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Anchoring accessories Below are some manufacturers that have products that aid anchoring.
Anchor buddy
Auto Anchor Remote chain counter telling you how much you have let out. The counter will work for either chain and rope/chain Rhodes. AA150 is Freeman K. Pittman award winner 2006.
Anchor Alert. This alarm triggers when the anchor moves not the boat. Anchor Alert includes of an accelerometer, like those used to trigger air bags, and a wireless transponder. Both are built into a watertight capsule, housed inside a specially designed aluminum bronze alloy casing, which is easily shackled between the anchor and the anchor chain.
 Help dampen the rocking motion of boats at anchor. Simply tie Rocker Stoppers approximately 44 cm (18") apart, making a string of them, with a 5-10 pound weight attached at the bottom of the string.
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Top performing Boat Anchors
Discover and learn about the latest anchors for today's boater. Here you can find out which are the top selling boat anchors and why. If you are asking which is the best anchor for my boat we can help.
Part 2 of this article looks at Ground tackle Comparison Chart for the top 5 performing anchors They are the Rocna, Delta, Fortress, Supreme and Spade anchors. These anchors have the highest holding power & achieved the maximum pull of 5,000lbs in the Yachting Monthly/Sail magazine tests performed in 2006. The chart below Compares the features of these anchors. We include the CQR as a benchmark so you can see how much better modern anchors are. The CQR failed to set in the YM tests.
To get an idea of how each anchor type works we must know
each of its parts.
The crown connects the various parts of the modern anchor. Also know as the hinge in the case of the CQR The stock turns the anchor into an attitude that enables the flukes to dig into the sea bed. Fortress, Danforth and Fisherman anchors are examples of anchors with a stock to help guide the points into the seabed.The tripping ring is used for the optional tripping line: by pulling the tripping line, the anchor will break out. The flukes will be buried into the seabed. The very tip of a fluke is sometimes called the bill.
There are 6 main types of anchor. They are the
Fisherman, the Claw or Bruce, the Plow or Plough, The Fluke, the Grapnel
and Mushroom For example
Fisherman Anchor
In a changing tide where the vessel swings around the anchor, one of the Fishermans arms can catch the anchor rhode or line and accidentally trip itself. It is difficult to handle and does not fit an anchor roller. Recommended for Bottom surface types; Rocks, and kelp, but not good holding in sand or mud. Other anchors designs bury themselves in mud, but cannot do so with rocks and kelp. The Fisherman with the old sailing ship look has the arm which lodges itself in a rock bed, or as in grass and kelp, the arms allow the anchor to penetrate through the kelp. Examples of fisherman type anchors; Luke Storm Anchor, kedge and Navy and Admiral. Luke did not do well in
US Sailing tests which were manly on sandy bottoms. The US sailing tests
were the only ones to include a fisherman type anchor. However world travelers
Steve Dashew
confirm that in rocky bottoms, the Luke is one to consider. They
recommend a Rocna type with weighted points or a Fisherman for rocks and
kelp.
Bruce/Claw
Claw-types set quickly in most sea beds. The shape of the claws, is designed to help the anchor keep digging in when the direction of the pull is changed, such as when a wind change occurs. Claw type boat anchors have difficulty penetrating weedy bottoms and grass as they have rounded claws. Recommended for Bottom surface types; Mainly sand and muddy bottoms where the design can dig in. The design may float over weed and kelp rather than dig in. Examples of Claw type anchors ; Lewmar Claw, Bruce, Spade, Rocna, Supreme The traditional Claw Bruce anchor has rounded flukes. The Claw Anchor had a poor performance in the Yachting Monthly/Sail magazine tests, which was attributed to the anchor failing to dig in, due to the rounded flukes.
