Storm Anchor

[Manateeman]

We carry a laughable amount of anchor gear but here are three suggestions which might help.
#1 the waterline eye. A super strong eye right at the bow/keel/ waterline.
#2 the Kodiak float. Largest size crab pot float.
Anchor chain goes from anchor to a group of low drag crab floats. The chain hangs in a arc to the boat where it attaches to the deck strongpoint. A snubber line or two are attached to the chain under the floats. They go to a block at the waterline then up and over the rollers. It’s a system with numerous small variations. Two things are key. The snubber is parallel to the water. The snubber attachment point is at the waterline. This helps the boat ride up and over waves rather than nosedive into them.
More chain can be let out as it is hanging in a loop. More snubber length can be added. Some fishermen have a dyneema core safety line attached to the float / chain junction in case the snubber or snubbers part.
Suggestion #3
After you try to get far away from everybody and anything that floats, you often find you are in a river with a pretty soft bottom.calls for Huge Fortress anchors.
Our current stuff. Two 120 lbs on bow. One FX 85 under tender aft. One FX 55 aft rail. One FX120 below for hurricane. One FX 35 to lend out to fellow sailors who have lost their anchor. Commercial fishing swivels. Chafe gear, lines...etc.
Beer, pizzas and board games to keep crew mentally occupied.
Happy 4th of July.
Captain Mark and his crazy crew.

[Manateeman]

Forgot to say what’s on the bow. One 120# stainless Bruce, one 120# stainless Hamburg delta. All our hurricane line spliced eyes and chafe gear by Consolidated Rigging in Jacksonville. Commercial fishing stuff from New Bedford .
Happy 4th. Mark

[TNLI]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

Welcome to the forum, but I think you are confusing anchor strength with holding power.

The CQR is a tough anchor (although the owner of our previous boat managed to bend one), but the heavy shank and hinge mechanism is unfortunately one factor that reduces its performance. The hinge mechanism also creates a wear point.

It struggles to set in many substrates where a modern design will perform well.

In storm conditions you want the highest holding power possible, and that is not a CQR.
A genuine CQR does not have any lead.

There is no record of a bent CQR apart from a steel trawler that crushed one. I work part time for the RNLI in Poole HQ and they really do know what does or does not work. Never confused holding power with strength. The genuine CQR says made in Scotland, the weight in Lbs and actual patent number.
The hot dipped galvanising is very thick so they really do not rust. A genuine one sure does have Lead in the end under the steel in the pointed section. Copies do not and are often just electroplated.

I was surprised that the original CQR beat the new Delta in reset terms, and I agree the CQR takes more time to set and a longer rode than a Bruce, although if you have a very hard gravel or sand a Danforth is faster in reset terms than any other anchor apart from a grapnel. Anchors with sharp points that corrode also reset slightly faster, but in a storm the CQR keeps heading for the centre of the planet when pulled hard and can be a real PITA to trip after a storm. I don't like trip lines as some boaters think they are mooring bouys. Not good news if they pull it hard enough!

I'm building my own 27ft alloy offshore lifeboat when I have time at present, so I'm collecting anchors. So far I have 2 CQR's, a 35lb storm and a 15lb working anchor. A 4kg steel Danforth, a small short scope grapnel for the stern or bottom searches. Looking for a cheap small fishermans anchor at present, as RNLI offshore boats all carry one.

[TNLI]

Originally Posted by Manateeman

Forgot to say what’s on the bow. One 120# stainless Bruce, one 120# stainless Hamburg delta. All our hurricane line spliced eyes and chafe gear by Consolidated Rigging in Jacksonville. Commercial fishing stuff from New Bedford .
Happy 4th. Mark

I like the OEM Bruce anchors, although a stainless one might need locking in place as they are a tad too expensive for me, but not for a boat rientated thief.
The Hamburg Delta is the same as the Lewmar Delta as far as I have heard, almost as good as the original CQR.

[goboatingnow]

Having owned both a CQR ( original not a copy ) and a stainless Bruce o can say the CQR looks lovely at the bottom of the garden and the Bruce fetched a nice price as an adornment for a boat that rarely anchors.

Both are completely outclassed by a rocna or spade

I would rate the delta above either but a little bit less then the rocna ( but the roll bar fouls chains in Greece !!!)

[TNLI]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Having owned both a CQR ( original not a copy ) and a stainless Bruce o can say the CQR looks lovely at the bottom of the garden and the Bruce fetched a nice price as an adornment for a boat that rarely anchors.

