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Rules & Chains Are Made to Be Broken

Introducing The
All New

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Is it really true that the XYZ Ω's holding power is greater than the strength of the anchor's rode?

A: When set in a good holding bottom, using the standard recommended size rode, YES, the XYZ Ω's holding power will exceed the strength of the rode. THE XYZ Ω MAY BE THE ONLY ANCHOR TO ACHIEVE THIS ENORMOUS HOLDING POWER.
For easy retrieval simply come directly over the anchor and pull upwards.

Q: Why is the XYZ Ω shaped so much differently from other anchors?

A: The shape of the XYZ Ω's fluke is designed to maximize resistance to breakout, while minimizing resistance to digging. You will notice that the XYZ Ω's fluke is shaped similar to an arrowhead. Seen from the tip, it has a very small surface area (digging resistance). Seen from the top, it has a large surface area (breakout resistance). Look at your present anchor, or any other anchor, from those two directions and compare the surface areas. Then compare what you see to an XYZ Ω. You will then SEE why the fluke of the XYZ Ω is shaped the way it is. It is designed so it will dig deep easily and NOT BREAKOUT. IT WILL HOLD!

Q: What happens when the pull on the rode changes to a different horizontal angle from the one that originally set the anchor (i.e. a wind direction shift)?

A: The XYZ Ω self corrects quickly to re-establish its maximum holding power angle. All anchors have an optimum maximum holding power angle of pull when the rode pulls from straight ahead, over the center of the tip. Just 6° off, will REDUCE the holding power BY UP TO 70%! If an anchor cannot correct itself quickly, it will break out in a short distance. THOSE ANCHORS ARE NOT SAFE. The XYZ Ω has been carefully designed to correct itself immediately.

Q: Do heavier anchors have more holding power?

A: Yes and No. It is conventional wisdom that a 40lbs/18kg anchor will have greater holding power than a 20lbs/9kg anchor. But that is mainly because a 40lbs/18kg anchor has a larger fluke area. Weight, by itself, contributes little to holding power. Fluke surface area and design are the main factors that determine how well an anchor holds. The weight of an anchor does affect how well the anchor can penetrate weeds or hard surface bottoms, however. For any given weight anchor, maximum holding power will be obtained by designing the highest percentage of the anchor's weight into the fluke itself, to give the largest fluke area possible for the weight of the anchor. The XYZ Ω has almost 80% of its weight in the fluke, producing more holding power for its weight than any other anchor.

The fluke area of the 24lbs/11kg XYZ Ω is about equal to the fluke area of an 100lbs/45kg CQR or Bruce.

Q: The shank of the XYZ Ω seems awfully short compared to other anchors. Why is that?

A: A long shank is easier to bend or even break. A short shank is much stronger. The best shank is short, strong, as thin as possible consistent with strength, and sharp on both the bottom and top edges. Sharp edges allow the shank to cut through the bottom surface, not restricting the anchor's ability to bury deeply. All existing anchors have long shanks simply because their design does not allow them to be shorter. And, anchor elements such as: FRONT BALLAST, ROTATING ROLL-BARS, and other elements found on most anchors make up a significant part of the weight but add NOTHING to holding power. Even worse, they can significantly restrict the anchor from penetrating deep into the seabed. The XYZ Ω was designed from the beginning to have a short, relatively thin shank with sharpened edges. It is strong, and does not restrict digging depth.

Q: Is there an aluminum version of the XYZ Ω?

A: NO, and for good reason. Aluminum has very limited setting capabilities due to light specific weight. Aluminum is just not strong enough to withstand extreme loads. An aluminum anchor may bend or even break in extreme conditions. All of the popular aluminum anchors that we tested on deep sand seabed broke out under extreme force due to deformation. ANCHORS THAT DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE SECURITY ARE CONSIDERED UNSAFE. For those reasons XYZ Marine Products does not produce or recommend use of aluminum anchors.

The XYZ Ω is stainless and galvanized steel. With almost 80% of its weight in the fluke, at 24lbs/11kg, it is still a relatively light anchor, but with tremendous holding power. (Note: for boats larger than 50' there is a 47lb/21kg version of the XYZ Ω.)

Q: You claim that the XYZ Ω will not break out. But, really, all anchors will breakout given enough force on the rode. How can you make such a claim?

A: An anchor should NOT BREAKOUT when overpowered, if set correctly in good holding ground. It has long been an accepted theory that any anchor will eventually breakout if pulled on hard enough, even if set well in good holding ground. In other words: An anchor system's weakest link is its holding power. At XYZ, we claim that this theory is not valid any more! With the XYZ Ω's huge strong fluke, ultra short strong shank, ability to dig extremely deep, and the ability to correct itself for different angles of pull; The XYZ Ω WILL NOT BREAKOUT if overpowered. The XYZ Ω has been repeatedly tested under extreme conditions (up to 1100 HP commercial vessel). When the XYZ Ω was set in deep consistent sand, we were ALWAYS able to break a recommended size rode (often 5/16" chain) WITHOUT the XYZ Ω breaking out or deforming in ANY way! Your XYZ Ω holds! It will not breakout.*

Q: Why have I never read anything about some of what you say?

A: Simple answer: The XYZ Ω is an all-new, innovative design. It is setting new performance standards with new, creative design elements never seen before.

We welcome other questions and comments: xyz@xyzanchor.com

* Assumes that the anchor is well set in deep consistent sand. In other, lesser holding bottom conditions, the XYZ Ω will still hold better than any other anchor of similar weight.

XYZ Ω Design: Aggressive Performance

With the increased number of hurricanes and other severe coastal storms, the XYZ Ω has been designed from the beginning to HOLD in extreme conditions. That includes the ability to WITHSTAND sudden, severe wind impact regardless of wind direction.

The XYZ Ω is designed to actually INCREASE its digging angle with a sudden increase in pulling force on the rode, REGARDLESS of the angle of pull (even if the pulling angle changes by as much as 180°). AND, once set deep, the XYZ Ω is designed to stay buried even if the scope is shortened to as little as 2:1.

To achieve that performance, The XYZ Ω was designed as an entirely new anchor, not a modification of some other design. Development was done mainly at the XYZ facility in New York, with other field-testing done in Florida, the Caribbean, Alaska, the Croatian coast, and other locations. In addition to the physical testing, high end CAD programs used in the aerospace industry were used to measure more than 1,000 parameters every second during dynamic simulation testing. The results of this extensive testing led to many small, but significant changes to the original prototype design.

For example: The XYZ Ω has a proportionally LARGE FLUKE, a short strong shank, and a sharp tip with significant penetrating ability. It will break hard surfaces, set deep in a short distance, and HOLD. Once set, the anchor line will break before the XYZ Ω will break free!* The XYZ Ω is a definitive departure from conventional anchor design. With its significant performance it sets the new standards in almost every anchor category. It may very well open new categories and standards that did not exist before.