Best Overall Anchor for 50' powerboats

[mvelotas]

Just throwing this out to for some advice: I have a 45 Formula, approx 35,000 lbs. I have a bruce on the windlass. Was thinking about going to a Delta or a CQR plough. but after looking them over, I'm not sure about if I should change at all. Any ideas out there> Lot of grassy/sandy bottom down here in Miami. Thoughts??

[Benz]

Wow, I get the first reply on an anchor thread! My advice is: None of the above. 1st choice Spade, 65lbs if you can get it. 2nd: Manson/rocna 65 lbs. For a kedge/second anchor: Fortress, as big as you can afford, but 25lbs would be nice. Lots of 3/8" chain, and 7/8" mega braid nylon line.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, mvelotas.

[Cotemar]

It looks like it was designed to carry a Bruce anchor.
A Bruce anchor would be very low on my list, but your bow roller is your limiting factor. You may be stuck with it, unless you get creative and modify your bow roller setup.

[Kettlewell]

If that is what the bow arrangement looks like the rollbar anchors will be out. I prefer a Delta over a Bruce, but if it is a genuine Bruce anchor (not a knock off) and it has been working well for you, why change? Also, I'd go with the Delta over the CQR in your case.

[motion30]

Maybe a manson boss. West marine in Fort Lauderdale has one perhaps you can go measure

[estarzinger]

a Spade or Boss would fit in that bow roller set-up, and would probably be better than the Bruce for your grassy sandy bottoms. Between the two I would slightly prefer the spade, as I suspect it would set better in hard sand.

But why are you thinking of changing? Have you been dragging with the Bruce? If not, honestly I personally would just leave it alone. I suspects it is an entirely satisfactory anchor for your boat and bottom conditions.

[chrisjs]

We carry a 65lb CQR (chain and line) and a 90lb Rocna (3/8 chain) on our 47ft 65,000lb boat. The primary Rocna has never failed to hold. The CQR is more variable and is our secondary. We do lay down a significant amount of chain and generally use a minimum 5x scope. We have anchored out many hundreds of times with this set-up.

[mvelotas]

Thanks, Guys, for the fast response! But the bruce seems to give up ground ...slowly and deceptively!! Like when I have a rising tide and wind. Even let out more road after re-anchoring. Just don't trust it. A spade is not much different from a delta style, so I tend to want to lean that way. Would like the Rocna or Manson, but don't see it fitting under my bow correctly. And the CQR had great tests with the Navy and with independent testing. On the Formula site, I had suggestions to use the Fortress. It has the Navy's best test results, but not sure I would want that as my primary anchor on my windlass..

[noelex 77]

The Spade anchor is very different to a Delta. It would be your best option, given that any of the roll bar anchors are unlikely to fit.

Fortress is a great anchor, but is not ideal as a primary because of occasional problems not rotating to a new direction without breaking out, and when it drags it does so very quickly.

[eyschulman]

spade best all around with at least 30ft chain. will set fast dig through grass bury and rotate or reset if pulled lose. As pointed out before spade and delta very different. I have been using spades for many years got my first spade from Tunisia. You are right about the Bruce mine used to do the slow drag and would not set in heavy grass or larger gravel. Spades come in Al-Steel and SS( ss very big $$$) The new ultra also SS and costly is a modified spade and will also work well.

[SailFastTri]

Forget the aluminum Spades. Go with steel. It penetrates better.

Evans I don't understand why you think Spade would set better in hard packed sand (than Boss). The Boss has a much sharper tip, with a flat blade, so it should be able to penetrate better all-else equal. The Spade tip has a triangular cross section, therefore thicker and less able to cut into hard bottoms. It's like comparing the cutting action of a wedge (for log splitting) vs. an axe.

[onestepcsy37]

having experience in south florida, i highly recommend a spade/rocna/manson supreme style anchor. they are nothing like the delta or cqr. i would try to get one in the 60 lb or larger range, and all chain of course.

because the spade (no roll bar) can be hard to find, i'm thinking you could get a manson supreme or rocna and cut the roll bar off it it was in the way.

[downunder]

Seems as if you need a new generation anchor without roll bar for your vessel.

As Evans has suggested the Spade or Manson Boss would be suitable.
Another new generation anchor the Sarca Excel (Australian built) would be very suitable but unlikely to be available off the shelf in Florida. Would need to be imported.

Cheers

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

because the spade (no roll bar) can be hard to find, i'm thinking you could get a manson supreme or rocna and cut the roll bar off it it was in the way.

Gosh, maybe you should suggest this strategy to the folks at Rocna and Manson. They could save a lot of money by not putting the roll bars on in teh first place.

Sarcasm aside, this is a very bad idea, since the roll bar is an integral part of the anchor's design.

Jim