Help ID this Anchor - Any Good?

[Gone Gypsy]

Found this anchor in a stern locker of our newly acquired boat. Does anyone know what it is? Any opinions on how well it sets and holds? Just me - does not look like it would set and hold very well. Below it was a disassembled 85# Mantis that DOES look effective. Any experience with that anchor also appreciated.

[B-Baysailer]

Looks like a super max anchor .I never used one

[Gone Gypsy]

That’s a start! Thanks!

[BugzyCan]

I have a Mantus on my small boat, it is fantastic in mud, sand and weeds. It is a good design that always sets well even when the boat spins around, and works well with anchor roller.

[roverhi]

The bottom one is a Mantus which is the 'hot' anchor these days and worth some bucks. Not sure what the other is but probably great in soft bottoms but possibly won't penetrate well in hard bottom and weeds. Worth keeping both for different conditions.

[rslifkin]

The first one looks like the non-pivoting version of the SuperMax.

[Gone Gypsy]

Thanks everyone!
Checked websites and indeed the first anchor is a SuperMax. Mixed reviews online. Have not found(yet) that Panope ever video tested the SuperMax. Plenty of good reviews on the Mantus including from Panope.
Attached here is the 30kg genuine Bruce that was in bow roller of our new boat. Again good reviews on the genuine Bruce. It seems to me that between the Bruce and Mantus we would have complementing anchors for most any bottom condition. Bruce for soft bottoms and rock and Mantus for firm sand gravel and storm conditions - big with great reset.
Thinking about letting the SuperMax go and getting a folding Delta or Fortress to be used as a stern anchor. Less space, higher function and might actually get used.
With this anchor armory - Bruce, Mantus, Fortress - anyone think it is a mistake to eliminate the SuperMax and free up locker space?

[rslifkin]

I'd probably keep the Supermax over a Bruce, honestly. The Mantus will work in most bottoms. The Supermax might have an advantage in something really soft, although it wouldn't be as good as a big Fortress for soft mud.

[zeehag]

trade the supermax for a smaller anchor for kedging off shoals in a grounding. also have a spool of decent anchor rode type line--mine is 3 strand 3/4 inch.. with thimble for temporary attachment for such work.

[Gone Gypsy]

Exactly, Zeehag! Thinking a Fortress and rode could be used off stern or deployed from dingy for some tricky situation. Hadn’t thought of dingy and kedging - know I’m missing your depth of knowledge (‘bad’ experiences successfully resolved). Thanks.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by SJ2581

Exactly, Zeehag! Thinking a Fortress and rode could be used off stern or deployed from dingy for some tricky situation. Hadn’t thought of dingy and kedging - know I’m missing your depth of knowledge (‘bad’ experiences successfully resolved). Thanks.

practice kedging of fa shoal in a well known anchorage--can b e done in deep water for practice. kedging off a shoal can be done from midships or bow or stern. just make sure rudder is secure before ripping it off..hahaha
we kedged birdee off a 5 ft depth area in barra and reanchored into 14 ft depth using dinghies and my cqr and rope rode from the spool. was about a 50 yard move.. i have kedged a 45 ft trimaran off the golf club shoal in coronado cali--was a friends and boat was trying to play golf...hahahahaha took me 4 hours to get his hard aground tri so he could free self within 15 min or his arrival onto boat.. that was fun...his rudder was buried in the sand so i had to dig that out before pulling on the rode for sideways movement..
there are so many ways to be able to practice these skills that are so needed where there is no sea toad...or boat screw us.... also helps to save dough by not needing the toad boats. ye can keep your dough for a decent meal or a beer ...hahahahaha. only time i couldnot kedge off was in a storm near port st joe when we ran onto the spoils bank due to inability to see all the red blinking guide lights, and toad was 1695 usd.. gag. seas were too choppy at 4 ish feet to deploy a lil inflatable successfully in wtf was that WIND we had.. seems we were doing well as 11 tornadoes were spawned from those lovely sailing breezes...but i digress..
practicing can be fun..as long as ye do not panic in the real deal you are good to go. gotta admit we both got a lil panicky with the hard pounding on solid hard stuff during that misadventure, and cat was scared. is why it is a good thing to practice much and well.
oh yes never throw an anchor--all you willget isa hernia and torn muscles (not me--i cannot throw heavy weights just lift 'em ..hahaha)

