Stop-Ancre

Some plow-type anchors fare a little better than flat, Danforth-style ones, but the latter have the advantage of being considerably cheaper. As part of a refit, a new Owner might be tempted to swap a flat anchor for a plow anchor. But Alain Morin’s ingenuity is a force to be reckoned with! A big fan of the creeks and calanques around Marseille, he, like many of us, has experienced these “bad anchorages”. Curious to observe what was actually going on beneath the surface, this teacher dived in to see for himself. The verdict was clear: the flat anchor was coming to rest on its edge and could no longer right itself on its two points. Rather than abandon his flat anchor, Alain had the idea of grafting two perpendicular fins onto it. These two “ears” have a dual function: they naturally position the anchor in a slightly open position, helping to accelerate it burying when under load. They also make it impossible for the anchor to end up at 90°. The flat anchor, equipped with its two fins, immediately returns to its correct position.
We got to test the Stop-Ancre (Stop-Anchor) kit on barely damp sand at the International Multihull Show, and all the promises Alain made at our booth were kept... in situ! The anchors tested - provided, of course, that a minimum depth to rode length ratio of 4:1 or 5:1 was respected - always remained flat and buried very quickly. Even with three pulls on the smallest anchor (from a dinghy), it was impossible to budge it an inch. Of course, we simulated the tide change or wind shift effect by pulling the anchor line through 180°: the stock flipped over in surprise, and the two tips buried again almost immediately.

The kit has a number of advantages: it can “secure” any flat anchor, it’s inexpensive, so you don’t have to buy another anchor, and last but not least, it prevents excessive damage to the seabed by reducing the burying distance.

The Stop-Ancre kit is made of galvanized steel and comes with 6 insulating gaskets (handy if you’re using an aluminum anchor). Two 2 stainless steel bolts and even an 8 mm HSS drill bit are also supplied. All you need is a drill and a 13 mm wrench to install the kit in just a few minutes.

Note: GMPRO also offers complete anchors, the folding S.T.A.R. (1 to 2.9 kg) and the S.T.A.F.

Price: €79

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