[Rhodes22-list] Anchoring -- Phuzzy Physics

[Bill Effros]

Herb,

I understand your point, and will respond to it in Dave's following 
memo.  I am not the one who raised the "straw man" argument regarding 
"helper metal" (although that term is mine, it does accurately reflect 
the thrust of the argument advanced by others.)  People do passionately 
believe that they must add weight to their metal anchors to make them 
sink, and that that is the reason for adding chain.

This anchoring thing is so tied up with myths passed along by people 
like you and me who have never anchored a whole lot, but who are good 
readers.  We pass along the comments of others--who may not have 
anchored a whole lot either.  I really did spend a lot of time in 
non-critical situations testing the theories that have been passed down 
to us.  If I put the whole analysis into a single lengthy email everyone 
would hit the delete button when they got to something they didn't agree 
with, and that would be the end of that.

Instead, I am going to break it down to individual points, and we can 
debate them based on what we have all read and experienced.  I will say 
over and over that my experience is limited to sand/clay/mud/muck 
bottoms which are probably what most of us (but not all) sail in.  I can 
anchor in rocks, but I don't know if it's the same as anchoring off the 
Maine coast.  I don't think anyone should anchor on coral.

More to come; please comment; your actual experiences are as valuable to 
me as I hope mine will be to you.

Bill Effros

PS -- The "putting your life on the line" comments are also straw man 
attacks.  That's just silly stuff.  Many cruisers have all line rodes.  
I'll get to that later.

Herb Parsons wrote:

>Bill,
>
>You're doing what I see a lot of people do when they try to argue a point that they believe passionately about - you're mis-stating your "opposition's" position, then attacking that position. It's called a straw-man attack.
>
>No one believes for a minute that an anchor needs "helper metal" to sink. However, there can be an argument made that Danforth style and Bruce style anchors are designed to be set by being pulled at a certain angle. Even by your own admission and description of how you use your anchoring system, an all rope rode would pull the anchor at a different angle than a chain rode would. Or at least, it would if the two systems were of equal length.
>
>Now, I don't anchor my boat often enough to really have much input on this one. Because I don't anchor my boat very often, I choose to go with the widely accepted practice of using chain for my system. You may very well be right in your assessment, but please don't obfuscate the debate by inserting nonsense like below. Keep in mind that if someone new to sailing believes what you're saying, and acts on it, they are then possibly putting their boat, and even their lives, on the line. That alone means the discussion is worthy of real discussion, not nonsense like "metal doesn't need help sinking, if you don't believe me try this experiment..."
>
>
>Herb Parsons
>
>S/V O'Jure
>1976 O'Day 25
>Lake Grapevine, N TX
>
>S/V Reve de Papa
>1971 Coronado 35
>Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana Coast
>
>
>  
>
>>>>bill at effros.com 1/12/2006 8:40:27 am >>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>All metal anchors sink.  No metal anchor requires "helper metal" in the 
>form of chain to drag it down to the bottom.  Anyone who seriously 
>doubts this should try this little experiment:  Remove your anchor from 
>your chain rode, and throw the anchor overboard.  If it floats, be sure 
>to take a picture--there could be a Nobel Prize in your future.
>
>Bill Effros
>
>
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>  
>