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**GordMay** · 28-09-2005, 04:38

“Anchor Tests: Soft Sand Over Hard Sand” from ‘Practical Sailor’ magazine:
http://www.practical-sailor.com/boat.../03anchor.html

and their charted results:
http://www.practical-sailor.com/news...-23-Anchor.pdf

and

“Anchor Reset Tests”
http://www.practical-sailor.com/boat.../01anchor.html
c/w
http://www.practical-sailor.com/news...7-2-Reset.pdf”
http://www.practical-sailor.com/news...27-2-Reset.pdf

"Anchor Value Guide Chart”
http://www.practical-sailor.com/news...7-2-Value2.pdf

and their reference list of manufacturers:
Contacts
• Barnacle, 800/295-2766, www.barnacleanchors.com
• Bruce (Imtra Corp.), 800/989-2580, www.imtra.com
• Bulwagga, 888/674-4465, www.noteco.com/bulwagga
• CQR, Claw, and Delta (Lewmar), 203/458-6200, www.lewmar.com
• Davis Anchors, 800/328-4770, www.davisanchor.com
• Fortress, 800/825-6289, www.fortressanchors.com
• HydroBubble, 919/404-0409, www.anchorconcepts.com
• Oceane (Spade), chris@oceane-anchor.com, www.oceane-anchor.com
• Spade, 216/71 869 099, www.spade-anchor.com
• Super Max, 800/824-0355, www.creativemarine.com
• Wasi, 888/800-9574, www.swiss-tech.com
• West Marine Performance2, 800/538-0775, www.westmarine.com
• XYZ (DI Research & Design), 212/486-3912, didesign@nyc.rr.com

**irwinsailor** · 30-09-2005, 09:52

I bought a 88 pound Delta to replace my 75 pound CQR. I wish I would have stayed with the CQR. The Practical sailor rating seems to agree that CQR is the better choice.

CSY Man · 01-10-2005, 14:18

Quote:

I bought a 88 pound Delta to replace my 75 pound CQR. I wish I would have stayed with the CQR. The Practical sailor rating seems to agree that CQR is the better choice.

Never heard anybody complain about their Delta anchors.

Never tried your Delta in the real world have you...?

Talbot · 01-10-2005, 14:28

If the practical sailor tests put the CQR as a better anchor than the Delta, they are the first test so to do. I would want to look very carefully at the repeatability of the tests and the number of runs at each weight/load.

Meanwhile I know that the delta is a better anchor from my own experiences.

**irwinsailor** · 02-10-2005, 05:54

You should read the feed back on the west marine site about the delta anchors. I bought the delta because of the recomendations of the people on this board as well as other places. This season using my NEW delta I had much more trouble getting the anchor to set and stay set than I ever had with the CQR. A blow came through and I found my boat thousands or feet from where I anchored near shore laying in the mud. I was very lucky that the boat was not damaged. I do hope that the anchor will be of use to me somewhere that I will go.

**GordMay** · 02-10-2005, 06:38

Gunner:
Where can we “...read the (? presumably negative ?) feed back on the west marine site about the delta anchors ...”

Excerpted rom the 1994 San Francisco West Marine Sand Anchor Test:
http://www.ussailing.org/safety/Stud...20lb.%20Anchor

<quote>
Delta 6 KG, 14 lb. Anchor
The Delta is a modern version of the plow anchor, with sharper sections and no shank hinge. We tested the second smallest anchor.

It engaged immediately and held up to 1000 lbs. with no apparent movement on the first pull at Site B. On the second pull, it again reached 1000 lbs., but did so while dragging slightly.

At Site C, the Delta quickly righted itself from several different attitudes and dug in. In the unsaturated sand above the tide line, the Delta held about 500 lbs. while slowly creating a furrow in the sand. This tension increased to 790 lbs. as the sand got wetter, but still with some perceptible movement.

It was the opinion of the testing crew that the Delta has the best overall performance of any of the anchors tested on May 20.
<end quote>

See also:
1995 Test http://www.ussailing.org/safety/Anchor/anchor_study.htm
1994 Test http://www.ussailing.org/safety/Stud...nchortest1.htm
1990 Test http://www.ussailing.org/safety/Stud...nchor_test.htm

**irwinsailor** · 02-10-2005, 17:35

Gord it was not all negitive. I would say about 30% was negitive. As I remember West has a reveiw this product area. I will look for it when I get a chance. I used the delta twice today and it held very well, but it was a calm day.

**irwinsailor** · 02-10-2005, 17:46

On the west site go to the delta anchors and you will see the read/wright/ review area. The delta anchor gets 4 our of 5 stars. It is a good anchor but there are better out there. I had hoped that it would do a better job for me than it has. It is bigger than I need because I wanted extra holding.

**GordMay** · 03-10-2005, 02:19

An anchor cannot be “bigger than you need”, if it is letting you down; unless you are not deploying and setting it properly.
No anchor is perfect, but the Delta is suitable anywhere (and, IMHO, better than) the CQR (or any ‘plow type’) would be.

opuabernd · 24-07-2011, 00:06

We use a Delta in most bottoms e.g sand clay etc. and it sets very well. In our experience the harder the bottom the better it sets. However, and this is a big however in soft mud like in Lautoka, Saweni Bay (Fiji) or anywhere near Opua, Russel. and Te Puna Inlet where the bottom is soft mud the Delta will not set. We tried everything lots of chain 7:1 - 1even 10:1, to letting the abchor 'sit' on the bottom before going reverse, it just doesn't set in these soft mud conditons

sck5 · 24-07-2011, 06:43

re: delta in soft mud

A few years ago we chartered out of Placencia in Belize and I talked to the guys who anchored all the boats about the anchors they had (mostly bruce types). They said that Deltas didnt work very well in their harbor because it was soft mud and the plow simply plowed a furrow in the bottom. They said either a claw or a spade type was needed where they were. From my own experience in Chesapeake Bay where there is lots of soft mud, a spade works very well as does a danforth. Havent tried a delta there but I see them on plenty of boats.

zeehag · 24-07-2011, 07:03

i have never had a problem with my cqr--is good anchor. on my ericson , never had a problem--i use 100 ft chain with the 35 pound cqr and have 490 ft nylon 3/4 in rode, 3 strand, and on my formosa i have a 45 pound cqr and 190 ft 5/16 chain -- works great. no problems. was anchored a month in old harbor with my cqr and didnt have one problem or one sleepless night due to anchoring.

**capngeo** · 24-07-2011, 07:24

Oh Boy! another actor thread!
My primary is an old bronze 25# Barnham Plow (CQR style) which holds fine about 90% of the time using 50' of 3/8" chain. I also carry a FX-23 Fortress for ugly situations.

Kapena · 24-07-2011, 08:02

opuabernd...nearly the exact same experience as I. I also dragged the delta in the mud of Fiji, Bay of Islands area, and Kauai, Nawiliwili (nearly to disaster). Went back to Fiji with a R***a (don't want to get this post bogged down on this).

Just a note...Practical Sailor Mag is a rag. Their experiments are conducted in the most unscientific fashion, and the data compiled in erroneous manner. It's a couple of guys who have no engineering background but think they understand what makes things work and how to test for that. I really don't care in the least for any conclusions this rag has to offer, even if it supports other tests performed in a proper manner by reputable sources. JMO Here is a good critique of the anchor tests of 2002 probably the same one. The Waggoner Cruising Guide, Annual Guide to Northwest Boating from Weatherly Press