Hi Greg,
It was nice talking with you earlier.
I have used a Mantus anchor for the past two years on our 1990 Catalina 34 MK II , Pleiades, with great success. We have anchored in sand, gravel, sand plus shells, sand with grass, and mud. We have experienced winds from calm to 40 knots while at anchor. and have also had situations where the boat had rotated 180 degrees due to tidal effects, and at no time have we ever dragged anchor!
Furthermore, in addition to Pleiades, my wife and I also own the Jeanneau 36i Sandpiper that was part of the Sunsail charter fleet in the BVI for five years, and is now part of the Horizon charter fleet in Antigua. Sandpiper was outfitted by Sunsail with a Lewmar “Delta” anchor. Since the water in the Caribbean is very clear I am able to actually see the anchor when snorkeling. Thus, I will do an “anchor check” after it is evident that we are set, and not dragging anchor. Almost every time, the Lewmar Delta would show a “furrow” anywhere from 10 to 25 feet long where it had initially dragged, before finally setting.
However, after I bought our 25 lb. Mantus anchor for Pleiades– based on both reviews from prior users, and your underwater videos during comparison tests with other anchor brands – I did the same thing whenever possible here in New England. While our local waters are generally not anywhere near as clear as those in the Caribbean, there were a few locations such as Kettle Cove off Naushon Island, and near Provincetown on Cape Cod, where I could do a visual anchor check. In every case the “furrow” was less than the length of the anchor! Impressive.
I am also impressed by Mantus’ sense of innovation. The new Mantus Anchor Guard is an excellent example. Hopefully, the anchor will no longer wobble back and forth every time we tack, and the tip will be much less likely to dink our Awl Grip topsides.
I have attached both a current CV, and a photograph of Pleiades sailing in the East Passage of Narragansett Bay, with Newport, RI in the background. While perhaps difficult to see, our Mantus anchor is on the bow.
I look forward to hearing from you.
All the best,
Paul