Bye Bye XYZ

How true Marin. The Danforth I described as a lightweight anchor need not be at all if one has a large enough one. But if one compares steel anchors w a given fluke area the Danforth will be the lightest one. You often hear "bigger is better" re anchors but seldom heavier is better. The blade area is the variable that delivers holding power if an anchor is of good design and good design is (over the last 10 yrs) a variable that is becoming a bigger element in anchor performance. I think there is lots to learn so I hope anchor tests improve and do'nt fade away. As far as interest goes it looks like there are lots of designs that are very different from each other. Anchors could be in rather early developmental stage where many products are very different from each other. Cars and airplanes have been quite diverse in the recent past but the ideal vehicle has'nt yet been devised as there are still big differences in some.

As for my Dreadnought anchor if fluke area is going to decide holding power I'll be dragging all over the place so weight better enter the picture in a big way or I'd be better off w a Claw. But the big wedge shaped part in the back of the Dreadnought will probably come into the picture as blade area like the roll bar does w roll bar anchors. That could up the performance of the Dreadnought quite a bit. But being a stockless anchor like the Forfjord it's possible or even likely that they could set on one fluke.....not good....however during a reversal one fluke may be buried all the time greatly reducing the likelihood of a breakout. So many variables.

Well of course with cars you have the whole consumer appeal issue to deal with. The aerodynamics and configuration numbers tell you some things but then there is the whole personal appeal thing and the desire of a lot of people to drive something that's at least a little if not a lot different from what the guy next door is driving. It's why I will never buy a Prius as long as they look like what they look like, which in my opinion is butt ugly even though technically they are great machines.

Airplanes, at least jetliners, all look the same, Boeing or Airbus, because the laws of aerodynamics and physics don't care about brand names so we all have to conform to the same laws. So everything ends up looking pretty much the same because we're all using the same numbers.

Anchors are purely functional-- all they have to do is dig in and hold. Consumers don't really care what they look like as long as they do the job. There are a number of ways to do that job and probably some nobody's thought of yet. So it makes sense that the designs are so radically different.

Anchors are purely functional-- all they have to do is dig in and hold. Consumers don't really care what they look like as long as they do the job.

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If that's true, why do they make so many stainless anchors?

i almost managed to fall asleep reading this thread..
j/k
but man do you guys like to discuss anchors

Anode said:

If that's true, why do they make so many stainless anchors?

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Okay, fair point. I should have said MOST people don't care what they look like.

Per said:

i almost managed to fall asleep reading this thread..
j/k
but man do you guys like to discuss anchors

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Yeah, it's like when people talk about the ICW forever. BORING. It's a ditch. That's all you need to know.

Anode said:

If that's true, why do they make so many stainless anchors?

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The anchor is butt ugly but SHINY...often like their boat...but it's been said before..."to each their own"...

GULF INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY

That would be from south Fla through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas to the Mexican border.

I was giving a presentation about it in Houston at a Trawler Fest and made a statement that garnered a boistrious ovation. All I said was that so many look at the Gulf ICW as a chore when, in truth, it is a destination.

First it is deep, no shoaling problems, that are left to fester anyway and there are cities and towns all along that actually welcome boaters, granted some more than others, and your expenses will be a FRACTION of the Atlantic ICW and the east coast.

I have way more than 20,000 miles on it and have traveled the length of it many times.
There are a few, relatively short, sections that are are more like a river but not many.
The "ditch" portions are minuscule compared to the total length.

I always make mention that those who complete the Great Circle Cruise and do not turn West at the Gulf, skipping Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas are missing out on some great cruising and at a fraction of the cost of the east coast.

I weighed the Dreadnought and it's 36lbs. I was surprised as I thought it was heavier. After I carried it around town a bit I found it heavy enough so I used the cart to take it back to the boat. I've decided to mount it on the deck like a Danforth and put my Claw on the other side. I'm rigged so I can launch any one of my anchors in a minute or so.

Another interesting aspect of the Dreadnought is it's extremely wide throat angle. It's often said that the Danforth needs to be exactly 37 degrees and the Dreadnought is WAY wider.
Also I talked to a long time fisherman today and he said everybody that has one likes them. So they can't be all bad. But fishermen rave about the Forfjord and I couldn't get mine to set the one time I tried it. And my Danforth did set.

With the long heavy shank and wide throat angle it's easy to put on the bow roller for launching.

"I always make mention that those who complete the Great Circle Cruise and do not turn West at the Gulf, skipping Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas are missing out on some great cruising and at a fraction of the cost of the east coast."

WE almost always anchor out , which so far is FREE!

A fraction of the cost of FREE is an interesting concept.

FF

Come on, FF, didn't you pay attention in school? There's "free," "free-er," and "free-est."

FF,
In my cruising experience I have found that dockage is but ONE item of expense, I dont think that I need list them all, and not to mention that lots of shoreside activities on the Gulf ICW are less expensive or NON existant. For one, I have never encountered a charge to dock my dingy for a few minutes on the Gulf ICW, the notable exception being Key West !
Just my experience and as always YMMV

On the Erie Canal at the top of the Hudson the towns are so desperate for dollars ,
the O'nite docks are FREE with FREE electric for those that need it.

Local resturants are so abundant that dockside WI Fi is also free.

Small old towns , so walking to most everything is a snap.

If laundry was free it could be even better!

FF