dealer I can tell you
they are a first class company to deal with and they stand behind their products.

Click to expand...

Ah, you might want to look at some past anchor test result.

Because my post was not a dig at Fortress. But a joke about how Bruce/claws always seem to come in at the bottom of anchor tests.

BruceK said:

I think I`d rather see an independent organization doing the testing, but maybe no one does, and this is the only way testing gets done. Is soft mud bottom a fair all round test for all anchors?

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Independent Anchor Performance Testing

Chesapeake mud? I'm putting my money on the Danforth. During Irene I didn't even come close to budging.

THD said:

Could this mean no more anchor threads? Could the Great Debate be settled?

Click to expand...

Sadly, no…because there ain't no Sarca in the list. I'm sure they tried to get one...

Hi Brian,
next time you are looking for a match just say anchor test, the whole box will catch fire, anyway you cannot blame the skeptics, new gen anchor slogans and testing has primed everyone, you are a better man than me taking it on and I wish you luck


Capt.Bill11
Guru

Ah, you might want to look at some past anchor test result.
Because my post was not a dig at Fortress. But a joke about how Bruce/claws always seem to come in at the bottom of anchor tests.

You are right Capt Bill, when it comes to holding power, whilst they continue to only static testing you will never see a true comparison, new gen , sharp toes, very wide holding areas, in many cases the bigger is better slogan is alsothrown in with the new gen anchors,all of this contributes to faster setting, Bruce, Claws, and other designs will take longer to produce the same level of holding power.

Believe me they will produce extremely high figures from a decent blow during the night, no one’s measuring- but when trying to retrieve them the next morning-- In some cases I have seen Delta, Bruce and Claw holding power figures that can make new gen anchors look a bit average when comparing surface area and weight,unfortunately you will never see these holding power figures from a static test.

It is what it is though; with these new high performance anchors you do get far more consistent hook ups with a jolt over multiple substrate types than the older anchors.

Are the new Gen anchors Stronger? In most cases no, big difference no moving parts means little to no ware.

Of course the guys that have a lot of anchoring experience will always hook up where an armature never will with an old gen anchor, the learner blames the old designs, fits a new gen with its sharp points and wide holding area, jobs done. Argument seeds are sown.

Any way thats my two bobs worth.

Regards Rex.

Hi Bill, I didn't express myself well. I was suggesting that because you didn't name the loser anchor, we were each going to come up with our own guess. Of course now that you've made your prediction, I'll guess that the CQR will come in last.

Hey, it looks like there is a Claw / Bruce hanging on the bow of the Rachel Carson!

HopCar said:

Hi Bill, I didn't express myself well. I was suggesting that because you didn't name the loser anchor, we were each going to come up with our own guess. Of course now that you've made your prediction, I'll guess that the CQR will come in last.

Hey, it looks like there is a Claw / Bruce hanging on the bow of the Rachel Carson!

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Ok, I just didn't want you to think I was going after Fortress as a company or anything. Like implying their test would not be fair.

Perhaps we need to start a pool predicting where we think anchor X, Y or Z will place in this test?

BruceK said:

Is soft mud bottom a fair all round test for all anchors?

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Thanks all for your input. BruceK, soft mud bottoms are common in bays, lakes, and rivers and are typically a challenge for setting and holding.

Anchor design will certainly be a factor in the performance and end results.

Brian

Nice to see the disagreements and hedging comments/positions/qualifications starting over anchor testing just like the anchors themselves.

Like much research done these days....the outcome may be more influenced by the testing bias than anything...and again some anchors will always be fine for some and the worst for others and the debate will rage on.

Because the test is probably not about saving the world..my prediction that the testing will not test and record every situation known to boaters....at best will just give tidbit of info to just reignite many old anchor debates.

psneld,

Thanks for your input. We have set up testing parameters and rented equipment which insures that each anchor will be pulled starting with the exact same scope, and then by the exact same pull speed and total distance.

Below is an image of the anchors that will be tested.

Brian

Capt.Bill11 said:

Independent Anchor Performance Testing

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Oh yes, Peter Smith has always been my "go-to" guy when it comes to independent anchor testing....