Epic Navigator · video

What this video covers

Alexandros Retsinas explains why testing anchor holding after setting is often counterproductive or impossible, using the Greek maxim "το μη χείρον βέλτιστον" — the least-bad option is the best available.0:22 The core argument: backing down hard to test the anchor in a tight anchorage can break the anchor out unnecessarily, and in many locations there simply is not enough room to reverse and load the anchor properly.Watch He gives the anchorage at Perdika as a specific example where a test is physically impossible — the space is too confined and the bottom slopes steeply, so the only practical approach is to set the anchor, pay out scope, and trust it.0:48 When holding is uncertain, he outlines the alternatives: add a second anchor, use a weight (kellet) on the rode to increase the catenary load, or deploy fenders as a buffer against a nearby quay.0:48 The practical takeaway is that with less than 15 metres of chain in the water, a hard reverse will break the anchor free rather than confirm it.0:35

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