Anchors Seen in Boatyards

[zeehag]

cqr can easily remove yer mud wrestling ass from shoals... good for kedging off a grounding... excellent lunch hook.... but not in winds over 25 kts with a dredged channel for chain to fall into-- oops....

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by zeehag

if you leave me a note on my anchor, please let me know where we will be eating pizza....

Originally Posted by Lizzy Belle

Anyone noticing an issue with my boat('s gear) and letting me know will usually end up invited back over for a beer / wine or something.

Beer and Pizza thanks ladies .

[noelex 77]

This SS Delta owner had added some extra ballast to the underside of the anchor. You can see one of the bolts penetrating the fluke here:



This is the extra ballast on the underside:

[CheekyMonkey]

As an optometrist, what did you say on your note to guy with the extra ballast?

[Sandero]

I have been using a real CQR and all chain for 30 years with excellent results... I lent my Bruce to someone and they lent it to someone who cruised away. Lovely.

I will probably buy an new anchor as a spare or make the CQR the spare. Most of my anchoring is not in challenging situations these days.... and that is a consideration.

[Spade Anchor]

Originally Posted by wayne.b

===

Well you certainly succeeded in being cheeky if that is *your* goal in life.

As a cruiser who anchors out much of the time, I find this sort of discussion interesting, particularly about the Spade that lost its ballast. I own a 60 kg Spade that was used hard for 8 or 9 years until it started showing signs of structural rust in the area of the ballast pocket. Since this may be indicative of a general design or construction issue, I retired mine and replaced it with a Rocna. In fairness to the Spade its performance was always excellent. With a little grinding, welding and re-galvanizing it could probably be brought back to full spec condition.

The Spade anchor pictured was not re galvanized correctly. They melted the lead out and did not replace it. The lead in the tip of our anchors is poured all at once, so that it is impossible for it to fall out. This anchor can be saved by adding the proper amount of lead back to the tip and using our re-galvanization kit it will be 100% functional again.
Your 60kg Spade Anchor is covered by a lifetime warranty. We could have saved you $ on your Rocna purchase by replacing your older Spade Anchor. Please send me some pictures of your Spade Anchor and I can determine if we can replace it for you.

[noelex 77]

Thanks for the clarification.

As the lead is poured in one piece the post where the shank fits would make it impossible for the lead to ever fall out even if it came loose. So the only possibility is that it was melted during re-galvanising.

[colemj]

Noelex, can you retabulate to include only those anchors you have confidence is the primary anchor?

The reason I ask is that I see lots of boats carrying around their old cqr/bruce/whatever after purchasing a new gen anchor - with no plans to ever use the old anchor except in some "emergency".

If my suspicion is correct, then old gen anchors are really over-representative only because people don't throw them away.

In our cruising grounds, new gen anchors appear to be the majority now and are increasing in numbers quickly. However, I still see old rusty never-used plows in the second roller positions.

Mark

[Tayana42]

In marinas in Southern California I see many more Deltas than anything else. That is because they are less expensive and most of the boats rarely if ever anchor out. The Delta works fine when you are in a slip or on a mooring.😉


S/V B'Shert

[puffcard]

Just threw away a 35lb Delta. Last summer sent it to the galvanizer and had it re-dipped. Came back looking great. While coming down the AICW this fall in Wrightsville Beach NC, I noticed during a NE'er it wasn't setting like it use to. Pulled it up notice the shank was bent very slightly, then flipped it over and noticed that a weld seam on the ballast pocket was split open and all the ballast was missing. Was a good anchor and served me well. Take away, don't re-dip anchors that have sealed areas. Replacement is a 35lb Manson Supreme.

[Drift Woods]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

In marinas in Southern California I see many more Deltas than anything else. That is because they are less expensive and most of the boats rarely if ever anchor out. The Delta works fine when you are in a slip or on a mooring.��


S/V B'Shert

I've found the problem has much less to do with the anchor. I used a Danforth for 20 + years and only dragged once. The Delta I have now is a dream in comparison.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by colemj

If my suspicion is correct, then old gen anchors are really over-representative only because people don't throw them away.

Yes, I think you are right Mark. The CQR is/was a very expensive anchor and those of us who I saved up lots of money to buy are naturally reluctant to throw it away.

I am guilty of the same thinking. I have a CQR in one of my lockers, but honestly I cannot imagine using it these days.

For those boats with two or more anchors on the ground, I have not attempted to differentiate which might be simply a rarely/never used back up, but I can guess .

[noelex 77]

This Kobra owner welded the shank to disable the folding mechanism. He also cut off the cross brace between the two flukes (which is part of the folding mechanism, but also strengthens the flukes)

It is a Kobra Mark 1, which has in my view a much less secure folding mechanism than the (so called) Kobra Mark 2, which uses a bolt.

The welding will damage the galvanising and unless it is carefully done has the potential to locally reduce the strength of any heat treated steel (the type of steel used in Kobra shank is not revealed by Plastimo).

Anyway, all newer anchors made by Kobra that are over 10kg now have the more secure bolt mechanism (Mark 2) so this modification is unnecessary (this was an older larger anchor).

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

Delta 55
CQR 38
Rocna 23

I just did a quick 'eyeball survey' on the boats here in the marina - pretty much all sailors either preparing for or back from the Atlantic or further sport a big Rocna.
Local boats mostly Rocna too, I noticed, but smaller ones and some don't use chain.

Second place would be the Delta.

The motorboats have mostly Danforth (type) anchors, usually tiny ones
At least - the bigger the boat, the smaller the anchor, it seems ...

I'm probably going to buy a Rocna 10kg (22lbs) for my boat - should hold under most circumstances and it's about max what I can easily handle (solo, by hand).
(Anything bigger, and I need to find me a man, and since I don't have room for one, I'd need a bigger boat, which would need a bigger anchor -- but would probably also have a windlass, so I wouldn't need the man ...)

[Liam Wald]

Over the last 35 years I have owned and used a very large selection of popular anchors.
IMHO, the best anchor at this time for California Coastal conditions is the Rocna. I use the 15kg (one size above recomended). That is currently my primary anchor. I have used it for the last 6 years in conditions up to 40 knots and never an issue. My back-up anchor is a Delta, my stern hook is a Fortress. The only anchor that I have ever had a problem with (dragging) is a Bruce (original version).