A SARCA EXCEL comparison

I have now had some more time and experience using my Sarca Excel anchor.

A comparison when setting my 66 lb bruce in the same spot I anchor'd in last night...

When setting the Bruce I would put the boat in reverse and could kinda feel the bruce setting, but the boat had the capability to drag the anchor at idle.

Same exact spot using the Sarca Excel, but admittidly 80 lbs so thake that into consideration, the boat stopped and did not move at idle power in reverse.

Having been a Bruce fan for a very long time, with several boats and anchors I have to say that I am impressed with the Sarca anchor.

Drag the anchor at idle?
That's crazy. You should be able to set and hold at an idle in reverse w any anchor that I can think of except a rock. Perhaps your rode was wrapped around the anchor or ......?

manyboats said:

Drag the anchor at idle?
That's crazy. You should be able to set and hold at an idle in reverse w any anchor that I can think of except a rock. Perhaps your rode was wrapped around the anchor or ......?

Click to expand...

Nope, it happened all the time when setting.

Remember I have twin 330 hp engines and 24" props. I suspect they put oout a bit of force at idle.

Our Bruce always set after the rode was payed out, we secured it to a deck cleat with our short setting/break out line, and we put the boat in reverse idle. It would sometimes drag a bit until a fluke dug in and it set and stopped the boat. We never had a problem with the Bruce setting, we had a problem with it holding under pressure and surging.

The rollbar anchor we replaced it with digs in and stops the boat hard as soon we start to pull on the rode with the boat in reverse.

660hp even at idle in reverse is significant. Seems to me Kevin you had a 66lb Claw and were using it at 3-1 scope.

I still suspect the Claws sometimes or often set on their sides w one of the side flukes sticking straight up. The center fluke horizontal w the bottom and the horizon while only one fluke is down in the sea floor. Some (quite a few actually) don't think this happens. I have some ideas about simple mods to keep this from happening. It could be only one brand of Claw . even the original.

Has there been some anchor tests w vids that may show that this dosn't happen? Or at least isn't typical. But rather than individuals I'm thinking of more organized and involved tests.

At least we've a good idea that the Excell seems to set well at short scope. That's a plus.

Hi Kevin - after a full summer are you still happy with the Excel?

I have contacted Rex for pricing and shipping and all seems pretty reasonable. We have a similar bow set up as your Bayliner and after lots of research (and reading way too many anchor threads ) I decided not to try and modify anything to get a roll bar to work. This looks like the simple and effective route.

Any shipping issues or other concerns?

Thanks for the great info

Paul

OK, after a summer using the SARCA EXCEL I am very happy with it.

The Excel is a 80 lb anchor with an all chain rode, where the old anchor was a 66 lb genuine Bruce with 100' of chain and a nylon rode after that.

I know comparisons between the two are unfair because of the weight and rode differences, so I cannot knock the Bruce one little bit.

What I have noticed, having set the anchor somewhere between 40 and 60 times is that it has never failed to set.

The holding power is substantial, I think far more than the bruce, but my only real test was during one big blow I was in, and the boat stayed put.

Something I did notice is in the mornings I see the track of where we were the night before as a track on the plotter. The lines of the track are markedly closer together with the new anchor.