[noelex 77]

As others have said, the first image is of a SuperMax anchor. I have never actually seen one of these designs in real life, but its reputation is as a specialty soft substrate (primarily soft mud) anchor.

There was an old test in Practical Sailor magazine (January 1999 edition). They ranked the SuperMax between fifth and seventh (depending on the test site) out of 15 models in sand. Not a bad result. It was almost identical to the Fortress (ranked between fourth and seventh) in this test. I suspect both anchors would have done better in a very soft substrate. Keep in mind no new generation anchors were included (they were not around at this time).

BTW You can adjust the fluke angle on some models of the SuperMax. There are only a few anchor models where this can be done (the Fortress is the most known). The idea is to increase the fluke angle in very soft substrates. In the Fortress this is of limited value in my view as there is always the danger of encountering a slightly firmer substrate than expected. If this occurs and the larger setting is used the anchor has almost no holding ability. I suspect these observations also apply to the SuperMax but someone who has used the SuperMax will be able to give you more accurate practical experience.

The bottom anchor is a Mantus M1, which is an excellent general purpose anchor and is the same design as I use for my primary anchor. The only pity is that from the photo it looks like someone has drilled a hole in the shank and unfortunately they have done this in the worst possible place, at the edge rather than in the centre.

This hole will not effect the performance, but it increases the chance of bending the shank. Nearly all bends occur as the anchor is being retrieved, after it has done its job. So personally I would suggest the anchor is safe to use with the modification, but I wish people would not do this.

The Mantus is normally covered by an excellent warranty that includes deformation, but I imagine, given the hole, the warranty on the shank is no longer valid (it would still be worth contacting the manufacturer to check). Still the bolt together construction means just a new shank needs to be purchased if you do manage to bend it.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by SJ2581

Exactly, Zeehag! Thinking a Fortress and rode could be used off stern or deployed from dingy for some tricky situation. Hadn’t thought of dingy and kedging - know I’m missing your depth of knowledge (‘bad’ experiences successfully resolved). Thanks.

Kedging is probably the most practical need for a light anchor, and Fortress is a favorite choice. But not storm size for a kedge.


A second anchor can be handy fore-aft, but pretty useless on the Chesapeake Bay. Two from the bow is more likely, but not with full chain (if the boat spins the tangles are epic). (note. The below example is for very soft mud, using a Fortress as one of the anchors. If I were using Mantus and Bruce, either could be primary and the secondary rode would be the shorter of the two.


Some will argue for a stern anchor as a brake. (a) A fortress is terrible for this because it is too light to get to the bottom if the boat is moving much. (b) It is virtually always smarter, faster, and more secure to swing the boat into the wind and anchor from the bow, even in an emergency. The turn kills speed and takes you away from danger. If there is not enough room to turn, odds are 80% that a stern anchor won't have time to catch either and you won't have slowed at all.


Yes, Bruce, Mantus, and Fortress is a good Chesapeake line up. The Supermax is a good anchor, but it does not fulfill the kedge function. Steel anchors for a boat this size are too heavy to be manhandled.

[patrickbarbary]

Never had any of these two but read a lot of good feedback. My standard is Delta and Bruce (cheaper copies but same thing)

[Heathenly Twins]

I have been using Mantus on almost all of my boats and yeah, they're great. I was disappointed to see corrosion on the roll-bar after only about 90 uses, however but the shank and fluke are still perfect. I'm going to buy a bigger one for storms