Great work Steve. All good information, and clearly there are several anchors there that would be a perfectly reasonable choice for anyone, and clearly several better not used as a main, but maybe as a stern or back-up anchor, and...dare I say it, one or two best left out altogether now.
I have always been upfront re my liking for the Super Sarca, based on many years to varied bottom use, and your test supports that, especially as it was a bit of an orphan in being a size at least smaller than ideal for your boat, yet still held up well. However, I can certainly understand your personal selection of the Spade.
You know what I'm going got say next, and please feel
no pressure whatsoever, because what you've accomplished has been a bit of a marathon, but all that remains in my view is the Sarca trip slot test. Clearly you were influenced against the slot by the Manson's slot performance, which is completely understandable, and the only reason I am bothering to pursue this issue at all is because my experience says the slot and its properly selected and installed shackle, would not misbehave as the Manson's did, and because it is an issue worth clarifying once and for all.
I say this because certain posters on here has repeatedly criticised the fact it might trip under dangerous circumstances, (largely based on heresy and third hand stories), and because in order to be able to deploy the controlled trip mechanism, and save potential loss of the anchor, one needs to have the chain attached to the slot. Once the anchor is fouled it is too late to alter that.
If anyone has tried to change anchors, or in this case from one fixing point to another, especially after it has not been disturbed for some time, the shackles are very hard to undo, and not the thing you want to have on in a seaway on a dark and rainy night. The fact the Super Sarca has the bolt which can be installed or removed quite easily, either opening or locking off the slot is a great idea, but this still necessitates one being omniscient enough to anticipate when a foul-up might occur. Murphy's Law says otherwise.
So, because of this fact, is why I feel it a pity if folk are put off using the slot, based on heresy and inaccurate/insufficient evidence, and your testing method is the one way this might be put to bed.
So...some time in the future...when you are
sufficiently rested from your video labours, and becoming a bit bored even, and the urge takes you to do another anchor test, or even muck around with yet a new camera suspension idea, please, pretty please, do those same 3 : ! scope tests with an open slot, (no bolt), with reverse current/wind direction, etc, on the Sarca, so we can all see what happens, once and for all..?
