Ep. 11: Anchoring with Mantus Anchors founder Greg Kutsen, M.D., hosted by Linus Wilson

I recorded this talk on anchoring techniques at the 2016 Southwestern International Boat Show in Houston.  Greg Kutsen M.D. is the founder of Mantus Anchors, which is a sponsor of Slow Boat Sailing.  Download the presentation for that talk to refer to the numbers for your boat.
 
Mantus Anchors Anchoring Presentation
 
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The focus of Dr. Kutsen's talk in Episode 11 was to properly size and select all your gear from snubber, chain, rode, swivel, anchor, and chain hook to minimize the chance of gear failure. I was so impressed by this talk  that I bought one of the Mantus' heavy-duty swivels.  Check out Mantus Anchor's store and knowledge base.
 
I was so persuaded by this talk that I bought and installed a swivel on the Slow Boat pictured above.  The Mantus swivel is set up with a shackle so that it is not susceptible to side-loading failure that frequently destroys other popular makes of anchor swivels. We have a 45-pound Mantus Anchor on our primary bow roller as a "storm anchor."  The Mantus anchor has a large surface area for better holding and weight at the tip for better setting.  Setting is when the anchor first digs in.  While Danforth-style anchors have great holding for their weight, they have poor setting when they have grassy or hard bottoms or experience a wind-shift.  The Slow Boat dragged dangerously with a Danforth-style anchor when a squall led to a wind-shift on the way to the Bahamas.  The other great feature of Mantus Anchors is that they can be taken apart easily and stowed if you want to have a spare anchor.  
 
I also liked the Mantus Chain Hook for the snubber line and purchased one after the talk.  It seemed much less likely to become unhooked than the chain hooks available at places like West Marine.  Use the West Marine link and the promo code WMAFF to get $15 off your next purchase of $200 online.  (The promo code won't work without using the link.
 
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