Lewmar claw anchor any good?

[Sailuke]

hey does anyone use Lewmar's claw anchor and if so is it any good do you think of it?

[Vasco]

It's a Bruce knock-off. If you're buying there are better anchors out there such as a Manson Supreme.

[Snowpetrel]

Watch all of Panopes excellant videos of anchors setting series to get some good answers.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ng-155412.html

Panope uses the genuine original Bruce made versions, the lewmar claw may not be quite as good?

In general it seems the claw shape sets quickly and reliably, but struggles to bury deeply and the ultimate holding power is lower than most modern anchors for its weight. This is confimed by just about every anchor test I have seen, and most user testimonials. If oversized the low holding is compensated for to some extent, and the good setting can be an advantage. But certainly in the smaller sizes it seems hard to justify this design over the newer generation of anchors, which combine good setting with high holding power.


Sent from my SM-G930F using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Panope]

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

Watch all of Panopes excellant videos of anchors setting series to get some good answers.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ng-155412.html

Panope uses the genuine original Bruce made versions, the lewmar claw may not be quite as good?

In general it seems the claw shape sets quickly and reliably, but struggles to bury deeply and the ultimate holding power is lower than most modern anchors for its weight. This is confimed by just about every anchor test I have seen, and most user testimonials. If oversized the low holding is compensated for to some extent, and the good setting can be an advantage. But certainly in the smaller sizes it seems hard to justify this design over the newer generation of anchors, which combine good setting with high holding power.


Sent from my SM-G930F using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

I'll second everything that Snowpetrel (and Vasco) said.

If you do not have time to sit through all 60 of my anchor test videos, I recommend this compilation video as a good skim.

Steve

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l59f-OjWoq0

[sailorchic34]

For the monetarily challenged, such as myself, I find that my $66 dollar 44# Lewmar claw (on sale at the time) holds well enough. Good in mud and so so in sand. Holds in sand but does not bury well. Still has not been a problem for me in 9 years.

Mind you you need to upsize a claw a tad as the sizing guides seem a bit optimistic.. I use a 44# on a 34 foot 12,000 ish lb vessel and it's never let me down in 35-40 gusts to 45-50. Set's easy does not drag. I anchor lots too.

For a 25-27 foot sailboat I might recommend a 33# claw, if your a low on funds type. Really You can't get too big an anchor.

Of course if someone tossed me a 44# mason supreme, I would try it out. But at $400+ it is far outside my budget.

[puffcard]

I got a 33lb'er I'll sell cheap in excellent shape, worked well for me. Never dragged on a 37ft sailboat, but went bigger. Live in Hampton Roads VA.

My sister on her trawler with two other boats rated up with a real #33 Bruce, held in a 50 mph blow.

[sy_gilana]

Not as good as the original, which we trust with a passion. Our boat=66,000 Lbs Anchor=110Lbs seems unfair...

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by sy_gilana

Not as good as the original, which we trust with a passion. Our boat=66,000 Lbs Anchor=110Lbs seems unfair...

Yep, the copies are made from cast iron, the originals from steel. The genuine article has much sharper edges, which would be too brittle on cast iron, so it digs in better.

[denverd0n]

Is it "any good?" Well, yeah. It will work. If you have one, it is not just junk that should be melted down and sold for scrap.

On the other hand, there are other designs that are better for specific conditions, as well as more modern designs with better overall performance.

Your money, your choice.

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Yep, the copies are made from cast iron, the originals from steel. The genuine article has much sharper edges, which would be too brittle on cast iron, so it digs in better.

Actually The Lewmar are made from steel, not cast iron.

[TeddyDiver]

A Bruce and reckon Lewmar claw too is the best in hard mud and clay. For sand anchorage any of the new generation anchors is much better so...

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Is it "any good?" Well, yeah. It will work. If you have one, it is not just junk that should be melted down and sold for scrap.

On the other hand, there are other designs that are better for specific conditions, as well as more modern designs with better overall performance.

Your money, your choice.

Well I would agree that a Bruce / claw anchor does not do well on tests, but then I never did either. Anchor tests are at best an approximation as they never do tests that include veering. Which oddly is rather important in tidal and wind shift areas

Will a bruce/claw drag now or then, Most likely yes. But then there are reports of new gen anchors also dragging.

The new gen anchors will be the old anchors in 15-20 years with new bling that is even betterer. Some of the new gen anchors have had issues with shanks bending. Pretty sure the 1-1/4" wide steel shank on my 44# claw is not going to bend ever.

The new gen anchors may be better, but if I don't drag with a bruce clone, what is the difference. I for one am very happy anchoring with my claw. It sets easy and sticks well when the wind blows.

[bobnlesley]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

For the monetarily challenged...Lewmar claw...holds well enough...not been a problem for me in 9 years.

...you need to upsize a claw a tad as the sizing guides seem a bit optimistic... never let me down in 35-40 gusts to 45-50. Set's easy does not drag. I anchor lots too.

For a 25-27 foot sailboat I might recommend a 33# claw, if your a low on funds type. Really You can't get too big an anchor.

Of course if someone tossed me a 44# mason supreme, I would try it out. But at $400+ it is far outside my budget.

+1 to that

We have a 35'/14000lb monohull, which came with a 15kg/33lb 'genuine' Bruce anchor - it worked fine for three years, never let us down - but we always felt it was a tad too small; nothing wrong really, but as we'd had a similarly sized hook on our previous 27'/7000lb boat, we wanted something bigger. Bought a 20kg/44lb Lemar Claw in the US for about $100 and seen no significant difference between it and the original Bruce; it may not have quite as sharp an edge as the Bruce, but it works/holds every bit as well. The only negative - applicable to both the Genuine Bruce and the Lewmar - based on our experience, is that you need to work a little harder/more carefully than some other designs to get it to go through and bite into weedy bottoms.
I can offer no pretty videos, or scientific test results, but based on better than ten years of livaboard cruising, mainly on anchor and on both sides of the Atlantic, I believe that the new generation/high priced anchors are more forgiving, insofar as you can deploy them any-old-how and they'll grab and hold, whereas the traditional claws, CQRs etc. need deploying digging in with more thought/care if they're to work well; If I had a charter-fleet, they're definitely what I'd fit to them (tax deductible cost anyway). But when the wind/seas start to rip through the anchorage, there's not a lot to choose, I've seen every brand/design drag at sometime or other (including ours) whilst other more or less hi-tech/expensive hooks haven't moved. Despite the Marketing Men claiming that their brand offers "superior holding power in all situations" but that can only hold true (if at all) provided that it's well in to begin with . The only type of anchor that I would not countenance on my boat is the Brittany - you see far more in Europe than over here in the west Atlantic - which looks like a Danforth but with wider, curved-edged blades; I've seen more boats drag one of those than the rest combined!

[mikereed100]

I saw one in WM the other day and was amazed at how blunt the tips were. Nothing like the original Bruce that I used to use. The original was a great anchor, but these days there are much better. The new generation anchors are more expensive, but consider that this is what keeps your boat off the rocks. If you anchor in the same cove all the time and you are sure of the holding then just about anything will work, but if you are planning to cruise then you would be wise to pass on the Lewmar and get an Mantus, Rocna, Spade or equivalent.

[zeehag]

for claw anchors, i only use original bruce.
the rest(copies) donot always work.
i have watched many boats using modern anchors drag.
i have used genuine bruce in winds up to and including 50 kts without dragging an inch.
i watched cat using delta drag in 15 kts winds.
among others...