Both are completely outclassed by a rocna or spade

I would rate the delta above either but a little bit less then the rocna ( but the roll bar fouls chains in Greece !!!)

So you gave up boating or moved into a marina.

The Rocna is worse than a CQR in every way and is also top of the legue for getting bent. Some spades are slightly better than a CQR or Bruce due to their sharp points, but I only know of one manufacturer that makes a spade that does not bend too easily, although their warranty in the UK says it does not include bent anchors, so I'm not saying who the company are!
Once an anchor gets bent it's game over unless you have a second one set, like wot I always do in a storm, unless the downwind beach looks good, (All lifeboats can be grounded OK as long as there are no rocks or pilings etc).

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by TNLI

There is no record of a bent CQR apart from a steel trawler that crushed one.

I agree the CQR is a strong anchor ( the shank and hinge mechanism is too heavily built in my view, decreasing performance) but they do bend. I owned a bent CQR for many years, so I guess there is now a record

Originally Posted by TNLI

I work part time for the RNLI in Poole HQ and they really do know what does or does not work.

Thanks for your service. I very much admire the work of the RNLI. They do fantastic work . But RNLI boats don’t anchor often and much of the UK coast is easy mud anchorages.

If you want to know about what anchors work well, talk to long distance cruising boats. Some of these boats anchor close to 7/365 and encounter the full range of substrates. The CQR is not held in high regard.

Originally Posted by TNLI

The hot dipped galvanising is very thick so they really do not rust.

They are well galvanised, but “do not rust” is unfortunately an exaggeration, see the photo below. In addition wear in the hinge mechanism can, and does reduce the performance significantly. This often requires relatively early replacement.

Originally Posted by TNLI

A genuine one sure does have Lead in the end under the steel in the pointed section.

This is a common misconception.

Originally Posted by TNLI

I was surprised that the original CQR beat the new Delta in reset terms .

The Delta anchor is another convex plough anchor and is a terrible comparison. Modern new generation anchors are far superior.

[Manateeman]

I have a nice but rusty Rocna 120 lb ashore. It was ok but not thrilling. Not better nor worse than the Delta shape. Seems the Bruce digs in a bit deeper. They are all ok until you need to ride out a big blow in soft river mud. Then we flip over the big Fortress. Still have a three piece fisherman but we just never had to anchor in stones. Love my lead line. I like knowing what we are trying to anchor into.
Happy 4th of July
Mark and crew

[giliganthegreat]

Hey what’s up? Are you using a windless or manual windless or winch to retrieve a 120# anchor with 100 rode out?

[Manateeman]

Maxwell 3500. Unless it’s pizza night...then the first cold beer goes to the first of my manatee crew who jumps overboard and digs out the anchor with a WW2 trench tool. We once had a Fortress FX 85 dig itself so far down in a storm that it took me a tank of air just to find the shackle. L O L
Happy 4th of July
Mark

[goboatingnow]

I carry a big fortress for soft sand and mud , I like the delta as I find the Rocna roll bar catches everything in Greece unfailingly while many times the other chain just slides off the delta , neither anchor have had to withstand more then F6, I’ve switched back and forth.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by TNLI

The Rocna is worse than a CQR in every way and is also top of the legue for getting bent.

Step away from the crack pipe

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by TNLI

So you gave up boating or moved into a marina.

The Rocna is worse than a CQR in every way and is also top of the legue for getting bent. Some spades are slightly better than a CQR or Bruce due to their sharp points, but I only know of one manufacturer that makes a spade that does not bend too easily, although their warranty in the UK says it does not include bent anchors, so I'm not saying who the company are!
Once an anchor gets bent it's game over unless you have a second one set, like wot I always do in a storm, unless the downwind beach looks good, (All lifeboats can be grounded OK as long as there are no rocks or pilings etc).

As an ex chairman of an rnli station , rnli findings tend to be extremely soecific to their needs to the point of being myopic. I would not re interpret their experiences to wider sailing cruisers.

These days around me the Rocna reigns supreme , fitted to 1000s of charter boats , I can’t remember when I last saw a CQR and my friend just dumped his Bruce for a rocna.

Id be more tempted to change to the French made Spade anchor , I don’t like roll bars.

I used my cqr in mud on a power boat. The damm thing always ploughed on its side , dammed near useless. I could drag it around the anchorage it was much better propped up against my garden shed, where it has never dragged