We’re in Plymouth, UK, walking the docks to check out where they want us to move Wind Horse in the morning, and we came across some details we could not let pass. Consider the following photos and comments in the following context. You are peacefully anchored in a tranquil cove – you pick the location. The sun has just set, there is nary a ripple on the water. Three hours later a swell starts to roll in. You wake up, wonder about the fuss, wind is still calm though, so back to sleep. Two hours more and it is blowing – pick a number fro 35 to 70 knots – straight in from the sea. You are now on a lee shore. The shore happens to be – another choice – steep too tropical reef, rock bound coast, soft mud (feeling lucky with that one). Do you have enough power to get out? Can you get the anchor up? Is there room to slip the anchor and beat to weather to the open sea?

And between you and destruction – a few items we will now discuss in more detail.

Lets start with the lead photo.Take a shot, what is wrong here? Think 5 /16″ – 8mm chain snubbed on rock, coral head, or a wreck around here, with a four to six foot (1.2/1.8m) swell lifting the bow. How long does this flimsy cantilevered roller assembly last?

Now a shackle, the first of several.  Note the chain size and then that of the shackle. The shackle might carry half the load of the chain. Think about those rocks off your stern.

Better, a shackle a little larger than the chain, but there is a reason for the photo. Note the pin. No seizing. If you have been pitching for six hours off that lee shore you begin to wonder if the pin is working lose – it does happen. Ten minutes with a bit of wire and no worries.

Seizing wire and a properly sized stainless shackle, ideally two sizes up from the steel chain which is much stronger than the stainless steel shackle.

This one gets the prize. Nice big anchor, decent shackle with welded pin, but then an undersized swivel (we hate even big swivels). But wait there’s more. Check out the sheet metal  chain stopper, probably with four small bolts in the thin fiberglass cored deck. How long will that stand up after the chain snubber line fails from chafe?

OK, from poor preparation to logic. Two nice hooks, lets guess and say 22kg each. Would you rather have that weight in one big anchor of 44kg working all the time, or two smaller anchors? Hint: two anchors are a pain to set and retrieve.

Now something a little cooler.

A hinged carbon fiber anchor sprit.

Light, elegant, but strong enough?

Possible clue. The stainless affair on the side of the carbon locks with the deck fitting. Still, that’s a long cantilever with those rocks at your back.

Did we mention ground tackle is not somewhere to compromise? OK, no more soap box blogs for at least a few weeks. There are more interesting subjects, albeit probably not as related to your peace of mind.