thanks very much for all the comments, this has been very helpful.

all the best,

Peter

Peter and Dick
I am sorry this discussion has now gone sideways.
For the record, I have nothing against AAC. We were early supporters of their Norwegian Cruising Guides, and have published very positive articles about them.
All I am objecting to is pushing commercial websites on this forum. We do not push our non-commercial sites, which have copious free information, as we do promote our books on them. We have long used similar guidelines as on the OCC FB page when posting on this forum.
Nuff said - discussion closed
Happy Christmas
Alex

finally:
Now there is, at the end of your comment in this stream, again to my mind, a gratuitous suggestion not to join the site and a comparison to the OCC Forum as having “more and better” information. Why do that? If you feel the site passes on poor information, please point out what you perceive as errors. I very much do not think it necessary to pit the sites against each other nor do I think a $20 dollar yearly fee, in the scheme of boat expenses, worth even any comment or consideration. I participate and contribute a great deal to the OCC forum and I do the same at AAC’s site. I would want to put your “more and better” comment aside, an evaluation I very much disagree with, but that is really beside the point. For you to go out of your way to undermine my suggestion that someone may find the AAC site a helpful spot for additional information, I find undermining of my trying to be of service on the OCC site.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

continued
The first instance was when you suggested that the AAC site’s principle author had questionable conflicts of interest in his reporting that Rocna anchors occasionally had difficulties re-setting after a significant wind shift. I pointed out that he was merely reporting the accumulating evidence from other sources and listed the sources for others to see and evaluate. Further, an OCC member subsequently reported just this resetting problem occurring. I requested you visit the site and review the data. I do not know whether you did so, but I have noticed no retraction nor apology on the, to my mind, completely unwarranted suggestion that his reporting was influenced by a conflict of interest.

likewise splitting up a comment
Hi Alex,
Thanks for your contributions to the discussion and I agree with your recommendations about a lightweight kedge: ours is a Fortress.
It is with some curiosity that I note that this is the second time that you have gone after the Attainable Adventure Cruising web site on the pages of the OCC Forum: both times to me unwarranted and un-necessary. The site is a valuable asset to the cruising community, especially for offshore cruisers and those who go to challenging parts of the oceans. It is run by an OCC member who speaks highly of the OCC on his site.

The middle bit (the rode) has been covered quite adequately, and I do agree with the above comments. Here are some further suggestions:
1.   Have one further full length rode ready to deploy. This can be rope with a length of chain.
a.   Rope should ne nylon – not an old halyard or sheet. These do not stretch and do not have any energy absorption. Also do not use polypropylene, although cheap and stretchy, it degrades with UV light.
2.   Have a further full length rode as a backup. If you have a Fortress, this need not have a length of chain, though having the chain is a good idea.
3.   Consider having one more rode stored aft for stern anchoring or tying off shore, aka med mooring.
At the top end, make sure you have a long snubber. In a blow, your chain rode will go bar taut. Discussions on catenary alleviating this are nonsense in a strong blow. You must add elasticity to your rode to prevent gear failure. You can attach the snubber to the rode with either a chain hook, or with a rolling hitch.

Apologies Dick, but your one recommendation to subscribe to AAC I cannot concur with. You can get more and better information right here on the forum. There are also websites that have equally good information at no charge.

With regards to your anchoring tackle, following are my thoughts:

Starting at the bottom:
1.   Lose the CQR (period). Even if it has not done so already, it will drag, break out and not reset, or just not set in the first place.
2.   Lose the Fisherman / Luke. You will never use it. It is unnecessary weight. It looks great on the lawn.
3.   With a view to my comment re cost:
a.   Buy a modern scoop type anchor as your primary. Yes, go up one size on the manufacturer’s recommendation. There are many options: Spade, Ultra, Rocna, Vulcan, Supreme, Mantus, and many more.
i.   Do not get a plough (ploughs are meant to plough (=plow))
ii.   Do not get a claw (set fast but hold poorly)
b.   Buy a dismantelable scoop type anchor as a secondary. Spade and Mantus are options (we have both). However, ensure that the bolts are drilled and pinned. Do not rely on nyloc nuts.
c.   Buy a lightweight (Aluminium) Fortress anchor (we have) as your tertiary. This holds as well as a scoop in softer bottoms. It is also the only anchor sized to your boat that you can easily deploy from your dinghy – as a stern anchor or second bower.
4.   When anchoring in potentially foul ground (like rocks, or near mooring fields) always deploy a trip line. If your anchor snags something, you will be glad you did.
a.   You can also consider adding an Anchor-Rescue or Anchor-Witch to your tackle. (we have both and have been using the Anchor-Rescue all this past season) These devices enable you to lower a messenger line down your rode and then lift the anchor by its crown without disconnecting the rode from the shank.

Hi Peter – am taking another stab at a reply, using Dick’s suggestion of drafting offline. That failed, so I will post it in sections – apologies for this.

First of all I do concur with all of Dick 's & Simon 's comments & suggestions.

As to the Vulcan (we have one), as I mentioned when we spoke, it is indeed an excellent anchor. Like all scoop type anchors it sets and holds very well. It was designed by Peter Smith for boats that cannot handle a roll bar – powerboats for the most part. It did fit ok on our bow roller, but our boat is old and quite pointy. It would not work on boats with plumb bows, unless they have bow rollers.

As to your comment re cost, please consider what you think your life is worth, plus what your boat and its contents are worth. Then consider what might be willing to spend on insuring these. If your anchor fails in a storm, there is a pretty good chance you will die – particularly when sailing hi high latitudes.

even cutting and pasting does not work

perhaps my reply is too long?

Hi Alex,
How very infuriating. I am sorry to miss your thoughts as they always contribute.
In response to this problem, I have started writing off line all my comments and then C&P 'ing them into the forum for posting and in that way ensuring I do not lose a lot of work.
My best, Dick