>As I recall, Marin was using a Bruce 33 anchor. In my opinion, a Bruce 44 should be the mimimun size Bruce for a 36 GB. The issue isn't weight, it's design. The holding power of an anchor is determined far more by its design than its weight. If this was not true, the Fortress wouldn't work, yet it is consistently rated at or near the top in holding power of almost every anchor test that includes it. Weight is a factor in penetration, but once the anchor has set it has little to do with how well it stays set at least in the relatively lightweight sizes used on boats like ours. The fluke size between the 33 and 44 pound Bruce anchors is very similar. Between 33 and 66 pounds, weight is going to be more of a factor and of course, the flukes will be much larger. But our boat can't accommodate a 66 pound anchor and I don't want to pull up a 66 pound anchor in the event of a windless failure. In any event, the friend I mentioned has a 36' foot boat considerably lighter and with less windage than ours, and he uses a 44 pound Bruce, and if anything, has had it drag more than we did. After our final, and most dangerous dragging experience with our Bruce I started paying real close attention to what was on the boats around us. Thirty three pounds is the weight of just about every Bruce I saw on boats in our marina in the 34 to 42 foot range. This may be too small an anchor, but I don't think going to a 44 pound version would make much if any difference. I'm convinced it's a design that just doesn't scale down very well. The fluke design, while giving the anchor its fast-setting characteristics, simply doesn't have the shape, the surface area, the angle, or all three to resist much pulling, something which seems to be born out in almost every anchor test. If I ever buy a North Sea oil rig I'll re-consider the Bruce, but for little bitty vessels like ours I've become convinced there are far superior anchor designs out there, particularly today. Any anchor can drag if the conditions are wrong. But I feel that the design of the Bruce--- when scaled down to the sizes used on the typical recreational boat--- encourages it. ______________________________ C. Marin Faure GB36-403 "La Perouse" Bellingham, Washington

i put a Bruce 110lbs on the 70 footer i captain and it works very well up and down the east coast and bahamas. it sets instantly and holds well. boat has a 20' beam and tall skylounge so it has a lot of windage. I only ran out of holding power once, 40kts+ storm in Cape Look out bight. it was a slow, manageable drag so no big deal. i'm not sure anything else would have performed better. I raise anchor and moved closer to shore to reduce the fetch, it held fine after that. I do use 7:1 scope and all chain, when i set it, the boat just snaps in line instantly. On the 53 Hatt I'm currently taking to Houston, I recomended to the owner that he upgrades the FX37 and a steel danforth to a Bruce 66. same results. great holding, quick set. pascal Miami, fl hatteras 53MY live helmcam and GE track @ www.sandbarhopper.com