Vulcan Anchors by Canada Metal Products

[colemj]

Lewmar Claw is made in China.

Mark

[Jim Cate]

West Marine sells a 33 lb Vulcan for $340, and a 35 lb. Lewmar CQR for $820... Now, what kind of sense does THAT make?

Jon, it makes good sense for them to offer that Lewmar just in case... what makes no sense is BUYING it!

Thee are still plenty of folks who believe that because the Hiscocks et al used CQR anchors that they must be great. I ran into one yesterday, in fact, who proudly told me that he had just purchased a Manson plow for a kedge anchor, and for a goodly price. He seemed a bit taken aback when he asked my opinion and I said that I thought a plow was about the worst type for a kedge (a kedge should be a type that has high holding power for its weight and which sets quickly and reliably). He thought that I was nuts...

I wonder how many genuine CQRs West sells?

Jim

[zboss]

All I know is that when I look around the mooring field here in Marathon, I see a lot of boats with pitifully small anchors. I imagine that they only pick up moorings or stay in marinas because there is no way that a 15 pound anchor is going to hold a trawler like rwidman's.

[colemj]

I think he said his was 33lb, which may be a tad on the small side, but fine for his cruising grounds and use.

On the other hand, few people feel the need to carry two 80lb anchors on a 38' boat. Or even one.

So size is relative here - if one feels only comfortable with a whopping big anchor (or two), then all others look small.

Mark

[blinkerfluid]

Here are a few pictures of the anchor on our bow roller. As you can see, it still hits our bobstay but it pulls up tight and doesn't hook it like the claw did. With the claw, I had to maneuver the anchor around the bobstay, otherwise I couldn't retract the anchor over the roller at all.

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Last week I had to look at steel prices for mild steel, formed to a custom shape. Big stuff, lots of quantity.

It came out to a little over $2/lb, HDG.

I think that's a pretty good basic material cost.

It's also about inline with OnlineMetal.com prices, considering they are selling standard shapes.

I've a Spade also because I could not fit a roll bar. Even at that I was limited to 66lb by the aperture the shank had to fit through.

When I rebuilt my bow sprit I moved the rollers forward and to the outside. Now I can fit almost any size anchor. And I got a big'un. It DOES make people laugh.

I suspect the Spade got a premium price because of the shank geometry, it was the only big anchor option for us with a shank aperture.

The recent Chesapeake mud anchor test as reported in Praticle Sailor was a bit of eye opener. It does point to the benefit of having then biggest, highest surface area, anchor you can carry. Ironically I experienced a bad mud condition not in the Chesapeake but in Newfoundland where even the Spade 66 just skidded merrily along. Thus the Mantus 125.

Wow, the mantus 125's rollbar is a monster. I had a mantus on my prior boat, but when I upsized to my current boat I bought a rocna. I wasnt sure the bar would fit, and I really didn't want to stare at the huge roll bar. I do wonder if the bigger radius bar and larger blade area helps the mantus set better, but I have had nothing but great results with rocna so far. Mantus may become my storm anchor since it can be disassembled.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Vasco

Unless you're a marina queen going cheap on ground tackle is the dumbest thing you can do. It's blowing over thirty right now and I'm down below very comfortable knowing what my 45# Manson Supreme and 3/8 chain can do.

Well, it would be equally "dumb" to buy something with the belief that if it costs twice as much it must be twice as good, "marina queen" or not.

You know what you're getting when you go up one chain size or one anchor size from the same manufacturer. You don't know what you are getting when to buy a different type of anchor and you certainly don't know what you're getting when you are one of the first adopters of a new design.

Anchoring a boat is as much or more an art than it is a science although there is some science involved. Every anchor manufacturer has a web page proving that his anchor is he best on the planet. Obviously, this cannot be. Considering the different boats, different bottoms, different conditions and different operator skills, it's pretty clear that there's no one best anchor.

If you believe that your anchor and rode is the absolute best for your boat and your boating conditions, that's great but this doesn't make someone else's choice "dumb".

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by colemj

I think he said his was 33lb, which may be a tad on the small side, but fine for his cruising grounds and use.

On the other hand, few people feel the need to carry two 80lb anchors on a 38' boat. Or even one.

So size is relative here - if one feels only comfortable with a whopping big anchor (or two), then all others look small.

