Spade Anchor in the USA! And Interesting Testimonial to read...

Testimonial by Jim and Helen:

“The email with the comments simply stated how surprised we continue to be at the slow uptake of modern type anchors as first developed by SPADE.

These anchors are so much superior to the old-fashioned plow types, as shown by many reliable tests carried on in an unbiased manner by independent entities, that everyone should have them.

It would make anchoring in a crowded anchorage safer for everyone and it is the best insurance one can buy!

I have done surveys (in marinas around the world) by tabulating anchors used and the percentage of ''good'' anchors (i.e modern anchors like the Spade) is still very low.

Most people prefer to stick with what they have (mainly plow types) never mind the possible consequences. It is quite comical, or should I say disturbing, to see multi-hundred thousand dollar yachts with inadequate anchors!

When asked about their anchors most say, regardless of what they use, how they love them, commenting, we hardly ever drag--------. (Dragging in some situations may of course be done only once!) In our opinion even long time voyagers cannot possibly make an intelligent choice of anchors if they base it purely on their experience.

After all most conservative cruisers choose anchorages that will not challenge their anchor''s holding capabilities. We all like sand or good mud, twenty or so feet deep with no exposure to waves, swell or wind fetch (-:

Only properly run tests can cover all eventualities, conditions etc using a range of the available anchors. In these tests SPADE anchors are always found near or at the top in holding power, resetting etc .

We have been cruising for almost eighteen years and are now half way around the world from our starting point in the Great Lakes in Canada.

The Spade anchor has been our primary anchor for the last ten years or so taking over that job from a B….. (We based that decision on the results of tests carried on by a collusion of sailing magazines and Practical Sailor.) Primary has meant near 100% of the time and we seldom spend time in marinas. We also carry (or carried) an F… F……., a B…., a L… F……… and a smaller F……..

When we were in New Zealand we sold our original B…. anchor after studying more tests. These tests showed that the B…. anchor is more susceptible to not resetting when the wind or current switches. A disaster waiting to happen! In spite of our good experience with the anchor, the cost involved and some emotional attachment having transported it by ferry and plane from Europe to Canada while we were building GAIA and having used it as our primary anchor for the first eight years of our circumnavigation we decided based on these tests to replace it, which we eventually did, with another SPADE. Reliable holding during a change of current or wind direction is surely one of the more important characteristics of a good anchor?

We are presently near the Surin islands in Thailand and have a very poor connection to the Internet. This is not likely to improve in the near term. So, if you want to put the pics and these comments on your website please go ahead.

Cheers and continued success with an anchor that digs in like a SPADE instead of one that plows a furrow (-: “

Jim and Helen