Pool type anchors

I'm sure it's well made and passed all QC checks.

I had a similar experience with a stainless steel CQR knock-off. Big, heavy, beautiful polished anchor, but the thing wouldn't pick the sea bottom during any anchoring episode from Florida to San Diego, and then later in the Sea of Cortez. I had good experiences with genuine cast iron CQR anchors, even an undersized one on a 70' boat. I couldn't get the knock-off to stick the bottom to save my life, though. Every time I saw a CQR on another boat nearby at a marina, I would study the differences, but really couldn't see any. I did see plenty of modifications done to other stainless knock-offs, like cheek extensions to the plow sides, and extensions to the pointy ends. Whoever makes those things in Taiwan isn't getting the geometry right. When that boat sold, I told the new owner about the history with that anchor, and he authorized a new Bruce right away. That stainless beauty is in my front yard in it's ornamental capacity, now.
I ran an 80' that had similar anchors to your "Pool" type, in cast iron. They were called "Navy" anchors on the survey. Always had good luck sticking to the sea bed with those, including at anchor at Punta Mala below Panama in winds over 20 knots. Maybe you could find the equivalent in galvanized and have better luck, and maybe not have to modify the yacht.

I remember a Danforth Hi-Tensile that drug near every time we used it. Sand, shell, mix,, anything. If you did get it to set once, it would float or never re-set.
A name brand waste of material.
I pawned it off at a marine swap shop.

I had another old & odd Wally-Mart anchor that I had on my 16 CC. looked like heck, worked very well.
Kept it and used it on my 20 CC work boat. Undersized but used often as a pull kedge.
Never failed to impress me.

I think some anchors just have a mind of their own.

Pascal, I would not try that anchor on your 53. Take it to SailorMans and get rid of it.

Sounds like the flukes are not rotating as freely as they should.
Are you sure there isn't some metal dent somewhere, or anything else restricting them in their movement?

The fact that they set properly in their pocket upon recovery doesn't say much in this respect, because of course when pulled against a steel plate the flukes are much more constrained to rotate, compared to a sandy bottom where they should only sink by gravity, at least at the beginning.

Looking fwd to hearing your findings.
There must be something wrong somewhere, because it beggars belief that just one side/fluke was partially sunk after dragging on a sandy bottom with 16:1 scope...
I'm also not a fan of those anchors, but they can't be THAT bad!

If you can blend that pocket with a larger stainless surface and still manage to take advantage of the pocket, that would seem to be the best outcome. I'm tube-surface plane, and we catch a meaningful amount of water up the tube, often to deck. That recess will help deflect that energy and potential, I'd think... We bubbled the tube with an enlarged center that then returns to size in order to remove some of the energy, and we were reasonably successful. This is the benefit of the recess. Even consider shimming out from the recess to support the anchor, but try to keep the recess...

How are you holding with all this wind?

Ok, I'm in long island and blowing 20 kts. Was thinking about you and the anchor. Hope she holds good until you replace her.

Not NY!! Flying fish marina. Cleaning wahoo all day, I smell like them now

If you need any help getting that anchor to your dock slip I've probably got the right tool or machine in my shop. Never moved one that big before.

If you drop that anchor off a tee head in NY, you'll need helluva rode to bring it aboard from where you sit...