my new anchor

I just received my new SARCA EXCEL anchor today.

Here's some photos. I'm impressed. Great workmanship, looks hefty...

I really like the slightly down turned toe!

nice

Looks like mine but bigger........

Yes the workmanship is great, Rex & Joy are super to deal with!

Looks great. Nevertheless, I'm sure you'll be criticized for acquiring an out-of-date and therefore ineffective plow-like anchor.

Dang Purdy

As you actually have one now, and as I get the impression that you use your boat a fair amount in some challenging anchoring situations, I hope you will report on your personal experience with this anchor once you get used to using it. In my opinion credible user testimonials are the best sources for information about any product's performance.

As opposed to speculation and armchair theory from people who don't have and have never used the product in question.

People have criticized my current (unfailing) claw anchor. Meanwhile, that's while local fishermen are converting from the Northill to the claw.

Marin said:

As you actually have one now, and as I get the impression that you use your boat a fair amount in some challenging anchoring situations, I hope you will report on your personal experience with this anchor once you get used to using it. In my opinion credible user testimonials are the best sources for information about any product's performance.

As opposed to speculation and armchair theory from people who don't have and have never used the product in question.

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Thats what I intend to do. I don't pull any punches. If I like something I'll tell the world. If I am dissapointed by something I'll tell the universe!

My bruce anchor has served me very well, so the SARCA anchor has big shoes to fill. I like the quality of the build, it is far higher than my bruce clone. That said I didn't buy it for its looks. Performance is key to me.

Kevin,
I am sure you will be happy with your purchase.
I have been hangin off the end of a SARCA Excel for a few years now and been thru some big blows , all with a happy ending.
I am presently down the South end of Tasmania and been anchoring out in various places for the last 10 days.
Let us all know your thoughts in the near future.
Cheers
Benn
PS
I also have the 2 piece Alumimum Excel as one of my back ups. Haven't had to use it yet.

That's some nice bow bling! I hope you're hanging that on a stainless chain. Anything less would be unworthy!!

FlyWright said:

That's some nice bow bling! I hope you're hanging that on a stainless chain. Anything less would be unworthy!!

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Common "wisdom" here, ss chain is a no no long term, because it hardens and may fracture. Personally I don`t know so don`t rip into me, I use gal chain. The boat nearest us(in front,then beside, then behind) on NYE had a shiny ss claw plus ss chain, they stayed put, kind of, on a scope they kept extending, around 6:1 on my estimate.

BruceK said:

Common "wisdom" here, ss chain is a no no long term, because it hardens and may fracture. Personally I don`t know so don`t rip into me, I use gal chain. .

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I have read much the same thing in anchoring books and stuff. Galvanized chain is always recommended in these publications.

BruceK said:

Common "wisdom" here, ss chain is a no no long term, because it hardens and may fracture. Personally I don`t know so don`t rip into me, I use gal chain. The boat nearest us(in front,then beside, then behind) on NYE had a shiny ss claw plus ss chain, they stayed put, kind of, on a scope they kept extending, around 6:1 on my estimate.

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But it's ugly chain for such a purty piece of jewelery! Kinda like hanging the Hope Diamond as a necklace on a piece of kite string.

It is a very functional piece of essential kit that requires very functional hanging gear. SS chains are for those that berth not anchor.

Kevin
What size is it, it looks a bit small for you boat although its hard to know the size from your pics/


I broke out my #8 alloy Sarca Spare anchor late last year when my Davis would not set in a bay with seagrass rich bottom. Sarca bit immediately then, and every other time I anchored since so the Sarca is now the primary anchor. Rex indicated to me that although lighter the allow Sarca has as much holdin power as the same size galv steel. This is of course using a chain rode, not a combination rode.

Ah…good to see Kev. Looks nice. Now for the feedback. I estimate that's a number 7 Kev..?

markpierce said:

People have criticized my current (unfailing) claw anchor. Meanwhile, that's while local fishermen are converting from the Northill to the claw.

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Don't feel left out....a friend of mine just bought a boat and the insurance company required a second anchor, the surveyor recommended a Bruce or clone as "the best"....

As all of our anchors Kevin....hope it never fails you!

you would think by now some decent drinking toast would include the lowly anchor....

