Anchor Alert: Does anyone know anything about this product?

[labatt]

http://www.deepblue.ch/marine/test/pro_anchor.html

This thing looks pretty cool... They place a sensor in line with the anchor and it uses an accelerometer to detect movement of the anchor on the bottom. It then relays its status through a transducer to a control panel on the boat that will alert you of dragging or a reset.

Thoughts?

[Valiente]

Two added points of potential shackle failure, an electronic device underwater and yet another hole in the boat for a thru-hull?

No thanks. There are several ways to determine if you are dragging visually simply using shore references or other boats, and a GPS anchor alarm seems to suffice. If you are really that worried and conditions are going to hell, it's prudent to keep an anchor watch anyway.

This seems like a technology (see the latest "e-book" from Amazon.com) in search of a problem already addressed by other means.

[Tartan34C]

A hand lead dropped next to the anchor with the line fastened to a pot sitting on the cabin top is the best way to go. If you drag the anchor the lead pulls the pot off the cabin top and it makes a noise so you get up and check the anchor. If you want to go high tech use a GPS set to alarm if you move outside a given radius.
All the best,
Robert Gainer

[ChicagoNewport27]

Originally Posted by Tartan34C

A hand lead dropped next to the anchor with the line fastened to a pot sitting on the cabin top is the best way to go. If you drag the anchor the lead pulls the pot off the cabin top and it makes a noise so you get up and check the anchor. If you want to go high tech use a GPS set to alarm if you move outside a given radius.
All the best,
Robert Gainer

And those two sentences sum up why I love this forum. Such fantastic, real-world wisdom.

I'm as guilty as the next guy of trying to "tech" my way out of problems, when all I really need is to use some plain old common sense.

[sailingdog]

Umm.... there are lots of places where tech makes sense...this ain't one of 'em. You have lots of choices of ways to indicate whether you're dragging. Most GPS units have an anchor drag alarm setting on them. Taking bearings on landmarks works quite well too. I do like Tartan34C's very direct method, but it, like the others I've listed, actually only tell you if the boat is moving—not whether the anchor itself has actually dragged. In an area with reversing currents or winds, the boat will move at least the distance of your swinging circle.

[ChicagoNewport27]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

I do like Tartan34C's very direct method, but it, like the others I've listed, actually only tell you if the boat is moving—not whether the anchor itself has actually dragged. In an area with reversing currents or winds, the boat will move at least the distance of your swinging circle.

I would think that if you dropped the lead line near the anchor, and play out the same length of line as you have anchor rode deployed, then this method is more accurate than just a "movement indicator". If you've dropped the lead line atop the anchor (or very near), and the line is the same length as your anchor rode, you can eliminate false alarms. With the motion of the boat swinging through its circle, or jostling about because of wave or current action, the lead line will not indicate movement at all. But if the anchor drags, the hopefully stationary lead line will alert you. Now, if the current pushes the lead line downstream, you've got the chance for false alarms.

I see the point you're making, though. Some tech might be appropriate here.

A handheld GPS set to watch for anchor drag will work just as well, and with fewer variables. (Unless we have a sunspot or solar flare and the satelite system goes dark for a bit. Or unless you're in an area where GPS fixes are unable to get more accurate than within 3 meters, your GPS would have 30ft 3inches of anchor drag before the GPS notices.)

[sailingdog]

Given Robert's description, it is simple a movement indicator. If you did drop the lead by the anchor and let out a similar amount of line, yes, it would act as a drag indicator, but it would have to be a significantly heavier lead line weight or very thin cord, so as not to have the current drag the weight due to the tension on the cord.

Originally Posted by ChicagoNewport27

I would think that if you dropped the lead line near the anchor, and play out the same length of line as you have anchor rode deployed, then this method is more accurate than just a "movement indicator". If you've dropped the lead line atop the anchor (or very near), and the line is the same length as your anchor rode, you can eliminate false alarms. With the motion of the boat swinging through its circle, or jostling about because of wave or current action, the lead line will not indicate movement at all. But if the anchor drags, the hopefully stationary lead line will alert you. Now, if the current pushes the lead line downstream, you've got the chance for false alarms.

I see the point you're making, though. Some tech might be appropriate here.

A handheld GPS set to watch for anchor drag will work just as well, and with fewer variables. (Unless we have a sunspot or solar flare and the satelite system goes dark for a bit. Or unless you're in an area where GPS fixes are unable to get more accurate than within 3 meters, your GPS would have 30ft 3inches of anchor drag before the GPS notices.)

[erps]

I prefer the alarm consisting of spot lights shining in the portlights and banging on the hull at 2:00 a.m. Never fails to let me know that my anchor has drug and it doesn't need any batteries or any special knowledge to set it up. I also find that particular alarm is a better motivator to learn how to anchor so it doesn't drag again.

[sailingdog]

I prefer solitary anchorages, where this rarely happens.

Originally Posted by erps

I prefer the alarm consisting of spot lights shining in the portlights and banging on the hull at 2:00 a.m. Never fails to let me know that my anchor has drug and it doesn't need any batteries or any special knowledge to set it up. I also find that particular alarm is a better motivator to learn how to anchor so it doesn't drag again.

[Giulietta]

Bwhahahahahaha

Bwahahahahahaha

another useless idiotic gizmo invented just for the proud "marina-queen-loaded-with-money-idiotic-sailor-that-never-sails-but-likes-to -show-off-the-best-and-latest-sailing-gizmo-he-will-never-use-because-he-doesn't-sail-in-the-first-place-any-way-damn-it".....

Its another useless crap invention aimed at rich people with nothing else to do..

goes nice with:

chain lenght indicator, handheld windvane, self-inflatable fenders, lip cancer and cell phone technology....