Rocna Mk II

[noelex 77]

Rocna are apparently about to release a new roll bar anchor that is a development of the original model. Details are very sketchy. It has only appeared in a stainless duplex prototype version so far.

Changes include:

An I beam shank similar to the Vulcan
A streamlined "foil" roll bar
More tip weight
The turned up rear portion of the fluke has been eliminated

[Muaddib1116]

Seems like someone over there has been watching Steve's tests.

[rslifkin]

Interesting that the rollbar is no longer round. It looks like they tried to keep it strong in the fore/aft direction without making it thick, likely in an attempt to reduce clogging. I'd bet that's why the up-turn in the fluke is gone as well. That shank definitely looks like a longer version of the Vulcan shank (which is quite beefy).

It looks like it has a little bit of ballast unlike other rollbar anchors. Interesting.

[Muaddib1116]

Every change they made is a flaw or feature well documented by Steve on Panope. The rollbar and fluke tabs, and even the shank were easy mods, but increasing the tip weight without totally going down the road that Mantus and Viking did was probably only doable with some ballast.

[MicHughV]

oh goody....another anchor thread...I'll go make some popcorn...

[Muaddib1116]

Not sure there's much to argue about with this one yet. It does seem to be a pretty clear case of a company trying to improve their product based on user "feedback", which I certainly applaud.

[Karanga]

It is looking a lot like a Vulcan, with a roll bar!
So if the roll bar contributes to risk of clogging, but doesn't do much to improve speed of setting (because of bigger ballast), why bother persisting with a roll bar (even with a modernised foil shape)?

[Dr. D]

I like my Vulcan.

[Muaddib1116]

I think it's still much more of a Rocna than a Vulcan. The ballast they added is not nearly as large as the Vulcan or Spade design. The change in the shank is an upgrade, it presents a sharper leading edge, but it is still Rocna shaped. All the other changes are improvements based on evidence of common failure modes. The relatively small ballast bulb is probably to increase tip weight percentage without radically changing the overall fluke/shank shape/dimensions. In regards to the performance of rollbar anchors due to their flat fluke blades, this is some level of compromise. We probably won't know until people like Steve get their hands on one of these.

[Panope]

I like that the "streamlining" of the rollbar is positioned/angled in such a way that when the anchor is on it's side or inverted and being dragged through soft mud, the rollbar will provide "lift".

Below is a screen grab of Rollbar Rocna (current version) that is perfectly stable while being dragged upside down through soft mud.

The assumption is that the rollbar (with round cross section) is buried into the substrate and is unable to right the anchor.

I am certainly not the first person to find that many anchor types have this problem in soft substrates (West Marine/Fortress Chesapeake Test).

I might be the first person to film it.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by Karanga

It is looking a lot like a Vulcan, with a roll bar!
So if the roll bar contributes to risk of clogging, but doesn't do much to improve speed of setting (because of bigger ballast), why bother persisting with a roll bar (even with a modernised foil shape)?

Who knows, Roll bar anchors are a furphy, but they are a very successful furphy. There is religious zeal amongst some for the idea.

[jordanbigel]

Originally Posted by Factor

Who knows, Roll bar anchors are a furphy, but they are a very successful furphy. There is religious zeal amongst some for the idea.

I had to look up "furphy" - "A rumour or story, especially one that is untrue or absurd." - a bold claim. And yet you say at the start "Who knows" so, "MAYBE a furphy"?

Meanwhile, I wish I knew if you are right, I am considering switching from a Vulcan to a (larger/heavier) RocnaII because I am of the belief that the rollbar is an improvement to the Vulcan, which (I thought) was a compromise for boats which can't fit a rollbar.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by jordanbigel

I had to look up "furphy" - "A rumour or story, especially one that is untrue or absurd." - a bold claim. And yet you say at the start "Who knows" so, "MAYBE a furphy"?

Meanwhile, I wish I knew if you are right, I am considering switching from a Vulcan to a (larger/heavier) RocnaII because I am of the belief that the rollbar is an improvement to the Vulcan, which (I thought) was a compromise for boats which can't fit a rollbar.

Rocna initially treated the Vulcan as a compromise, but testing since then has shown otherwise. Rollbars can work well, but they also can run into some issues that non rollbar anchors don't.

[CarlF]

Most of the SV Panope anchor test top performers don’t have roll bars.

Losing the roll bar isn’t a compromise - it’s an improvement

[Panope]

Originally Posted by CarlF

Most of the SV Panope anchor test top performers don’t have roll bars.

Losing the roll bar isn’t a compromise - it’s an improvement

Earlier in my testing, the best anchors tended to be the non-rollbar types.

However, after expanding the testing into a wider variety of seabed types, two rollbar anchors (Viking and Mantus M1) have emerged as the best "all around" performers.

Here is a story that might be telling:

I was readying my skiff for the task of towing a 30 foot sailboat for a distance of about 25 miles. With no information about the sailboat's anchor gear, I decided to grab, at the last minute, an anchor that could be used in an emergency to keep both boats off the rocks.

At my feet, on the floor of my shop, was my vast pile of anchors in the "20 pound" size range.

Without any prejudice, or other subjective motivations, I looked down and asked myself: "Which of these anchors as the greatest chance of producing a positive outcome?"

I grabbed a 21 pound Viking (an equal size Mantus M1 would have been just as good, but mine only weighs 17 pounds).

Note that I have bent Viking and Mantus M1 anchors during high pull tests.

If..... IF this new Rocna can perform as well as the Viking and M1 anchors, AND be as strong as the original Rocna, they just might have a game changer.