Knox Anchor inventor dies

MM5AHO

MM5AHO

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 Oct 2007
Messages
2,552
Location
Central Scotland
Visit site
Regret to advise that Professor John H Knox, inventor of the Knox Anchor, the Anchor Watch device and who devised repeatable techniques of testing anchor performance as well as other marine inventions died at his Edinburgh home on 15/10/18.
John was professor of Chemistry at Edinburgh University, and sailed a Rustler 36 latterly. His love of sailing the Scottish West Coast, and anchoring in lonely peaceful bays led him to bring his scientific mind to testing the performance of many anchors and then the development of his own design.
He published many articles on anchor testing and design in the various yachting press over the years.
His "Anchor Watch" was an early device pre-dating GPS systems for that purpose, where anchor rode strain was monitored and an alarm warned of imminent anchor dragging.
 
A life lived well. Great to see his product being promoted, accepted and hopefully becoming a well known design. There was a point where the anchor could have disappeared from the market.
 
I had a long correspondence with John and he was generous with his knowledge. He had an open mind and was willing to adopt novel ideas, some of which are incorporated in his anchor. His, supported by his wife, investment in quantifying leisure anchoring and anchors was second to none and he must have done more to develop our understanding of the issues than anyone else.

A lovely man. His legacy will live on.

John was over 80 when he introduced his anchor - hardly the ago to try to introduce a new product to a market saturated with new models. I agree with BOB - a pleasure to see his anchor design in the hands of someone a bit younger and with passion in their belly. Hopefully the Knox Anchor will develop sales traction and it can continue to maintain that design and construction excellence of anchors based in Scotland.

Jonathan
 
I never met him or had anything to do with him directly but I'm grateful to him as his legacy lives successfully on and under the bow of my boat. A great design! RIP
 
I had emails with Professor Knox, and his son, several years ago when I bought a Knox anchor. Kind, thoughtful advice, freely given. He was a distinguished contributor to magazines for many years, with a rigorous approach to planning and managing tests of anchors and anchoring. His innovative and rational ideas have contributed greatly to the evolution of new generation anchor design. That's a fine legacy for one aspect of his busy and well-filled life.
 
Sounds like a sad loss to sailing.

Interesting to read about the Knox anchor. At the risk of starting world war III, are they as good as the makers claim ?
 
Frogmogman said:
Sounds like a sad loss to sailing.

Interesting to read about the Knox anchor. At the risk of starting world war III, are they as good as the makers claim ?
Click to expand...

I'm very happy with mine. Not sure the windlass is though as it has to work rather harder to break the Knox out than it ever did with the Delta
 
I find that if I wind it in until the chain is vertical, the stop and wait a minute for the anchor to come loose from the natural action of the boat makes it fairly easy.
 
RIP

He brought a welcome scientific approach to anchor testing. Most modern anchor advances have resulted from private individuals rather than large companies.

Professor Knox was one such individual.
 
noelex said:
RIP

He brought a welcome scientific approach to anchor testing. Most modern anchor advances have resulted from private individuals rather than large companies.

Professor Knox was one such individual.
Click to expand...

Entirely by chance I happened today on an article by him in PBO August 2011.

He was carrying out a comparative anchor test

The Spade = the benchmark - excellent performance also for the Rocna and Manson Supreme.

Good performance = Delta

Poor performance = CQR.

"My major conclusion is that when the CQR anchor is forced to plough it rolls out sequentially while executing a serpentine track. This could be extremely serious in conditions when the anchor is working at the limit of its holding. In sand it provides poor a poor hold for its weight and in hard seabeds is difficult to engage. Even when giving its peak hold, its normalised efficiency is only 7 to 8." (NB Spade : 24 to 32)

Given his knowledge I am sure that the Knox anchor would be way up there with the best.

Sorry to hear that he is no more.
 
MM5AHO said:
I find that if I wind it in until the chain is vertical, the stop and wait a minute for the anchor to come loose from the natural action of the boat makes it fairly easy.
Click to expand...

+1 The Knox takes a very good bite, waiting until vertical/and or trickling over it very slowly is much easier than trying to break it out with the windlass
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top