Bruce Anchor Would Not Set

[gonesail]

last week i was trying to anchor in florida central east coast intracoastal on a sand (with some clay) and shell bottom and the bruce 33 lb (i have 33' sailboat) with 15' of chain dragged and would not set. should i chalk it up to a hard bottom and stick with the bruce or think about a delta or fortress as a main anchor? this boat will mostly be in florida and bahamas.

[boatman61]

Maybe try more chain...
helps with the set if there's something to weigh the shank down.....
When backing up/falling back with that little chain your just lifting out what little start/set the anchor gained as it hit bottom...
My 0.02d worth...

[speedoo]

Agree on more chain. But also consider that a Delta with its sharp point might penetrate that kind of bottom more readily. Fortress is always a good secondary anchor if you have a plow primary, IMO.

[knottygurl]

I have 50 feet of chain for the reason Boatman61 states, "helps with the set if there's something to weigh the shank down...."
Something to consider and I anchor in sand, loonshit, mudd gravel and river rock
quickset and danforth at bow, danforth at stern
fwiw

[s/v Jedi]

15' chain ?! Surely you're making fun, right?



ciao!
Nick.

[belizesailor]

Bruce wont set....that always rattles my cage a bit when that happens, because I am so accustom to it setting in almost anything.

One issue I have encountered with the Bruce that will cause it not to set is those protruding lobes can foul the rode. Once that happens of course it is never going to set. Lay it down carefully and this should not be an issue.

More chain, as suggested, is always good (except for very limited special cases).

[Waterwayguy]

And how much rode did you have out when you backed down and how deep was the water? Chuck

[psneeld]

Every anchor test I've read have pretty much shown the Bruce sets fast and in almost anything...many complain of it lack of holding...but usually it sets fast in most bottoms.

Operator error maybe? As some speculate...not enough scope???

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by Waterwayguy

And how much rode did you have out when you backed down and how deep was the water? Chuck

I was thinking the same thing.
Ours will often grab at 2:1 if we don't pay it out fast enough.

From the instruction plate on a Sears and Roebuck electric anchor winch (made for smallish fishing boats):

Not an exact quote, but awfully close!


"Pay out the anchor line until the anchor contacts the bottom.
Raise two feet of anchor line and cleat off."

[Bash]

Rule #1: You must have at least as much chain as you have waterline.

Rule #2: More is better.

You have to let a Bruce sit. Drop it, smoke a cigarette, then think about setting it.

(Nothing in the above post should be construed as an endorsement of smoking.)

[SkiprJohn]

About 35 feet of 5/16" chain would help a lot. Larger chain would be ok unless you have a windlass that has a different size gypsy.
kind regards,

[onestepcsy37]

i've been anchoring in florida and the bahamas over 30 years now, currently based in east central florida. here's my take.

i used a bruce (66lb with all 3/8" chain on a 37' cutter weighing 20000lbs) for a couple of years. worked great in florida. only problem is that in some places the 'sand' is really an oozy deep mud and any attempt to back it down and set it will simply result in you towing the anchor around the anchorage. i found it was best to just let it sit for a few minutes while you hold position so it sinks into the mud, then let wind and current set it. it eventually reaches the hard sand beneath the ooze and takes hold. i've had the same experience with other style anchors.

in the bahamas i had so many holding problems with the bruce that i switched it out to my old 45lb cqr plow, which worked much better. never went back to the bruce even in florida.

i now own a 45lb manson supreme which is easily the best anchor i've ever owned. florida or bahamas it sets quickly and holds doggedly. can't say enough good about it.

as for chain, get all you can. i agree with everyone else here that 15 feet of chain is completely inadequate. as a cruiser your whole little world is depending on your anchoring system every night and day. this is one of the boat systems you should spend the most time and money on. for florida and the bahamas 100 feet of chain is enough as nearly all your anchoring will be in 10 feet or so. add 50 to 100 feet of nylon line for those rare deep anchorages. also make up a snubber out of maybe 20 feet of 1/2" nylon line with a chain hook on one end.

remember that 90% of cruising consists of staying put in one place....

and if you're going to be in the daytona beach area drop me an email.

[delmarrey]

I've only had two times when my Bruce Clone (claw) had trouble setting. On a very hard clay or a very soft mud. But eventually it digs in with enough back tow. But I do use 60' of chain. And I keep a spare Delta and a Navy anchor aboard as secondaries.

[ude123]

I would check out the Mantus Anchor. It's a new anchor developed by a guy in the same marina as me. I watched one of his tests and his anchor(I beleive it was a 45 lb) set faster and held better than a 65 lb Bruce. Pretty impressive. Look in the commercial posts for his website.
(disclaimer: I have no financial interest in the Mantus Anchor, I'm just a really impressed observer of it's development!)

[Cormorant]

Just curious about all this. . . . Has anyone ever quantified the setting/holding characteristics of combo chain/nylon rodes? Any comparative tests out there?

Is 75 or 30 feet of chain really better for setting than 15? I think the answer is Yes, but how much better? How much closer to horizontal do you get the anchor? Even with all-chain rode when you're setting the anchor you're pulling the whole rode near-straight. So we're talking a difference of maybe a degree or two?

How does the chain diameter/weight change setting characteristics? (I.e. what's better: 30 feet of 3/8" or 40 feet of 1/4"?)

I imagine there's a sweet spot in the calculation if you can take into account length of chain, weight of chain, size of boat, and overall scope of rode. This is assuming you want to maximize setting/holding but minimize weight of your ground tackle, for instance if you don't have a windlass and need to haul it all by hand.

Just curious if anyone ever did the numbers on all this.