Excellent video. No fluff. Concise, complete, to the point. Well demonstrated.

I don't even own a boat and found your video entertaining and educational. Thank you for your time!

An old sailor once said, there is nothing more disconcerting than anchoring in one bay and waking up in another😂

You picked an excellent & very forgiving style of anchor for the demo. Can't go wrong with a Bruce. I used to be a Danforth/Fortress user till one night rafted with a Bruce user. Grass bottom & late night squall producing a 180 degree wind shift. Both anchors pulled. The Fortress, all clogged with grass & mud was nothing but a useless mudball. The Bruce turned, reset, & held the both of us.

I have noticed whenever a boating publication does a test comparison of anchors, it's always the latest new thing that is judged to be the best... my Bruce, having been the latest and greatest about 2 hundred years ago always comes in last place. Horse hockey says I... it has never dragged on me even once in 15 years.

Thank you. Great explanation and demo. I finally understand the importance of scope.

My wife and I were just talking about this yesterday and this video came up this morning. KZfaq is listening! Great video!

Seeing the anchor dig in was very helpful. Thanks for another helpful vodeo

Indeed scope is key. All too often the notion is an exceptionally heavy anchor is the critical element but an overly heavy anchor won't save you with inadequate scope.

Well done, Sailing Tips! This helps so much to be able to visualize how an anchor behaves on the bottom out of sight.😃

Great video. Love the way you emphasise the fundamentals on a subject where people get confused by information overload.

Diving a little deeper, you could explain the catenary effect and how it acts as a shock absorber. In deep water, say 60’ or more, you can use less scope due to the catenary effect caused by greater chain length suspended in the water column. The opposite is true as well. Shallow water often requires more scope. It’s counter intuitive, but the catenary effect is a huge part of understanding how the entire system works. Well done video.

The visual tests are awesome!

REALLY good demonstration. Thanks!

Great video! Greetings from a sailing instructor for 20 years: I also recommend the Bruce anchor for the coast of Norway.

Excellent, excellent, excellent! Thanks for taking the time for us.

Excelente idea of using low tide to explain this… Very well done

I woke up early morning after a night out on Tellico Lake, TN., just to find the TVA raised the water level up to the point it lifted my two anchors off a shallow bottom. Boat drifted across the cove and nearly came to rest on rocks had they not caught where they did. Always leave enough rode to makeup for any could be backing up of water behind the dam.

Nice no nonsense demo, thanks!

Glad I finally get to subscribe to someone in their early days of KZfaqry. I have enjoyed all of your videos that I've been able to watch so far. I think you'll have a big subscriber base soon!

Spade anchors are the best in my experience from sailing on west coast of Scotland. Bought one to replace a Delta. Not cheap but very reliable, good at cutting through kelp

Everyone needs to understand that this demonstration is in air, and not in water, where the gradient resistance and interstitial binding of the particulates varies with depth.

That was a great experiment. Thanks

So simple yet never considered it ❤ 🤣 thank you! The demonstration was perfect!

best explanation I've seen so far.

Very informative. Thank you for the valuable education.

Hello. I recently started to follow your channel. This is an excellent short and to the point anchoring 101 class. Nicely done!

Great stuff…. I will consider..,Thanks for sharing

Excellent demo. Well done Sir…

Excellent video!

Great video! 5:1 scope is possible OTT but you can't have too much.

Super helpful. Thank you.

Great visual.

thank you, very informational

Good video. Personally, if it's not a crowded anchorage, and I'm planning on sleeping overnight, I go with 7:1 rode.

Here in coastal Alabama, several rivers have deep mud. During hurricane conditions, few anchors will hold. One exception was a large sailboat and he had perhaps a 20 to one scope of chain deployed. I think it was a larger than normal Bruce. Hurricane Katrina.

Good video. Well demonstrated.

I learned from this. Good one.

Awesome Visuals!

Great video.

Great video

Very lovely and believable.

I like to go above the 5 to 1. I have about 100 m chain. I do anchor mostly in 4 to 10 m. Add one meter up to the anchor roller and one is in in 5 to 11 mm. That would mean 25 to 55 m anchor chain. When I expect heavy wind and the anchorage is not to crowded, I use some 20 to 30 m extra chain. I started doing that, when I realized that in most cases I could stop the anchor from dragging by putting out more chain. The longer chain makes also for less jerking on the chain. because the boat ha to lift more chain. I often use an anchor boje, both to check were the anchor is and on rocky bottom to retrieve the anchor if it is stuck.

I used to agree. As a live aboard at anchor 1st hand experience has me see it differently. 1st best way to set Bruce is start 70-90° off line with 3:1 as it bites rotate to final direction then gradually increase tension to ensure Centre fluke is set. To set spade shape eg Rocna Vulcan etc they set best using action as though you are digging. Drop 1.5- 2 scope depends on tension once bitten drop couple so by time you arrive 5:1 anchor is buried. By letting out final scope early anchor has NOT been pushed down because catenary effect take impact and anchor may set with just tip. Other anchor types are beyond my brain capacity.

