Plow Anchors

[roger.waite]

IMHO, the plough was a great anchor for its time, but most recent tests suggest you can do better. Yachting World's November '09 review comments on the plough: "The CQR's results in this test were so astonishingly poor that we wondered if they'd sent us a faulty one."

They do say the CQR did much better in previous tests ...

Of course, it all depends on substrate etc. But weight-for-weight, high performers in recent reviews include the Spade (S80), Manson Supreme, Bugel and Kobra 2. I have no doubt the Rocna is also a great anchor. (Which of these is a good buy depends a bit on prices where you live.)

These anchors are particularly good when the boat swings to tide or wind, a point of failure of the Danforth. All held around a tonne when other anchors were breaking free at 200-500 kg (YW average across tests). A Fortress FX37 averaged two tonnes in a straight line pull (great kedge).

Happy swinging on my Bruce, but when it blows I break out my Manson. (Just a shame the roll bar won't fit in the darned anchor locker.)

[witchcraft]

Our primary anchor is a 45 pound cqr with all chain rode. The only time we ever dragged was when we rigged a trip line with a float, unusually high tides submerged the float and we dragged. We wont be setting any more of those on our anchor. We have sat quite nicely in strong tidal currents in over 30 knts and held. We have a fishermans ( traditional sort 35 lbs) and a yachtmans also 35 pounds, which held us in a blow one other time.
The fellow who owned the boat before us did not like the cqr, but he did not use all chain. I suspect that made a difference. Where we are cruising now, we dive and check the anchor set, especially if in an area of higher tidal current or expected higher winds. Just seems prudent to do so.
Fair Winds
witchcraft