Only One Anchor

[Alan Wheeler]

Hey Darryl, if ya keep it quite, I could build ya one like mine. ;-) :-)

[GMac]

G'day Seafox. Chinese ones? Bit confused as to which ones.

We have a few chinese made anchors but all are not what we call 'serious' anchors more for the likes of dingy, small tenders, nets and the like.
We did look at bring in a pile of stainless bruce types to sell here as scrap. Strange but the scrap value of SS was more per kg than a finish polished anchor was.
Serious anchor wise we don't do china. Sure they are cheap but usually at the expense of something, usually reliability and strength.

Th only serious anchor we sell that is chinese made is the Delta. Sure they have had their construction/quality issues but they are a design that is hard to cock-up generally.

Our 3 biggest sellers are NZ made i.e the Manson Supreme, the Rocna and Manson ploughs. Delta probably next.

[seafox]

I thought I read it in another thread. Must have been someone else.
Do you have a web address and sell to the public or do you just supply chandlery shops etc?

[seafox]

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

Hey Darryl, if ya keep it quite, I could build ya one like mine. ;-) :-)

Be a good Christmas present

[GMac]

Originally Posted by seafox

I thought I read it in another thread. Must have been someone else.
Do you have a web address and sell to the public or do you just supply chandlery shops etc?

Maybe it was a comment by me that we got some chinese made bruce-knock offs, which when sited we poohed our pants. No going there again.

Yes we sell to the public but as this is a non-commercial forum and in the interest of not being accused of pushing personal 'barrows' so to speak, I'm not telling you

Anyway the old site is down and the big new and improved is sitting there waiting to go up. As we are too busy now we are holding off until after Xmas to go live.

Have a chat to wheels, he maybe able to point you in a direction of a place to see a non-finished demo, if ya catch my drift Comments welcome if you do.

[seafox]

Yes we sell to the public but as this is a non-commercial forum and in the interest of not being accused of pushing personal 'barrows' so to speak, I'm not telling you

I am sure you are allowed to PM me. Just not too hard please

[Mike Banks]

Cheap anchors are easily made from some scrap steel, in the manner of those used by dhows and other sailing vessels which ply the African coast. They have about five or six curved prongs and Buegel-like delta shaped spades welded to the ends of them. They look a bit like a huge barbed squid-hook. They need a good length of chain but they always set and hardly ever get fouled because one can straighten one fouled prong. Usually only one is fouled, seldom three or four of them which usually bury themselves into the mud, gravel or sand.

The only problem they have is storeage. They are an accident waiting to happen on deck. Dhows usually weigh them to a cat head or anchor davit. You can make one up in a couple of hours using short length of surplus reinforcing steel rod, a truck axle from a wreckers and a decent welder. If you want to, you can galvanise it later--it will cost you about fifty dollars if you fit a decent swivel to the top of the shaft.


Of course they do not look very nice--but they work just fine. I used them for ages.

[MidLandOne]

GMac - I want to pick up my slab of beer one day and also convince you to sell my infallible new anchor design that works every time (called the SupremelyBubblyRockySpadedDelta).

Colway Place is the place or have I got that wrong ?

John

[GMac]

Seafox - one PM one the way, a nice gentle one, it's been a hell of a few weeks

Mike Banks - grapnels a damn handy and just like Aussie we use plenty here. We also use them sized so they straighten if given a good pull.

Midlandone - A SupremelyBubblyRockySpadedDelta sounds good if not a mouthful. Does it come in blue? If it works and has a place for my punters I'll certainly consider it after a name change

No you're not wrong. Nice effort and I'm now wondering how you did it. Can I call you my 1st interweb stalker? I've never had one before and feel a tad left out sometimes

[MidLandOne]

Originally Posted by GMac

No you're not wrong. Nice effort and I'm now wondering how you did it. Can I call you my 1st interweb stalker? I've never had one before and feel a tad left out sometimes

Oh, must be Burnsco or Smart Marine then .

Maybe you could send me a PM too (I live in Seafox type territory).

[SimonV]

We could all go back to the old old old days and use a rock tied to a lenght of plated animal hide, Hey it worked and I belive still does.

[GMac]

Originally Posted by SimonV

We could all go back to the old old old days and use a rock tied to a lenght of plated animal hide, Hey it worked and I belive still does.

One of the guys on the marina next to me as always made his own anchors, usually grapnel types. He said he is getting into the modern technology with his last 2 though. He now uses a real bending machine, he used to use the hole in lamp posts

I'm tying to tweak a bit more speed out of my yacht to compete with some of theses new fan dangled speedsters. We tried this and that but have found the best was to employ some Mullet Boat (bit like the Aussie Cuda boats) 18th century thinking. We copied a style of sail not seen much anymore and have picked up some nice speed.

Just because it's old it doesn't mean it's no good. Well that's what I keep telling my kids anyway

[OldYachtie]

I read lots of bad things about CQRs, but--My 34', 18,000 sailboat never dragged its 45# CQR, not once in a hundred different anchorages, but I anchored with a 3/8" all BBB chain rode. I didn't usually use a lot of scope, often anchoring with 3 to 1 scope, but I always dug the anchor in very firmly, either anchoring under sail while running at a good clip, or backing down under motor with full throttle. (Well, as full as 20 hp of diesel with a 2 blade prop gets, anyway.) I also had a huge swivel, probably 5/8" or larger.

I did break a chain once, but the anchor didn't drag. I think I strained the chain previously when it got stuck under a coral head in Pago Pago, without my knowing about for a few weeks. I don't think it is very revealing to discuss anchors without also mentioning the rode, scope, and setting technique.

My second bower anchor was identical, and I had a small Danforth (12 pounds, maybe?) and a "rock pick" or old fashioned anchor of only 50 pounds. Using this gear I anchored without incident in several typhoons in Guam and the Philippines. I had several hundred feet of 5/8" - 3 lay nylon that I used for kedging, hurricanes, etc., but not in typical anchoring.

The Rocna looks like a great anchor to me, but its inventor whining about knockoffs goes over poorly with me, because I think it is just a Bugel with the blade formed with a little "dishing" in it to hold the bottom stuff better. I am convinced that the Rocna and similar type anchors are the best designs currently offered, but let's not get carried away.

[High Cotton]

All good points, OldYachtie, I have two 45lb CQR's on my double roller the same size as yours, but HIGH COTTON is 25,000lbs......... haven't dragged often, but I've ordered a MANSON SUPREME to replace one of my CQR's........

Would like to have bought a ROCNA but at twice the price I couldn't justify it........
and I agree about the gentleman from ROCNA doing his free "marketing" on this forum even though he has a fine product!

I think any product worth it's "salt" should stand on it's own legs without denegrading the competition.

I think if ROCNA were more agressive in marketing their product thru a U.S. distribution and advertising network and being a little more competitive "price-wise" (not twice the MANSON) they would sell tons of anchors...........

Afterall, sailors are a "savy" bunch and usually want very good ground tackle.......
but a lot of us don't have a "blank" check to write.........

can't wait for my new MANSON SUPREME !!!

[Seeratlas]

I had the chance to examine some detailed photos of the rocna, spade,and manson supreme. A call to a couple of my welding buddies, to locate a plasma cutter, and I've decided to 'roll my own' This is NOT rocket science LOL. I'll let you know how they turn out, (decided to build two, one BIG one for the bow, and a slightly smaller for the stern. ) I already carry two other anchors.

As for the plows, well I'm glad to hear of someone who has never had one one drag. In 20 plus years on the water, you're the first I've heard of.


seer