Great concise vid 😎

I enjoyed this thanks. My 15kg hasn't been holding our 5.5 tonne boat in profile picture. We kitesurf so need to be ok around 40 knots. Just installed a knox 18kg . What a absolute weapon 😋.

Very simple explanation, thank you

I'm just a boat dreamer right now 😅 but this is very cool to learn.

Living on my sailboat for the last few years. Currently anchored in La Paz. I see people always backing down on there anchors. Its really not needed unless you are looking at a small anchorage where scope swing is an issue. Drop your anchor into the wind. Only let out a 3 to 1 scope. Take your time. Don't dump all your chain on top of itself. Go mix a cocktail and celebrate you have arrived at your destination. Let the boat settle for bit and then let out the rest of the scope. It will set itself.

its impressive how such small device can keep boat in place

Great exemplifications 🎉

But you could see how easily a Bruce anchor, once tipped on it's side, has difficulty in righting itself. I've recently returned from living aboard my 45ft Gulfstar all around Greece and without shelling out big money on a Spade or similar, I found the most effective change I made was twofold: buying the heaviest Delta I could get to fit on the bow roller (50kg) and adding 50 more metres of 10mm chain, so I ended with 150m of catanery (approx 475ft). After those changes, not only did it never once fail to set first time but it never broke out either. Living aboard is a great deal less stressful once you've got anchoring figured out 😊 Oh, and imho, if you buy a boat with a CQR anchor fitted, make that the first thing you replace!

Great demonstration! Allow me to chip in that the heavy chain is instrumental in keeping the pull almost horizontal. With only rope, you would probably need 30 to 1 or more. I use 7 meters of chain at the anchor, then rope and it never failed.

very interesting thank you

Perfect demonstration 🎉❤

Well done!

Thank you.

fantastic demonstration thank you, demonstrate over explanate is my mantra

very well explained! 👍👍

The locals must have thought you were crazy while you were filming but the sailing types understood. Good video.

Good video. I'm a landlubber so I likely won't need the info, but I like to know stuff, so thanks.

It really depends on the type of bottom. Nothing holds in loose sand. Hard pack can be tough to get a hold. Cutting through grass with anything can be done with most hooks.

I have almost never dragged! But you only have to drag once quickly in a strong current and in close quarters to never forget it.

True; but sometimes in deeper water (20m+ where I anchor) 5 to 1 is not practical with other boats and the shore close by. A heavy anchor and all chain makes the difference.

I just subscribed, what a fantastic educational packed into 3 1/2 minutes. Well done, and I didn't agonise over subscribing.............

Canuck here on a circumnavigation, currently in Guatemala. 14 ton 34ft steel schooner, I have a Bruce (genuine) as my primary anchor and 300 ft of 10m chain. When it's set properly I've never dragged. Good video, keep em coming 😎

The Bruce! Excellent soft bed anchor.

Good summary…If you don't have engine current should do the job, or wind too. In case of wind against tide usually the tide is stronger thant wind… at any rate in this case it's not a good place to anchor, except in rivers… The best is still to have three anchors : to bow anchors plus a stern one. Thank you for posting. PS. This works with most anchors, old or new design.

Not that I’ll ever get the chance to use your information, but it was an entertaining watch….👍🏻😎

Good test dude.

the "this" you are supposed to "try" is to put out proper scope. thanks for that exciting new insight!

I do like the Bruce ! Another useful tip, especially in a tight anchorage is to lower a heavy weight down the anchor chain on a shackle (with a retrieve) rope. This really does help to keep the pull horizontal and limit swing. This works especially well on anchor rope & chain systems, in which case use a snap block rather than a shackle.

I used a Manson, best anchor ever. Cruised full time for 2 years, no marinas, always on the hook, never broke loose even in some big gales, on 65 mph winds. Of course, s ope is a big deal, I had 200 ft of chain and always used a lot of it even in 10 feet of water.

That is the best demonstration I've ever seen of the forces on an anchor after it has been set. I don't even approve of THAT anchor, I prefer the "new generation" anchors, but this clearly shows the importance of scope. Also, in a big blow, a 7 to 1 will work even better - that being said, more than 7 to 1 can actually be a problem. Can't believe this took years to pop up on my feed.

So, the 5:1 scope rule refers to high tide depth, specifically. Know your local tide table.

Thanks! Another useful video could be how to release the anchor if it gets stuck under a rock, and it's too deep to dive and free it manually. We lost an anchor like that recently so I wonder if there is are any useful techniques we could have used (those we tried did not work)...

