Got a New Anchor

[sailorboy1]

Got a new Manson Surpreme today. My Hunter 410 has a 35 lb Delta, which according to the Delta sizing chart is good for a 35-52' boat. That would put my 44' boat right in the middle. But it just looks like a toy hanging on the roller.

So I got a 60 lb Manson Surpreme today, which according to their charts is good for a 45-55' boat. So I'm a step up in sizing to be safer. Compared to the Delta it of course looks like a monster!

And MS 60 lb anchor at least looks that it is up to the task of holding my boat. Hopefully this helps my wife believe that an anchor can hold us and we don't always have to go looking for a mooring. Of course the new anchor will help me sleep better also!

[noelex 77]

Good move
Moorings are always a lottery. I have heard of a lot of cruising boats that have come to grief using them. Your own anchor is a known quantity and if you have faith in it, which you now should, It is preferable to a mooring.

[s/v 'Faith']

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

Got a new Manson Surpreme today.....

..... we don't always have to go looking for a mooring. Of course the new anchor will help me sleep better also!

I should say that you will sleep better. You don't have to look for a mooring any more, you have one hanging from you bow.

Congrats on the new anchor, I am sure you will be pleased with it.

[boasun]

The Delta can be your Lunch hook and the Suprime will be the one you anchor with for a few or more days at a time.

[sailorboy1]

It was a $160 more for the Ronca 55 lb anchor. And in all the reviews I read I just didn't see any reason to to pay extra for it. And even if I never "need" the extra 5 lbs the anchor has it.

I could have gotten an 80 lb Manson Surpreme for the price of the 55 lb Ronca! But if the windlass ever had a problem it would take all I had to get it back up!

[djmarchand]

You will love the MS which is a close cousin to the Rocna. I recently replaced a 45# Delta with a 55# Rocna. Amazing difference. Whereas the Delta would often take 3-4 tries to get it to set, the Rocna always set first time. And when I pulled it up, it seemed like I was pulling up half the sea floor with it.

This experience came after anchoring the Delta for at least 50 times and subsequently anchoring the Rocna 100 times over a year of cruising. I am a believer.

David

[Dockhead]

Make sure and post about your experiences with the new anchor! Real life experience is a great antidote to all the b*llsh*t which we here from the vendors.

I have very good experiences with Spade and Rocna. I suppose that the Manson is pretty much the same. But I will be very interested in hearing your real life experiences.

[Pau Hana Daz]

Just got my new 55 lb Rocna today. Also decided to blow the budget and buy 200' of 3/8" G-4 chain to go with it. We won't be able to test it until after we launch in May, but rest assured, I'll post my impressions then.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by boasun

The Delta can be your Lunch hook and the Suprime will be the one you anchor with for a few or more days at a time.

Don't understand this lunch hook bit.

One needs backup gear regardless but why not simply use your primary anchor and have no worries.

If you have a perfectly adequate main anchor and with it the appropriate robust winch seems one would drop it all the time.

Why bother with another lighter setup ??

[sarafina]

Uhhh cause sometimes the winch is a wench?

In which case a light spare anchor is handy to drop for short stops in light conditions.

I also like having the extra to use off the stern in close quarters where I want to control my swing.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by sarafina

Uhhh cause sometimes the winch is a wench?

In which case a light spare anchor is handy to drop for short stops in light conditions.

I also like having the extra to use off the stern in close quarters where I want to control my swing.

I think it is valid to have a stern anchor for close quaters and other circumstances but don't agree to using a spare light anchor for light conditions.

Is it that one is concerned about battery power, or winch durability or it is just i prefer to always use the highest quality anchor gear on a cruising vessel.

Why bother with the light gear unless you don't want to use your winch ??? Of course if one doesn't have a winch and then it is valid.

[CarinaPDX]

As always, it really depends on what type of cruising one is doing. But I think the idea of a "lunch hook" for serious cruising is a very bad idea. IMHO every anchor on board should hold the boat in a gale. Why? Because every now and then a casual bit of anchoring in settled weather for a brief stay becomes a survival situation on a lee shore. If you want to reduce the weight to haul up then use more rope and less chain (to a point). Another way to look at it is that a boat is too small for the luxury of carrying equipment for specialized conditions; with a few more pounds the anchor can be used in more situations.

These days I think pretty much any cruising boat, regardless of size, can and should have an electric windlass. For small boats Lewmar makes a beautiful stainless steel windlass. I started cruising with a traditional bronze manual windlass - better than nothing but not by much. Putting a power windlass on the foredeck changed cruising for me, and improved my anchoring. With the manual windlass I often used my lighter anchor (long since sold) rather than the primary, was more reluctant to move when I had doubts about the situation, and was tempted to use less chain - all bad things.

So I think the solution to the problem of a heavy anchor is not a light anchor and the extra attended risks, but a power windlass.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

As always, it really depends on what type of cruising one is doing. But I think the idea of a "lunch hook" for serious cruising is a very bad idea. IMHO every anchor on board should hold the boat in a gale. Why? Because every now and then a casual bit of anchoring in settled weather for a brief stay becomes a survival situation on a lee shore. If you want to reduce the weight to haul up then use more rope and less chain (to a point). Another way to look at it is that a boat is too small for the luxury of carrying equipment for specialized conditions; with a few more pounds the anchor can be used in more situations.

These days I think pretty much any cruising boat, regardless of size, can and should have an electric windlass. For small boats Lewmar makes a beautiful stainless steel windlass. I started cruising with a traditional bronze manual windlass - better than nothing but not by much. Putting a power windlass on the foredeck changed cruising for me, and improved my anchoring. With the manual windlass I often used my lighter anchor (long since sold) rather than the primary, was more reluctant to move when I had doubts about the situation, and was tempted to use less chain - all bad things.

So I think the solution to the problem of a heavy anchor is not a light anchor and the extra attended risks, but a power windlass.

CarinaPDX you explain my view very well. invest some money on good anchoring gear and use it.

Anchoring gear is amongst the most important bits of gear on any vessel particually a crusing vessel. More vessels are lost a anchor than at any other time.

[IdoraKeeper]

Congrats Don,

You purchased the boat you want and now chosen and purchased the anchor you want. You have even boldly put it up on CSF....I will venture that cruising is right around the corner. .

The only thing better than a good anchor thread is going sailing. I think in your own way you are stiring up the mud..HoHO.

Todd

[downunder]

Originally Posted by sarafina

Uhhh cause sometimes the winch is a wench?

In which case a light spare anchor is handy to drop for short stops in light conditions.

I also like having the extra to use off the stern in close quarters where I want to control my swing.

Sara I can think of much more suitable tasks for the wench. or was that wrench.

Seriously anchor gear should be designed that all crew including the wench can handle in most circumstances.