SV Panope Anchor Testing

[DaveInRI]

As was recommended here, I checked out the anchor test videos by YouTuber Steve Goodwin. His channel, named after his boat, is SV Panope:

SV Panope

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I was interested in the 20lb anchor tests (doubtful I'd get one that big, but it was closer to my world than the 45lb tests), and wanted to paste-in his summary table updated most recently in 2023.





After that, more recently, was a test of the Viking, Odin, and Ultra anchors, in which he says what many knew, that the Ultra (well over $1000) was the best non-rollbar anchor (note, the Vulcan by Rocna in the chart above is also a non-rollbar) and that the Odin, while good at some things, had issue with sandy mud and was not as good. He did not update/post this table in that video.

He also mentioned the new "performance" line by Mantus, which has scalloping on the shank for weight savings (getting a higher percent into the tip), and was cautiously optimistic that those versions, since gone to production, would have been notable improvements, but he has not yet tested them. He said if he gets some, those will be his next anchor tests.

In his second chart, which is organized by overall descending performance across all seven of his sea beds, he said a good measure is look at the 20 holding factor line and find anchors that are at or above that line in six of the seabeds. He said to rule out the red bars, the cobblestone-- no anchor does well there-- and you have a good overall winner. He said they were all rollbar type anchors: Viking, Mantus M1, Rocna MK2, and Wedge. He did say note the MK2 ("Mark 2") just barely gets past that line. He said Viking, Mantus, and now Wedge, were your best all around performers.

BUT, my strong recommendation to anyone like me looking at these videos and reading reviews etc., is to verify with charts/books what the most common anchor bed conditions you will encounter where you plan to boat. If you're in the Chesapeake, that's different than Florida, which is different than Maine, than Alaska, etc.. Also, verify the anchors against conditions you might encounter, such as big tidal reversals or high current tidal rivers etc, exposed areas with changing winds, etc.-- you want to stay put and sleep well.

It's like Consumer Reports ratings-- the highest performing 1-2-3 product might be the worst one for you. Eg, a Mantus M2 above was the #3 all arounder, affordable etc., but then is a 1 out of 5 for 180 degree reset in soft mud. If that's where you live, that would be perhaps the worst anchor for you.

Lastly, because I don't want to start a full thread with it, this guy Steve (Panope) put up a video adding a small mizzen sail/mast to his sailboat that was hunting/sailing/yawing at anchor, and has a time lapse video of it with/without (before/after) and the results were fantastic! I wonder if there is room for a mini one mounted to the outboard/transom that would have the same effect.

The two sources for the anchor chart and other comments:

 

[DaveInRI]

From the Viking FB page, it seems Mantus is following their design improvements now, too:

 

[DaveInRI]

While I'm at it, I have a good book recommendation, "Anchoring: A Ground Tackler's Apprentice" (subtitle: Basics and Beyond) by Rudy and Jill Sechez.


Link here:

Ship Store | Anchoring: A Ground Tackler's Apprentice | Waterway Guide

Waterway Guide Ship Store - Anchoring: A Ground Tackler's Apprentice

www.waterwayguide.com

Unlike most "I sailed a lot and thus am qualified to write a book", these authors cite many other respected books/ works along the way, to try and take away some of the opinions (eg, referencing ABYC, Van Dorn, Hinz, Cordage Institute, etc.).

It's quite helpful in sizing and setting up your ground tackle for the conditions you expect to encounter, before you even get to the anchoring techniques themselves.

 

[DaveInRI]

From that book...

loads on ground tackle, 20' sailboat / 30' sailboat, anchored in SAND with moderate protection, and freedom to oscillate
(there are other methods to test, in the book's appendix, but this was from the table). Moderate protection was defined basically as between good and poor, with lots of "what ifs" discussed. With less protection, they said you can add as much as 50% to the figures below. If the boat is secured so it can't oscillate, you can also add 50% to the figures.

30 knot wind:
360 lbs / 700lb

60 knot wind:
1440 lbs / 2800 lbs

Author Note: high windage boats (ie, trawlers, multi-hulls, houseboats, beamy boats, those with pilothosues, wind generators, solar panels, enclosures, arches, radar/TV/phone arrays, etc.) --> as much as 50% higher load on ground tackles.

So, adding 50% to the above:
30 knot wind:
540 lbs / 1050 lbs

60 knot wind:
2160 lbs / 4200 lbs

SURGE LOADS

I guess 1/2 the load on the ground tackle comes from wind, the other half from surge loads. Multi-hulls have surge factor that's 15-20% higher. Heavier displacement hulls affected to greater degree than lighter displacement, but no quantitative data, so they suggest applying same % as for multi-hulls.

Lots of good info on wind gusts < 30 seconds not really affecting anchor load (due to boat needing to overcome its inertia; more easily done for lighter boats), but that currents are the enemy. Not necessarily as much as straight line (adding a few hundred pounds), but if it takes the boat 30 degrees can increase the load by a factor of 2 to as much as 5 (!). Wind-driven currents basically do nothing, per the book ("As noted in Bowditch, a wind-driven current from a 60-knot wind where there is unlimited fetch is approximately 1.2 knots, a rather insignificant drag on the boat."). Of course, waves come into play in that situation, so up sizing is a good strategy.

