No chain experience

Just read an article by Captn Wil on MV Sanderling about his anchor experiences and perspectives.
He states that any anchors setting ability ie: burying is increased by eliminating the chain segment most of us use. He states a good replacement for the chain is a section of cable and this actually increases the anchor ability to bury.
Does anyone have comments or perspective on this. This person seems a VERY knowledgeable and experienced boater and has actually done “testing” to verify this and his other assertions.
Far be it for me to have a basis to question his assertions. Would actually be a good thing to get rid of a large weight right at the very bow of my boat.

Cable would be much harder to inspect for damage, which would make me wary. Also a splice would be difficult, and I have never seen a windlass that would retrieve cable. I think he must use a drum winch if he uses cable.

For most of us, chain offers many pluses and none of the minuses of cable.

I would consider his article an "opinion" piece personally, and everyone here has an opinion

Ugh. More joints and will the cable work with the windlass?

I think Captn Wil is pulling my chain

Perfection at what cost and trouble?

Maybe significant in some situations, but tens of thousands of cruisers have snchored with chain for at least a century.

Have they drug in extreme conditions?

Sure.....so if you expect extreme anchoring....go for perfection. I have personal limits for anchoring out....so my old fashion cruisers 100 percent chain and oversized anchor works fine and it doesnt get much simpler.

Each anchor manufacturer knows exactly how their anchor works best. No doubt there is no one rule for all anchors.

I'd recommend speaking with your anchor mfr what's best for you. Internet forums are probably the WORST places to seek anchor/chain recommendations.

Cable

I'm probably the only one here using a cable to get better penetration.

Once the anchor has penetrated so any further penetration necessitates the rode must be dragged bellow the surface of the sea floor the chain greatly impedes further penetration. Rope/line and chain has much more resistance to being dragged below the sea floor than cable.

I'm also probably the only one here using an XYZ anchor and at one time XYZ anchors were equipped w a short length of cable to get the best penetration. I imagine this advantage can only be realized anchoring in soft bottoms but in Steve G's videos it was seen that under rode tension anchors had a tendency to pitch down into the sea floor shank first. This brings the rode's need to penetrate the bottom much sooner than was probably assumed before the videos Steve made.

In an anchor test they nicknamed the XYZ the "Sling Blade" because of the small cable. Don't know what benefit the cable provided but the XYZ anchor bested the 10 or 12 other anchors in the test. And it was a soft bottom or mud test.

Here is the rig I had about a year ago. The anchor has been modified more so what you see in the pic dosn't exist basically. But the cable is still on my anchor rode. Not having a camera I have little or no idea if the cable gets submerged permitting deeper penetration but once set I have never dragged anchor.