Pretty nice, it looks like my Delta on steroids.

fryedaze said:

Pretty nice, it looks like my Delta on steroids.

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Dave, that is a good analogy. Similar looking, but very different. My second anchor now is a Delta.

Kevin will be testing in much more extreme conditions that we have on the East coast. We seldom anchor in deep water, from Chesapeake South there is not much rock to deal with. I too will be waiting for his knowledgeable analysis.

The Ex-Cel is a robust design that shows much promise. I am glad to have one.

markpierce said:

People have criticized my current (unfailing) claw anchor. Meanwhile, that's while local fishermen are converting from the Northill to the claw.

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Mark,
Should I convert? My "unfailing Northill" (haven't tried it yet) will probably not pass the veering test. Most current and wind changes can be predicted though. And I don't think the stocks are strong enough.

Re the Excel Plow has it ever been in a typical anchor test? I suspect that user testimony of anchor holding performance is flawed in that almost never will a boater subject an anchor to 5000lbs of rode tension like many of the typical anchor tests. I used my 18lb XYZ in a 50 knot gale and it's holding performance was perfect. But whatever tension was on my rode would be anyone's guess and may be far less than what would be the order of the day in most anchor tests. Dock talk is very to quite valid and has some advantages to anchor tests. But anchor tests subject the anchors almost the same conditions and the results can be compared to other anchors. My gale experience was full of unknowns. The bottom was unknown. The "50 knot" wind speed was just a guess. My anchor had been modified. I used very little chain. My scope was just a guess too. So when I tell of my anchoring experience here or "on the dock" it could easily mean next to nothing. But the anchor held in a wind. That's about it.

But in a fairly well conducted test there will be much much less unknowns and all the other anchors will be subjected to about exactly the same conditions. That may not be totally objective but it's probably many times as accurate re the real performance of the anchors. But if the dock talk AND several anchor tests show great performance for any one anchor there's a good chance it's a good one. But still I wouldn't bet the farm on any anchor.

The anchor is a #7 and weighs 36KG

The old anchor is a bruce clone and weighs 30KG

The anchor is being attached to a all chain rode of 550' and a new Lofrans Tigress windlass.

Now I have all the parts and pieces at the house and am waiting for another couple weeks to pass for the weather to warm up a bit, then I can go dewinterize the boat and get it installed.

Hey Kevin!

You gonna polish that new anchor???

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

Hey Kevin!

You gonna polish that new anchor???

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Nope, I'm going to throw it overboard!

ksanders said:

Nope, I'm going to throw it overboard!

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Gees imagine that! no peerty shinny SS anchors and chain in Alaska......

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

Gees imagine that! no peerty shinny SS anchors and chain in Alaska......

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Nope, and no martini holding owners with captains hats either.

And we don't wear white pants and tie our sweaters around our waists.

We Alaskans tend to set fashin standards, such as hip boots, carhart tees and coats, baseball caps. That is our finest dinner wear!

ASD,
you forgot camo's. How could you? You're even wearing camo in your pic. Hoping the fish don't see you I suppose.

manyboats said:

ASD,
you forgot camo's. How could you? You're even wearing camo in your pic. Hoping the fish don't see you I suppose.

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Warm weather is on the way. Saw seagulls riding thermals for the first time this spring yesterday, and heard the first sparrow today

Alaskan clothing story...

Two seasons ago I see this guy in dirty Careharts stepping off of his boat a few slips away from mine. He looks somehow familiar.

So I say hi, introduce myself and say he looks familiar. He says I look familiar as well. I ask him if he works in the oil field since se see allot of people up there and see them elsewhere and kinda recognize them.

He says no, he's an orthodontist. Then a light turns on in his head as he looks at the name on my boat "lisa's way". He asks if my wife is Lisa, and he smiles and says he did my wifes braces several years before.

So (and back to the clothes thing here) I look at him in dirty Careharts and I laugh, telling him how he doesn't look much like an orthodontist. Then I still laughing tell him how he ruined my impression of orthodontists forever. He asks why...

So I tell him how he's here in dirty Careharts and I thought orthodontists were mostly pussy types who do things like build ships in a bottle.

He responds "yea, I guess I'm different. I just got done rebuilding my marine transmission on my saloon table, I guess I'm an Alaskan orthodontist"