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.Independent
gear test Yachting
Life magazine UK .Why anchors drag-
Royal Navy Tests
What people say...
There
are lots of 'anchoring experts' out there and they all
have their opinions about using anchor weights, but
why not read some independent gear tests and what
those who use anchor weights say and
make up your own mind about having extra peace of mind at
anchor.
"The Anchor Buddy anchor weights are
the most useful marine product for
boating safety to come on the market
since I started boating"
The late Mr Des
Townson, Townson
Yacht Designer, New Zealand
"When Jude
and I set off in our 54ft Eade designed and built Chico yacht
"Soulmate" on what turned out to be
our four and a half years'
circumnavigation, we found we were unable to get
insurance because four crew were required and there was
only going to be the two
of us. Having insurance was not a concern for us
when we were sailing. We wanted to have the
insurance for when we were at anchor and when we
left our boat for onshore activity.
I had heard of the Anchor Buddy anchor
weight and had heard it was quite good. So we took
along a 30lb (13.6kg) Anchor Buddy and an all chain
anchor system.
'Quite good' is a total understatement. It is
totally amazing in all conditions and at all times;
light winds or heavy weather and so easy to put on
and off after you understand how to do it.
" I have swum in
clear water of 15 to 40ft to watch it working.
On one occasion in 60-80ft of clear water, I watched
the anchor and the Anchor Buddy working together
when other yachts were sailing around out of
control. In wind conditions you would think it not
possible to anchor, "Soulmate" stayed
safely anchored while all other boats finally had to
leave. We were the only yacht with an Anchor Buddy.
The advantages it gave to
our comfort on board and the reduction in our swing
circle were so good that we would use it all the
time whether we needed it or not and we would never
leave the boat without setting the Anchor Buddy.
Keith
Eade, designer and owner/builder for 25 years of
Keith Eade Boats, Steadecraft Ltd and Chico Yachts,
plus sailor of over 130,000 sea miles.
"The Anchor
Buddy is the best anchor aid I've come
across for many years and I would not be
without one in Scottish waters..."'
Yachting Life
gear test
"By far the best
anchor weight I have come across is the
new high-tech version of this age old
device called the Anchor Buddy...cleverly
designed to quickly slip and lock into
place, this little beauty can be slid
straight onto the chain or rode in
seconds...In my book, any device that
increases the seaworthiness and safety of
a vessel should be readily accepted by
the boating fraternity"
Terry Buddell in an
article titled "A friend in the dark"
written for Trade A Boat Australia
"We
regularly sail Bass Strait in our Far 11.5 "Wise
of Time". ..a chop often works itself around the
island and affects the anchorage. A cruiser-racer like
our boat will sail around its anchor and, in winds up
to 45knots and severe weather, snub up short on each
side of the swing. The Anchor Buddy has changed this.
It has made a real difference to our cruising comfort
and peace of mind. We have no hesitation in leaving
the boat and going ashore, even in high winds. We
recommend you use an anchor buddy as an essential part
of your ground tackle"
Dan and Yolana Hellier H.B.Y.C. Australia.
"I find it is
extremely effective in poor holding
anchorages and also in reducing the
snubbing when swell is a problem"
Wayne Jenkins, ferro-cement
Hartley South Seas 38 owner
"My wife and I
are the proud owners of a Whiting 45
yacht called "Meridian Passage".
Over the past 18 months, we have sailed
the Northland Coast of New Zealand quite
extensively, circumnavigating the North
Island, as well as thoroughly exploring
the Marlborough Sounds, Tasman Bay and
the D'Urville Island areas. We purchased
an all chain model Anchor Buddy at the
Auckland Boat Show. On first using this
amazing device, I was very reluctant to
give credit to any significant change in
the holding power or behaviour of our
yacht at anchor. But after many months
and extensive use of this anchor weight
in all sorts of conditions, I can no
longer deny the marked change in our
boats performance at anchor. I list the
most notable observations;
1) In choppy conditions, without the
Anchor Buddy, the boat see-saws quite
noticeably. With the Anchor Buddy on, the
boat is very steady and when observing
the motion, I would liken it to a shock
absorber in a car, where as the boat will
rise with chop, then settle and steady
very quickly, giving the impression of a
calmer sea than one would normally
experience in this type of sea condition.
2) The holding power of our anchor in
strong winds and limited area to swing,
with Anchor Buddy deployed is amazing. It
has vastly increased our confidence of
anchoring in areas with limited space,
and removed our anxiety with sleepless
nights worrying whether we are going to
drag etc.
3) When anchoring in foul ground which we
do regularly when scuba diving, we always
let a generous amount of chain out,
deploy our Anchor Buddy and dive down the
anchor chain to check the holding power.
Since deploying the Anchor Buddy our
observation in a variety of sea
conditions, is we have observed NO WEIGHT
AT ALL PULLING ON OUR DELTA ANCHOR. With
the motion of the boat having to contend
with the anchor weight and chain, we have
never witnessed our Delta anchor working.
In summary, under all conditions, we are
very glad we own an Anchor Buddy and
would thoroughly recommend all cruising
boats seriously consider equipping their
vessel with what we now consider standard
equipment for the safety minded boatie."
Merv Dobbs S/V
MERIDIAN PASSAGE
"We have no
hesitation in recommending an Anchor
Buddy as a vital piece of cruising
equipment. It does not preclude proper
anchoring practice but is totally
complimentary. The two main advantages
are the much greater holding power and,
just as important, the decreased arc of
swing. Many nights in the Mediterranean
and Caribbean we stayed firmly at anchor
whilst others dragged. The practice of
using a weight on the anchor is an age
old custom, but the Anchor Buddy makes it
so much more simplified."
Jo and Brendon Neilson
S/V MAYLING circumnavigation 1993-2001
"I found it
extremely easy to set and retrieve and in
the conditions prevailing it performed
exactly as promised with much less
snatching and a significantly reduced
swinging circle. It is so much easier
than setting 2 anchors and would be much
more efficient with wind shifts. I am
really delighted with it..."
Dr. John Macrae,
Inverness, SCOTLAND
"I dived down to
see the Anchor Buddy working. The angle
change of the rode induced by the Buddy
was significant - I estimated it to be
between 20 and 30 degrees. The weight was
serving as a spring, absorbing the weight
of the boat in the gusts and leaving the
critical section of the rode leading to
the anchor unmoved. I took the Buddy off
and dived back down to see the difference.
The length of rode on the bottom was
some three metres less, but more
importantly, the movement of the rode was
more pronounced, as was the movement
across the bottom as the boat swung -
just the things that are likely to pop an
anchor in questionable holding. I WAS
SOLD!"
Independent gear test
by Editor of Boating World magazine
"It was 60
knots in Minerva Reef. These Farr design
boats really sail around at anchor. The
Anchor Buddy made the yacht feel like we
were anchored in a calm harbour, compared
with other boats anchored there at the
same time."
"The rules of anchoring are pretty clear.
Various manufacturers and importers of anchors have
genuine selling feature about their product. But, in
my experience, after you have set your anchor, the
'sleep test' is - Have you also set your Anchor Buddy?
It takes me about a minute (after I had read the
instructions) to fit your product over my chain. The
upward pull on the chain is eliminated plus I have
observed a dampening effect on my hull's wish to sail
at anchor. Thank you for a product that really
works"
Terry J. Spitz ILM Sailaways Charters, Tauranga.
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