The Rocna Experience

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by s/v 'Faith'

It is the ROCNA that is now made in China, not the Manson.

Yes -- a typo. I think you'll find I got it straight in the remainder of my post.

[s/v 'Faith']

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

Yes -- a typo. I think you'll find I got it straight in the remainder of my post.

Right on. Just trying to keep from muddying the waters here...

[SailFastTri]

Ocean Girl I read a bit of your blog and I think you should skip the anchor swivel. Just get the largest shackle that fits your chain and get one that is US-made high-tensile with a rated SWL (not cheap import crap) and position it so the pin is through the chain link and curved part of the "D" is through the anchor shank, so the shank doesn't leverage the shackle pin apart in event of a side pull. Hamilton Marine in Maine carries rated HT shackles. Check their site (no affiliation).

I think a swivel is only needed on a permanent mooring or long term anchor. If you don't stay anchored for more than a week or two you should be fine without, in most situations.

I noticed you like the Kong but there is no way to seize that closed (do you really want to trust your boat to red lock-tite?), and any side-load will leverage the "fork" apart that fits over the shank. If you really want one I have one I'm not using (for those reasons) so contact me in a private message.

[CAELESTIS]

You can purchase high strength alloy shackles from 1St Chain Supply | Swivel Hooks | Rigging Chains at 1stchainsupply.com

[Ocean Girl]

Thanks sailfasttri, I learned from another thread here about the crosby shackles that have a working load/BS close to my 5/16 chain. The best part is they are cheaper(lord how did that happen?). I am glad you pointed out that the pin should go through the chain link, I have been doing it backwards (gee does that sound familiar!)

I will use the anchor without a swivel as you suggest. When I get my windlass I may need a swivel. I have read that putting a short piece of chain between the swivel and the anchor, putting the swivel a little further away from the anchor, should help avoid the lateral loads problems(?).

Thanks so much for your input, (and everyone for that matter!), I hope you all realize how helpful it is to talk this stuff through. Sorry for the thread drift.
Erika

PS

[Steve Pope]

If you put a couple of links of chain onto the anchor, then the swivel, then the rest of the chain any side load is taken by those 2 or 3 links of chain rather than the swivel. Red loctite is as secure as you can get plus it is inert. I have seen shackles secured with cable ties, copper wire, galv wire, loctite doesn't let go unless heated and the hottest sea water you can find is way below the temp needed to release loctite.

[SailFastTri]

I was in West Marine today and noticed the new Rocna is made very differently than the one I bought two+ years ago. Perhaps this is one of the new ones made in China?

Here's an image of the NZ-made Manson (about 5+ years old) and the 2+ year-old Rocna that was made in either NZ or Canada. The welds on this Rocna are hidden from view -- but take my word for it -- the weld quality appears very similar on these two samples.



Here is an image taken today of the new Rocna. I'm no welder so maybe I'm not qualified to judge, but that shank weld looks like crap to me.



Here's the bottom... based on the lettering and other clues it appears this new Rocna blade is cast in one peice, with the hoop and shank welded on. The original verson I own appears to have been formed out of multiple sections of pressed steel plate, welded together. (I don't know which is stronger but this new Rocna is definitely not the same product as the old.) The hoop weld looks much more tidy than the shank weld. Galvanizing looks good.

[klem]

I have one of the newer cast Rocna anchors and the weld on it looks pretty good. There is clearly good penetration all the way around. You can see where the weld was started but they got enough heat in there that it looks pretty good even there. With welding, how pretty something is doesn't directly translate to how strong it is, consistency and penetration are what you want to look for. For example, most people feel that tig welding looks best although mig or stick are just as effective in the hands of a good welder and are much quicker. The weld bead in the picture shows that they added a lot of filler material, just like on my anchor. What would be cause for concern is if the filler material edges looked balled up like there was no penetration but that is not the case on mine. Prep work is pretty important in welding (much more so with aluminum). The anchor that I have looks well built although the weld bead is not the prettiest that I have ever seen.

[schoonerdog]

I apologize for my post a year ago causing doubt that a rocna made in China would have the Chinese secretly substitute inferior metal. Obviously I didn't know what I was talking about. And to Intel who is putting their new chip manufacturing over there, don't worry about your intellectual property rights. They'd never think of stealing them.

http://content.westmarine.com/docume...-%208%2001.pdf

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Schoonerdog: what's all that? you better fall in line because the world-market will be at the mercy of China before you know it. And every country has it's things... in the US kids get to eat nice hormone laced meats that are outlawed in the EU and then wonder why 12-year old kids are mother already or kill half a school... but I'll buy something for the boat that's made in the US anyway when I think it's good. So why wouldn't you buy a good anchor when it is made in China?

cheers,
Nick.

[Shawn67]

"would have the Chinese secretly substitute inferior metal. Obviously I didn't know what I was talking about."

This isn't what happened. The Chinese built exactly what they were told to build. Rocna changed the specs for the metal.

Shawn

[Steve Pope]

Well that was a long time coming, nothing being heard back here in NZ about any Rocna recalls though.
Interesting though to see some of the other products listed for recall.
A nav light that show the wrong configuration and a bosuns chair that is likely to fail!!
Hope that one wasn't from someone finding out it was no good while at the mast head.

[Cheechako]

I'm a little behind on this thread...but what part is said to be cast? The pic above looks like a fabricated anchor. It would be stupid to cast anything that thin and even stupider to then try to weld wrought metal to cast. Very dificult to control weld quality... not that it cant be done.... it's done in aerospace with very expensive investiment castings and with x ray inspection... and a lot of rejects!

[Extemporaneous]

Originally Posted by Steve Pope

Well that was a long time coming, nothing being heard back here in NZ about any Rocna recalls though.

Don't know there would be any recall if ROCNA was getting from China EXACTLY what they asked for.
At some point (maybe??) we will all wake-up and realize that China can produce whatever they are asked to. And that is exactly what they have been doing. Ask for something to be made for a Buck Fifty and they'll do it.

The Culprit here as far as I see it ROCNA. SLIMY!! !!

I have a ROCNA and would like to say I would Never buy another one because of this, but I'll stop short of this because I'm not sure which is the next Company (Anchor in this case) to Bold Face Lie!!.

Just my opinion.
Extemp.

[landonshaw]

I have a Rocna, have had it for 2 years and would never have anything else. Great in the Caribbean!!

[sabray]

I just had a new roof installed at home. It works great I love it no water inside. Found out it's made of burlap instead of asphalt. Same design just slightly different material. Love it wouldn't have any other roof.