Rocna or Manson Supreme? (OP Ducks His Head)

[rslifkin]

My normal setting method is as follows:

Drop anchor with boat slowly moving backwards, but not enough to pull on the anchor before the desired amount of rode is deployed. Once the rode is snubbed or cleated, gently bring up a little tension on it to set the anchor. If there's light wind, use the engines to get the boat moving for this, but don't keep them in gear so it's just momentum pulling on the rode. If there's enough wind, the boat blowing down wind at an angle is typically adequate.

Once the boat gives that initial tug and then settles, gently bring up tension again, but hold tension this time. As tension comes up, both engines in idle reverse. Wait while the rode stretches and chain catenary is taken up. Speed over ground should drop to 0. Once it does, wait a few seconds, then increase RPM to 900. Confirm 0 SOG for a few seconds, then return to idle, pause, then neutral, shut the engines down and deploy the anchor ball and/or light as needed.

I've never had that method fail to produce a set, nor have I dragged after setting an anchor this way. The initial gentle pull is typically enough to set it, but with minimal risk of dragging it too quickly and failing to grab (and then fouling) in a sub-optimal bottom. The second part serves 2 functions: digs the anchor in deeper and confirms the set is good. If the boat moves significantly during the second part, then it failed to set initially (either not enough pull or questionable bottom). If that happens, it may set and hold on the second pull or it may just continue to drag depending on what actually happened down there.

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by Chotu

More honesty:

I just toss my Manson Supremes overboard with the required scope and forget about them.

That's how I do it. No standing on my head with fingers and toes crossed or sacrifices to Poseidon.

[merrydolphin]

It seemed that every cruising boat that I bought (used of course) would come with a CQR plow. (Genuine, whoopee) and every time I couldn’t wait to get rid of it. I would use it, watch it drag, scope didn’t matter. Dive it, watch it plow. GONE!

For a number of years my go to anchor was the Delta. A actually had very good luck with it, up and down the eastern seaboard from Boston to the Keys, Bahamas and Caribbean. Mostly Caribbean. I won’t say that I never drug, but is was rare. And I normally anchored out, not marinas. I have to qualify that I always went well oversized. I think that helped a lot.

Then with all the new stuff coming out, I did a lot of research and decided on the Spade! Love it! By far the best I ever had. Rockna the best for the price, Manson very good also but I love the Spade. It doen’t have nor need a giant hoop, it has lots of tip weight and the shank is knife edge shaped to penetrate the bottom too. And it does. It’s also the best for ease of dropping and retrieving with its curved shank. Never have to fight it on or out. Very clean design. Fits the bow and roller very neatly. By far my favorite. And I have lived on the hook for many thousands of days and nights.

[ELC]

Over many decades on the hook, nine hurricanes and my share of cruising I've not found many types that don't work well in the right place.

For many years ran an oversize CQR without issue. In the right bottoms I've also used a High Tensile Danforth, Delta, Fisherman and Northill. All one step above recommended and all with chain on three different boats.

I'm also a big fan of setting two hooks.

New to us boat has a big Mantus and Delta on the bow. Been very happy with the Mantus so far. I think you can really overthink the whole deal. Get at least two different types you can get set easily. If one just has a bottom it won't set in easy enough to try the other. No one anchor is perfect in every bottom type. I'd never cruise betting the farm on a single anchor or type.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by ELC

No one anchor is perfect in every bottom type. I'd never cruise betting the farm on a single anchor or type.

True... but we carried around a fortress anchor for the last 7 years and only had to use it twice and that was at the beginning when we didn't know zip around anchoring and before we switched our primary from a Bruce to a Spade.

It worth having a backup just in case you need to let your primary go during an emergency.

[Bluechart]

I have the same Rocna, (Beneteau 49) works great in mud, sand, etc. cruised from SF Bay and tributaries, Mexico, sea of Cortez, Bahamas, Caribbean,,,,
The anchor sets quickly, and holds !
You will NOT be disappointed!
(I used the Rocha on 6 different boats while teaching sailing skills on SF Bay, for 8 years, and never had the Rocna anchor drag,,,BTW winds on Sf Bay are typically 20-25k daily...)

