If you calculate that there will be 1,000 pounds of drag force on your array, you’ll need an at least 50-pound fluke anchor, a 100-pound pyramid anchor, or 1,000 pounds of deadweight. If you choose to use concrete, you’d need a 2,000-pound concrete block, because concrete loses 40-50% of its weight when submerged.
Lesson 1
Anchors
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Holding Power
Different anchor types can withstand different amounts of drag force. In other words, for their weight and size, some anchor types are stronger than others. This is typically measured in a ratio of holding power to anchor weight, such as 100 pounds of holding power to 1 pound of anchor weight.
The range of holding power ratios for different anchor types can be seen in this diagram. Again, holding power is the amount of force required to dislodge a properly embedded anchor, and varies significantly from anchor to anchor. It also greatly depends on the bottom type and whether the anchor has been properly embedded. This is an important note for installation: If you don’t properly set your anchors, it compromises the holding power, and the anchor could drag.
Holding Power Ratios by Anchor Type
Tool Tip