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Old 07-16-2019, 06:47 PM   #1
Nomad Willy
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City: Concrete Washington State
Vessel Name: Willy
Vessel Model: Willard Nomad 30'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 18,743
Two anchors to play with.

I have been given two ARA anchors to play with.

Had them for two weeks or so and haven't even got-um wet.

One is an Excel and the other a Super SARCA. About 17lbs (the Excel) and about 23lbs for the SARCA. Over the years I've noticed I have had different notions about them and that certainly happened w these two .. mostly the Excel. And that is mostly because I've never liked the Delta and others like the delta. The Davis is, however, reported to be a very good anchor. But the Excel is in the same image so I didn't take much notice of the Excel. Especially since I've always had a soft spot for the SARCA. Claimed it as my favorite many times but w/o much reason for it to be my favorite as I'd never seen one except from a distance.

So to have them in my hands and scruitenized by eye my impression of them changed my take on them quite a bit.
Length to width (aspect ratio) is way different between the two .. SARCA being quite wide and short and Excel being very long and narrow. I can only speculate on the amount of force necessary to pull them through the seabed. It may vary re the type of seabed significantly too I think.
The shank is much like the flukes w the Excel being quite long and the SARCA unusually short.
The SARCA has the slot and the Excel does not.
Even the finish is different. Both galvanized but the Excel has a bit darker color and quite smooth. Whereas the SARCA is a more typical galvanized finish.
One feature that I didn't expect is the self launching balance .. or should I say .. imbalance. The anchors won't lay in the bow roller channel w/o immediately sliding fwd and down. I feel I better not try to mount them on the roller channel for fear of loosing them. However others will welcome this feature I'm sure.
I'll use the SARCA tripping slot the way it was designed.
Another very big difference is that the Excel is weighted at the tip of the fluke (actually to a point about 4-5" back) and the whole anchor is very nose heavy as designed. The SARCA has a supprising weight bias to the rear. I'm thinking that's unusual but all the pivoting shank anchors do also and I can think of no way to relate that to the SARCA other than that the similarity exists.
Also balance wise the Excel is pre-determined to roll over on it's side assumably as designed and does it very well. The ballast chamber isn't flat on the bottom and even on a hard surface the anchor wants to rotate.
Enter the SARCA. just the opposite. It has a wide footprint on the bottom and seems determined to sit flat on any reasonably flat surface. And as I recall on Steve's vids it didn't roll around at all even in Steve's violent reversals. Just rotated to the rode staying very flat and the diving sharply down.

I don't think I can even come close to pulling these anchors out once set. Would be difficult to rig to pull from the stern and unless I change my prop I'll only have 3-400lbs pull from the bow. My rode is almost all 5/8ths Nylon Brait and I don't want any of it wrapped around my prop. I may try a slow drift over the anchor to switch the pull to the stern. Doubt seriously if I'll come close to pulling one out unless I encounter a poor seafloor.

We're going on a road trip to Sointula in about a week .. camping. We like Port McNeil and plan to be in that area several days. May get one chance to get the boat out before we leave and if not it will be about tree wks before I try the two anchors. Have a new place picked out.

Sorry no pics .. the anchors are on the boat. But very few will not be familiar w the ARA anchors.
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Eric

North Western Washington State USA
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