Here is a shot of the anchor with the new 3/8 stainless swivel. After all my issues with dragging while in the Bahamas and then the subsequent loss of the CQR and chain in the Dominican Republic, I finally am back to full anchoring strength.

I used the Delta several times over the pasted week or so while exploring the local area. I was amazed at how quickly it set compared to the CQR. The manufacture claims it will set itself within two shank lengths. I would say in the Salinas mud it set right where it landed on the bottom. The Delta is self-righting and all the weight of the anchor is positioned well forward which is why it sets straight away. Another advantage over the CQR is it will launch and recover without me having to manhandle it off and on the bow rollers. This advantage now makes it possible for me to raise and lower via remote switch from the cockpit. An upgrade I am working on while here in Salinas.

Sorry to bore all you with the technical and all, but for you arm chair sailors, you have no idea of how emotionally attached you get to an anchor when it keeps you safe gust after gust and day after day. Nothing worse than losing confidence in your anchor.

My choice of the Delta Set was not without research and interviews of other cruisers. As I have noted before anchors and anchoring is a very controversial topic amongst seaman. I failed to hear a bad report from anyone who had been using the Delta Set. But I relied mostly on a great, in depth study of voyaging anchors done by Blue Water Sailing magazine that I saved from several years back. It is scientific in nature and is to long to really repeat. But the gist is that there is really no right anchor. All anchors have strengths and weaknesses in certain types of bottoms and environmental conditions. This is why most cruisers carry three to four different type of anchors. But the Delta Set, CQR and Bruce anchors work in the vast majority of situations and so this is why they remain the most popular.

Capt Chris