Good demonstration, however I would like to add a few remarks. The whole idea of 3 : 1, 5 : 1 or even 7 ; 1 scope is based on mathematics and it all depends on the strength of the wind and the current. The idea behind anchoring is that the anchor (in the sea bed) and the chain can provide more holding power than the wind and the current can put on the boat. As long that is the case your anchor will not drag. The 5 : 1 scope is not sacred, it is basically a scope for anchoring in a light wind. If you have a storm than you will need more holding power. Why ? A stronger wind will put more forces on the hull than a light wind. Those forces will push the boat backwards and as long as you can keep the shank of the anchor at 0 degrees off the sea bed you will be fine. If the shank rises to 25 degrees your anchor has lost all holding power, it will drag. The more chain you have out (chain = weight) the more force the anchor can withstand. You can calculate the forces the wind will put on the hull, so once you know that you can calculate what you will have to put into the sea. We have been in storms where a 5 : 1 scope or even 7 : 1 scope would not have been enough. One storm last year had us anchoring in nearly 40 kts of wind for 5 days straight. Luckily we had calculated how much we needed to put out (around 15 : 1) and we had put out 20 : 1. We did not drag, but with 5 : 1 we would have been on the rocks. I could give you the exact mathematical equation, but will spare you that one. So instead I will give one advice. If you expect a light breeze at night, a scope of 5 : 1 will be sufficient. If you expect a stronger wind.......throw whatever you have in the sea. If that gives you a scope of 7 : 1 or 10 : 1 or even 20 : 1..............that is fine. You will sleep well and if other boats have not thrown out that scope............you will see them passing by when the wind picks up. This week there were about 30 boats in the anchorage where we are now. It had been calm all week, but then the wind picked up to about 15 kts and within 15 min about 10 boats started dragging their anchor. They had been cheekish with the amount of chain. Luckily they dragged in the direction of open sea, but it could have also been direction shore, in which case a lot of boats would have been lost. I guess that, if the wind would have been 35 kts, the anchorage would have been cleaned out, 99 % of the boats would have dragged out into the open sea. And mind you, all of them were live aboards who should know how to anchor, they should know the mathematics behind anchoring, but they didn't. Anchoring is something to be taken serious and understanding the mathematics behind anchoring will save you a lot of head ache. Don't think that 5 : 1 is always correct, calculate the correct scope and then add some for unexpected circumstances.

I can't imagine (or maybe I _can_ ) the horror of waking up in a totally different place than where you anchored. Like in the middle of the ocean. I'm so glad to have found this video and I don't even own a boat. Thanks.

Yeah, That Was Interesting. Does That Work The Same Way With Large Ships & Anchors That Weigh Several Tons? Thank You.

It's extra work, but if you like to sleep, set two anchors strung out at right angles from the bow. No matter how the wind behaves, the anchors are pulled in the same direction. In the unlikely event of a pullout, your chance of repurchase is doubled. Sleep tight.

If you've got an Android, you can try "Anchor Chain Simulator" to see if you need 5:1 or something else depending upon the wind or depth.

You should drop the anchor at least 10 meters further from where you want the anchor to sit, then reverse the boat until you feel the anchor is set

Can't go wrong with a Bruce!

There was a couple times in the video where the anchor was completely sideways, and as you started to pull the chain all it did was slide and not dig in, then the video cut away to a new shot. I'd like to see how long it took the anchor to dig in under that circumstance because from my perspective, it wasn't going to dig in at all.

Great vid. Thanks for mucking around for us. I thought 7:1 was the standard. Any thoughts?

How do you make sure you lay the chain like that? Do you back up while feeding out the chain? Or do you count on the chain stretching out when backing up after all the length you need is out?

I just use 7 to 1 and try to have a bit more chain than they say necessary, but ive had enough rope to still stick to 7:1 and ive never dragged even in some pretty impressive winds.

Some good basic advice. Back when people knew what they were doing a 3:1 scope based on the water depth worked fine with all chain rode in moderate tidal conditions. Excess anchor in a tidal situations creates boats that get too close when the tide changes , it’s important for all boat to have similar scope out. Excess scope has minimum effect if the anchor was not set first. But anchoring tips are full of incorrect advice based on bad information including some from the us coast guard that perpetrated the myth that scope should be measured from the bow roller. If you don’t believe me think about the scope on 2 identical boats in every way except one has a hawspipe that exits at the water line and the other has a bow roller 15’ from the waterline. Do you scope length calculations and the numbers are very different. Conclusion , use the one constant , water depth and add bow height ONCE . But nobody will believe me I know . Either way well done making a short video proper might watch . Thinking about what your doing and Taking care when you anchoring is most important to having a safe time. Cheers Warren

I found my cqr to be useless and it dragged several times. So i replaced with a spade which has never dragged yet.

You can let even more chain out. But what happens if the sea bed is not sandy? If it is rocks?

A good anchor, all chain and a bridal...

let the Danforth vs Bruce battle begin

When I’m camping on an island beach and my 20 ft motor boat is out there by it’s lonesome two plough anchors at 45 degrees and the boat never goes anywhere overnight where as I’ve heard of so many not being there on radio

Bruche Anchors works about 8,5 of 10 times...I dont say more and you will found out the rest. CQR for example works 9,9 of 10 times.

_Mummy, what's that man doing on the sand?_ 'Anchor's need exercise too you know!'

Question from a non-boat guy. Aren't there GPS systems that can be programmed to alert you if you move more than a certain distance?

Whats a Bruce like on shingle or broken ground?

Lots of comments in favour of the Bruce but I would't trust it to set or reset from the side. As shown on the video lying on it's side, it's riding along. For my money the anchor that buries deep and gives me peace of mind is the spade type.

Scope is much more important than chain.

It's a good tutorial ,not too much talk and great visuals . Keep it up.