Then, whatever you get for an acceptable poundage on the ground tackle for you, that's now the minimum work load limit for every component in the ground tackle. Per the book, rope per ABYC standards (I didn't verify this) should have a tensile strength of 8x the load on the ground tackle. Anchors should have twice the holding power, but a tensile strength of four times the maximum load on the ground tackle. Belaying points should be sized to have twice the strength of that of the maximum load on the ground tackle, while the fasteners which secure any belaying points should have 3x the strength of that of the max load on the ground tackle. For the windlass, its fasteners should be 3x of the windlass' rated load carrying capacity. Should anything be at the upper limit, up-size it. If any component will be subjected to a side load, up size at least one size.

So, one can sit and figure out just what they need to feel comfortable. The forum, and this book (and others referenced inside it) get into rope vs chain vs all the other factors and components, but I'm just at the anchor and rope part, and thought I'd share for others coming along later who are also scientifically minded.

You can then take those loads and look into the various anchor size charts that show pounds, like these for Viking and Rocna (or Mantus: https://www.mantusmarine.com/m2-anchor / https://www.mantusmarine.com/mantus-anchors ), but be sure to read the disclaimer about conditions on the table. Some say they're conservative, some give the displacement units etc.. It takes some sleuthing sometimes, but when in doubt, for cruising, just go up one size from the one in the chart with your poundages. But, if there's so little a chance for you to be out in that situation, and you have a second you could throw out also, maybe the chart size would work just great for you and fit on your roller better.

 

[thataway]

Excellent write up. My experience with several thousand nights at anchor, in all sorts of conditions:
Most of the time, any anchor will do.
Mud, you need anchor to go down thru the mud to penetrate the clay or sand beneath the mud
Vegitation, the Fisherman or Northill is best
Sand: the Danforth High tensile or Fortress FX are the best.

For many of the years the only anchor I carried with racing sailboats was a Danforth HT. (West Coast USA, mostly sand).
I also used the CQR plow, not quite as good as the Delta, but very rarely drug.

In some situations I would set two or 3 anchors. What was holding well when first anchored, was replaced during the night as the boat drug slowly, was a different anchor. I have anchored in winds up to 90 knots; probably more in gusts. If anchoring in any wind, get all of the canvas off the outside of the boat. When setting 3 anchors they would be: CQR plow, Danforth Hi Test, and Fisherman--all in the 70 lb range for working anchors. My storm anchors would be twice the weight or in the 150 lb category. The chain would be rated for that anchor.

It is important to use a "Genuine"--not a knock off!!!! For example Danforth High Tensile, with the "T" on the inner part of the flukes, and high tensile steel. There are lots of copies of the "Danforth Pattern", of sheet metal, and rod shanks. I have never seen these hold as well as a genuine Danforth, or Fortress.

If I bought a C Dory which had a Delta Anchor, I continued to use that anchor, suppliment was a Fortress or Danforth HT as a second or third anchor. The fortress is quick and easy to break down, and stow under the Dinette compartment.

If I was outfitting a boat from scratch, The primary anchor would be a scoop type--with roll bar, or one which sets with the point down and will not roll over.

The secondary bow anchor would be an oversized Fortress, and the 3rd. stern anchor would be a Forthress sized as a normal working anchor for that sized boat. For rode I would ideally have 300 feet (500 if cruising the PNW) 8 strand Brait, and 1/4" High Test, G 4 Chain. Length of chain at least the boat's Lengh Water Line, up to 50 feet of chain. On my long distance motor sailors, we used 200 feet of HT chain. one size up, and two sizes up for the storm anchor We backed the chain wth 400 to 500 feet of 3 strand nylon. On these long distance motor sailors, we carried 6 anchors--for all different conditions, an in case we lost an anchor, or had to cut it loose. Thus we had a duplicate of our primary anchor (70 lb CQR), plus at least one smaller CQR and at least one Fisherman and two HT Danforth anchors.


I spent several days discussing anchors with Rudy Sechez, (Anchoring, A Ground Tackler's Apprentice) at our home. Also discussed anchors with Jeff Segal when he still owned "Active Captain". Earl Hinz (The complete Book of Anchoring and Mooring) asked for my opinion on 3rd generation anchors before he published the last edition of his book on Anchoring. I also gave anchoring talks at West Marine Trawler Fest, and Seven Seas Cruising Association GAMs--all 20 to 30 years ago. I consider first generation anchors to be the "navy" type or "Fisherman Type". The second generation includes the "CQR" plow, "Danforth HT" and propably the Bruce, although it might be the beginning of the 3rd generation. Third generation would be all of the scoops; Such as Ronca, Mantus etc. In many conditions they are the best. In "cobble stones" is where I have found the Bruce best--I have seen utter failure where the Bruce or Claw, could be winched back to the boat, and a Fortress would hold in the same sand. For the 22' to 23' C Dory I have carried the 14 to 15 Lb 3rd gen. anchors, and the 25 to TC255 boats; the 20 to 22lb. 3rd gen. anchors.

For mizens sails as a riding sail to be effective they must be flat--not sail shaped. You can also rig a riding (anchoring) sail, hanked onto the backstay of a sloop, and strapped down forward. My experiments with mizen or riding sails have not been as dramatic as in the video David linked above. Our C Dorys do "sail", but I have never felt it necessary to fit a Mizzen mast. The hull of a C Dory is far different than the hull of a nordic motor Sailor.

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