[fatherchronica]

A few years ago in the middle of the night the slight breeze became 45 to 50 kts directly into the shallow bay we were in. We were the smallest boat and anchored inside every other boat and too close to shore for comfort. Our Rocha is one size up from recommendations, but so is our windlass. The fetch was only a few miles from the mouth of the bay we were in so the waves that broke were only a couple of feet high, but we were right in them. I started the diesel and sat in the pilot house watching. Every other boat dragged anchor including 3 80ish foot power boats. After awhile I turned off the engine because we had not moved an inch according to my GPS. I considered moving out and reanchoring at first but the other dozen boats were playing musical chairs all night. It was an all sand bottom. In the morning I rowed out to look at the Rocha in our dinghy which has Lexan windows in the bottom and the anchor was disappeared completely. When we weighed anchor we had to get right over it and use the chop to pull it free. We had endured 2 other nights like that only the wind was offshore and the anchorages empty. But I sort of trusted the Rocha that night because of the other nights. 40 years prior I was in one of those anchorages with a hundred boats on the 4th of July when 60 plus kts came up and we were the first to drag anchor in our engineless 26 foot 50 year old wooden ketch. We tacked way out and in the morning the very same 65 foot boat whose drunken crew woke us with insults about our poor boat dragging past them were in the surf with the keel sounding like a cannon everytime it hit the shelf. Oddly, just a few hours later on our way home there was not a breathe of wind and I had to scull with our giant rudder for a couple hours.

[cottonsail]

Had a Manson Supreme. It was very hard to set. I had to drag it all over the place before it would set. Once set it was fine. Replaced it with a Mantus. Same weight, same boat same all chain rode and the Mantus set quickly. I bought the Manson new. I suspect there might have been a quality problem with that particular anchor. I say that only because of all the positive Manson reviews.

[timb7734]

Rocna never failed me, 80 lbs on a 35 ton trawler, one thunderstorm in the Bahamas tore my iceberg hitch tied snubber line off my anchor chain, but the anchor didn’t budge. Now have Mantus because Rocna wouldn’t fit new boat, but no experience in extreme weather

[Pegu Club]

We have used our 33lb Rocna continuously for the last two year as full time cruisers, It has been completely reliable, have ridden out 40 knot winds over four days at Norman’s key Bahamas this past January with many other boats, we stayed put, half a dozen or so other boats dragged, one dragged quite close to us, it was entertaining... your new to you Rocna will work very well. Oh, and we have never had issues in mud, except for the anchor being a bit harder to break free.

Fair winds,

[Jimmyhenry]

Spent months and months on our Rocna in all sorts of bottoms up in the Sth Pacific islands through all manner of wind and had zero drag. Sleep well at night with the Rocna. Went through one blow in the HaApais and dove the anchor following day. It hadn’t moved at all.
Pete

[jazzgtr]

Both very good anchors, however the Mansons we get here in Australia seem to have a real problem with their galvanizing, if you walk around the marina I am in (I have a Manson) many of the Mansons have large patches of rust.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by jazzgtr

Both very good anchors, however the Mansons we get here in Australia seem to have a real problem with their galvanizing, if you walk around the marina I am in (I have a Manson) many of the Mansons have large patches of rust.

You do realize that galv wears off if gear is used right?
How do you know how old they are or how much use they have had?

Ours is into its 4th year of anchoring daily.
Gets rust on leading edge if left out of water for a few days but that's it.
Chain on the other hand starts rusting within a few months from new.

[jazzgtr]

The Mansons are rustier in the Marina than Rocnas and Sarcas, also asked about this at Chandlery and they told me they no longer stock the Mansons due to problems with the galvanizing, may have been a production run where something wasn't up to scratch.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by jazzgtr

The Mansons are rustier in the Marina than Rocnas and Sarcas, also asked about this at Chandlery and they told me they no longer stock the Mansons due to problems with the galvanizing, may have been a production run where something wasn't up to scratch.
Attachment 220614

Again, you have no idea how much use that has had - 6 days, 6mths or 6 years