An anchor comparison for children

[Marco Flamingo]

Last summer we spent a few days in Victoria. When walking around downtown we came across the Maritime Museum of British Columbia (on Douglas Street). Well worth a visit. They even have some adult classes, like making a nautical wreath for the season. One of their displays was a "history of anchors" and included some scale models of various modern anchors. It was entertaining, but about as enlightening as the anchor threads on TF. How a scale model anchor is going to drag through dry pea gravel doesn't prove much. But it was still fun spending 15 minutes playing in the sandbox. If you think that the anchor fabrication would be complex, you should see their collection of ship models.

 

[Two Truths]

Last summer we spent a few days in Victoria. When walking around downtown we came across the Maritime Museum of British Columbia (on Douglas Street). Well worth a visit. They even have some adult classes, like making a nautical wreath for the season. One of their displays was a "history of anchors" and included some scale models of various modern anchors. It was entertaining, but about as enlightening as the anchor threads on TF. How a scale model anchor is going to drag through dry pea gravel doesn't prove much. But it was still fun spending 15 minutes playing in the sandbox. If you think that the anchor fabrication would be complex, you should see their collection of ship models.

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Was the exhibit sponsored by Ultra Marine?

 

[Delta Riverat]

You didn't post the most important thing -

Which design won the sandbox test?

 

[BruceK]

And,were any anchors thrown out of the sandbox?

 

[SteveK]

I suppose if they had one of these to compare holding ability by weight?

 

[jgwinks]

Back when I was teaching boat safety with the USCGAux, one of the instructors had a tiny little Danforth type he used in class. Seemed too small for even the smallest dinghy but was great for demonstration.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

When the Bruce anchor first came out, the company sent around a "salesman sample," with a little sandbox and a minature bronze casting of a Bruce (even smaller than the size of the one in the far right of the picture). We stopped selling the Bruce anchor and nobody came to get the salesmen sample, so I ended up with it. A few years ago I put it up for auction on Ebay and was surprised by the bids for a cute 12" anchor.

I didn't have a weight scale to make comparisons at the museum, but no matter. One problem is the "scale" of the sandbox gravel to the anchor. If scaled up, the pea gravel would be similar to anchoring in clean baseball size rocks. That's a "go elsewhere" bottom in my book.

In the sandbox is a tiny CQR and fisherman style. Neither held. They work best with old logging cables and discarded household appliances to hook onto.

 

[BruceK]

Someone`s cat could put the sandbox to good use.