Mark

Here are the recommendations:

16.5lb. Claw Anchor for Boats 24'-30',

22lb. Claw Anchor for Boats 31'-35',

33lb. Claw Anchor for Boats 36'-40',

My boat is a 31' if I'm bragging, 28' if I'm paying for dockage. In theory, I have gone up two sizes from the recommendation. What's more important is, even the 22lb. that was on it when I bought it never let go. The extra size and weight is just insurance.

[blinkerfluid]

Originally Posted by rwidman

Well, it would be equally "dumb" to buy something with the belief that if it costs twice as much it must be twice as good, "marina queen" or not.

You know what you're getting when you go up one chain size or one anchor size from the same manufacturer. You don't know what you are getting when to buy a different type of anchor and you certainly don't know what you're getting when you are one of the first adopters of a new design.

Anchoring a boat is as much or more an art than it is a science although there is some science involved. Every anchor manufacturer has a web page proving that his anchor is he best on the planet. Obviously, this cannot be. Considering the different boats, different bottoms, different conditions and different operator skills, it's pretty clear that there's no one best anchor.

If you believe that your anchor and rode is the absolute best for your boat and your boating conditions, that's great but this doesn't make someone else's choice "dumb".

Seriously, you need to chill out. No one is running out buying a new anchor simply because it costs more. In fact, you're the one who originally brought up the cost of anchors. In my case, I wasn't happy with the anchor that came with my boat. Since I needed a new anchor anyway, I bought one of the new style anchors. I already sent you one independent test that indicates the newer style anchors perform better than the old ones.

You're obviously very happy with your claw anchor, and that's great, no one is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to buy a new anchor.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by blinkerfluid

Seriously, you need to chill out. No one is running out buying a new anchor simply because it costs more. In fact, you're the one who originally brought up the cost of anchors. In my case, I wasn't happy with the anchor that came with my boat. Since I needed a new anchor anyway, I bought one of the new style anchors. I already sent you one independent test that indicates the newer style anchors perform better than the old ones.

You're obviously very happy with your claw anchor, and that's great, no one is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to buy a new anchor.

Whatever dude. You should "chill out" as well.


BTW:, Your anchor is very pretty and I'm sure you are very proud of it as evidenced by your posting ten photos of it. I hope it works as well as it looks and I hope it doesn't get hung up on an underwater obstruction and you have to cut it loose.


Be sure to post some more photos after it has been used a couple dozed times.


BTW again: I never did get much of an explanation of why anchor "X" costs several times the price of anchor "Y" in a similar size.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by rwidman

BTW again: I never did get much of an explanation of why anchor "X" costs several times the price of anchor "Y" in a similar size.

Nobody here can definitely answer that question. On the manufacturers themselves can.

[Vasco]

[QUOTE=rwidman;rolleyes:



BTW again: I never did get much of an explanation of why anchor "X" costs several times the price of anchor "Y" in a similar size.[/QUOTE]

The explanation is simple. In a free market system a manufacturer can ask whatever they wish for their product. Whether you buy it or a cheaper similar sized anchor is entirely up to you. Pricing and production costs don't have to have a close relation. Look at Apple products.



Toronto in summer, Bahamas in winter.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Vasco

The explanation is simple. In a free market system a manufacturer can ask whatever they wish for their product. Whether you buy it or a cheaper similar sized anchor is entirely up to you. Pricing and production costs don't have to have a close relation. Look at Apple products.

Pretty much what I said earlier: Post #29. But that does not appear to be a sufficient answer for rwidman. He seems to want to equate absolute input costs to final retail price. Sounds very Communistic to me . I with ya Brother .

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Pretty much what I said earlier: Post #29. But that does not appear to be a sufficient answer for rwidman. He seems to want to equate absolute input costs to final retail price. Sounds very Communistic to me . I with ya Brother .

Yep you've got me figured out. I am a card carrying communist with a poster of Joseph Stalin on my garage wall.

Honestly, I have a hard time figuring out where some of these posts come from. My first thought is alcohol but often it's way too early in the day for the bottles to be out.

I have my answer, thank you. Manufacturers have figured out that if they charge more for a product, consumers will buy it because they figure it must be better.

I've been reading in PassageMaker magazine about the Fortress anchor tests last summer. It seems the dansforth and Fortress anchors performed better than all the "new gen" anchors at far less cost. In the December issue, Nigel Calder takes issue with these findings but all he has to add is anecdotal experience.

One thing I go from the article though is "Your anchor doesn't have to outperform another anchor, it only has to outperform mother nature." That seems to sum it up.

[zboss]

While not always true... it is often true that more money equates to a better product. The relation is often correct.