Has anyone bent their anchor shank?

[Fuss]

It would be interesting to know how often this happens.

How much was it bent ?

What boat size, weight and type ?

What were the circumstances ? (eg Hurricane, thunderstorm with a large swells.)

What was the wind speed ?

Did the boat drag ?

Did you get it straightened ?

Did the boat get damaged ?

[Fuss]

I'll start the ball rolling....

How much was it bent ? About 10cm from straight. It was a very gradual curve.

What boat size, weight and type ? 15m cutter 25 tons

What were the circumstances ? (eg Hurricane, thunderstorm with a large swells.) 180 degree windshift which then resulted in some swell. (I guess the anchor only came around 90 degrees)

What was the wind speed ? 35 - 40 kts

Did the boat drag ? No

Did you get it straightened ? Yes and kept it as a spare as I wanted a bigger one anyway.

Did the boat get damaged ? No, but I redesigned the snubber afterwards as I had to repair it after about 3 hours.

[noelex 77]

It would also be worthwhile to know the anchor type

The Rocna debacle has focused the debate on the shank but I would also include bent anchor tips which seem as common as bent anchor shanks for some designs.

Personally I have never bent an anchor (but own an inherited genuine CQR with a bent shank), but I have seen a few.

[Fuss]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

It would also be worthwhile to know the anchor type

The Rocna debacle has focused the debate on the shank but I would also include bent anchor tips which seem as common as bent anchor shanks for some designs.

Personally I have never bent an anchor (but own an inherited genuine CQR with a bent shank), but I have seen a few and spoken to cruisers about how they occurred.

Yes, but then the thread might lose focus and maybe it would become an anchor thread.

I'm fairly certain that I would have bent the shank of any anchor that was attached on the day mine bent. Mine has a 20mm thick shank. I know that its possible to say that mine was soft and other metals may be more resistant to bending.
The fishing trawler company that fixed it seem to think that this was common with sailing boat anchors and I've seen a few slightly bent ones around.

[Stumble]

We bent a 45lbs CQR shank about 45 degrees when I was a kid. Picked up an old root ball and had to use the spin halyard to lift it to the surface... No real wind, but it just didn't feel set.

We did have it straitened, but never really trusted it after that.

[s/v 'Faith']

I have bent more then one danforth, or imitation danforth.

Never bent a shank on a plough, but I don't buy Chinese anchors...

(Someone had to go there).

[Dsanduril]

How much was it bent ?
About 10 degrees, or displaced by about the thickness of the shank

What boat size, weight and type ?
40' trimaran, 12kips

What were the circumstances ? (eg Hurricane, thunderstorm with a large swells.)
Shank wrapped itself around a rock

What was the wind speed ?
40+ winds, shifting about 90 degrees

Did the boat drag ?
No

Did you get it straightened ?
No, still use it decades later

Did the boat get damaged ?
No

[ShaktisBoy]

Yes just repaired it tuesday. 45# CQR bent about 30 degrees. Conditions 2 foot swells with 10 kts wind. Anchor came up bent so obviously hooked something. Boat leopard 40 catamaran 8.5 tons +/-

The shank was bent back to straight using a 10 ton press. Im a little concerned about work hardening during the repair but it seems ok. If it breaks it has a lifetime warranty provided I can get enough back to return to Lewmar for a claim.

No boat damage.

[HopCar]

Many years ago a customer brought a Danforth 12H into my store. It had an encounter with a propeller. The shank was twisted tightly around a piece of 1/2" nylon line. He had to cut the line on both sides if the twist it was held so tightly.

The anchor had continued to work as the shank remained pretty straight, it just had this very neat twist in the middle of it. Very strange.