Slotted shank or tripping line?

[Danny Jo]

Some anchors have slotted shanks to enable tripping of a fouled anchor without using a separate tripping line. (The Manson supreme and Sarca anchors for example - see December's YM.)

Does anyone have experience of the behaviour of slotted shanks? As I am sure Craig would point out if I were to fail to mention, there is a danger that it will trip itself when you don't want it to, and it weakens the shank. Does that happen in practice? And does it trip when you do want it to?

December's YM article, by the way, states that the Sarca was the first to use a slot in the shank. But I remember seeing a slotted shank anchor at a boat jumble some years ago, and US patent 5188055, registered in February 1993, describes just such a device. (5188055 has expired owing to failure to pay the fee.)

No apologies to those who are sick and tired of anchor threads - the thread title was clear enough, wasn't it?

Mark

 

[mobeydick]

As (I beleive) the argument is that you can motor over the anchor and pull it out easily when the rode moves down the slot, I'd like to see an argument how this WOULDNT happen on a tide change!

 

[cliff]

Tripping line - don't trust these new fangled slotted shanks - nor these new fangled anchors for that matter.
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[Danny Jo]

To be fair to the Manson, I should have pointed out that you can shackle the chain either to the slot or in the conventional way to a separate hole in the end of the shank.