CQR/Plow/Plough
This anchor type has either a fixed (Delta style) or a pivoting (CQR) shank. Many manufacturers produce a plough-style design, all based on or direct copies of the original (CQR) the Coastal Quick Release , CQR's are generally good in all bottoms, but not exceptional. The CQR design has a hinged shank, allowing the anchor to turn with direction changes rather than breaking out, and also arranged to force the point of the plough into the bottom if the anchor lands on its side. The more recent Delta uses an unhinged shank and a plough with specific angles to develop slightly superior performance. Owing to the use of lead or other dedicated tip-weight, the plough is heavier than average for the amount of resistance developed, and may take a slightly longer pull to set thoroughly. Recommended for bottom surface; Works well on many bottom surface types. Examples of CQR type anchors; CQR, Delta, Plow,
Fluke/Danforth
The hinged design allows the flukes to dig in while the shank aligns with the pull. Its light weight and compact flat design make it easy to handle. Storing on an anchor roller is common. The fluke anchor has difficulty penetrating kelp and weed-covered bottoms due to its lightness and flat shape which can skate over the bottom. Once set, the anchor tends to break out and reset when the direction of force changes dramatically, such as with the changing tide, and on some occasions it might not reset but instead drag. Modern designs such as the Fortress, are light and can be dismantled for stowage below. Recommended for Bottom surface types; sand and muddy bottom surface. Examples of Danforth Boat Anchor types; Fluke, Fortress, Guardian, and Danforth boat anchors 
Here are 4 independent marine anchor tests, which will help you understand which anchors are best. The tests are carried out mainly in sand and mud bottoms, so there are no results for other surface type like kelp, weed, or rocks etc. Its confusing reading through these tests, as one team had difficulty in setting one anchor while another team said it set perfectly. One team used a 5:1 scope while another used 7:1 and maybe this was one possible reason for the differences. The moral here is that one anchor may be better than another but in different conditions it may not be the best. Many cruisers have more than one choice i.e. multiple anchors. One of the most comprehensive Anchor tests was done by Yachting Monthly (UK magazine) and Sail magazine (US) in 2006. Seen here on power & Motoryachts web site The Yachting monthly test in conjunction with Sail magazine reviewed 14 anchors. The models were the Fortress FX 37, the Delta anchor, The Claw or Bruce anchor, The CQR, Oceane, Spade, Rocna, Bugel, Performance 20, Manson Supreme, Sarca Anchoright, Bulwagga, XYZ and the Hydrobubble. The Yachting Monthly/Sail magazine tests were conducted in a sandy to sandy/clay bottom surface. The scope was 5:1 and the towing vessel was a large fishing boat to provide plenty of dragging power. The best anchors according the YM/Sail tests are the delta, Manson, Rocna, Spade and the fortress. The Delta is a fixed CQR type, the Rocna and spade are Claw types and The fortress a Fluke type. Practical sailor also conducted Anchor tests in mud. Practical-Sailor (subscription required), but you can read it on the XYZ anchors site The Practical sailor tests were slightly different as they chose a muddy bottom and 3:1 scope. During the Practical-Sailor tests, the anchors taking part were the Anchor Right Sarca, the Bulwagga, Danforth Deep Set II, Davis Talon XT, Fortress FX-23, Hydrobubble, Kingston Plow, Spade A80, Super Max, Rocna 15, & the XYZ. US sailing looks at Sailboat anchors. The results are broken down by area tested. The sites had been initially selected based upon Washington State, Corps of Engineers and NOAA charts for differing soil conditions and were then surveyed on April 22 by diver Montgomery during a reconnaissance. Additional underwater site checks were conducted during testing to confirm bottom characteristics. The West Marine tests were using a smaller 26 ft powerboat. The bottom was sandy and the depth around 18-24ft with 120 ft anchor line. This indicates a 5:1 scope. Once you have decided which type of anchor is the one for you, the next step is how large. The weight of an anchor you need is dependant on boat size. The American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) have these following recommendations regarding anchor line horizontal loads for vessel size and type. The pull on an anchor is based on wind strength and your boats windage. The suggested horizontal load (chart below) for a lunch hook is based on the pull in 15 knots of wind, the working anchors pull in 30 knots and the storm anchor in 42 knots. Many Anchor manufacturers will list their holding power, so compare the holding power to the horizontal load for your boats size. We can demonstrate this by looking at selecting an anchor for a 30 ft power boat. According to the ABYC guide below. The 30 ft boat has a 700 lb horizontal pull for a working anchor. Using the Fortress anchor selection guide. We see the FX-11 has a working load of 900 lbs and a holding power of 3,600 in the standard configuration. So the FX-11 will fit our 30 ft power boat. This calculation is supported by Fortress who recommends the FX-11 for boats between 28 and 32 ft.
Captains anchoring Quick Guide  What
you need to know about anchoring--fast and easy! Anchoring is a necessary
skill for any boater--power or sail--whether you are planning a picnic lunch
in a secluded cove or an overnight visit in a distant anchorage. This
16-panel, foldout guide provides you with fast, easy-to-follow instructions
for safe and efficient anchoring. Anchoring is in full color and is printed
on hinged, heavily laminated, waterproof pages, so this tough resource will
hold its own even when you are in rough weather.by Peter Nielsen The Complete Book of Anchoring and Mooring
Contents
I read somewhere a question from a new boater who asked if they needed an anchor. The answer is yes you do its required by law in many places and it can be one of the first pieces of emergency equipment you'll need. Whether you sail up a river or cross oceans an anchor can an anchor is an essential piece of gear.
When you pick and choose a boat anchor the important factors are reliability to set, holding power, veering and damage/storing. Bottom surface conditions also make a difference, and where one anchor may hold and another not. Make sure you understand the bottom where you will be anchoring..
This article will give you a guide to the various types of anchor old and
new. Which types of anchor work in which bottom surface, is important to
you. The good news is that the newer anchor technology appears to be
working and from the anchor tests we looked at the new designs
outperformed the tradition types.
In part 2 of anchoring, we provide information on Anchor Ground tackle, the parts and equipment to help you stay anchored in challenging conditions.
When dropping anchor make sure the coast is clear
Links to anchors and anchoring equipment
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The
fisherman is a traditional design and is often seen on the bow of old
Sailing Ships like HMS Victory. The design has 2 arms, and penetrates
rocks with one arm. 
The
Bruce anchor was designed by Peter Bruce back in the 1970's. The Bruce
is also known as the "claw". 
The
fluke style anchor, 
This
book has been cited in a few sites like 
copyright 2007