Anchoring

[Old Salt]

picking nits

Maine you are working hard for Craig and justifying everything.I thought the debate was he only posted once . Oops not quite rightOh, then your point was he only posts and has a right to "defend his product". Oops, not quite right there either. In FACT he often turns his discussions into how his product is the best blah blah blah. Then (unless you are blind) his innuendo says it all.You are wrong Maine. Stop working so hard.

 

[Old Salt]

ps. Insulting claims about another manufacturer

(Just like you wrote about him doing a few times just in that one thread) is actually WORSE than just saying you are the "best"More reason he's stupid and driving people away from wanting to do business with him and using his product. It happens in the business world and politics everyday and people lose support for themselves and their product because of it.

 

[Maine Sail]

Salt..

Clearly you missed my winkies and qualifying statement of "in this thread" in post #17......As usual you misinterpreted my point. I disagree with MUCH of what Craig does and I've publicly been very critical of him but I still invite maunfacturers to participate..

 

[r.w.landau]

Ouch, Did I get beat up or what *o?

Thank you Maine Sail for your input. I am always prepared for advice. Your input had much!I posted this thread mainly to discuss ways to make anchors work better. I got carried away.When I said fatal flaws, I meant that the anchors failed and would not reset.I have not used every type of anchor. I do not claim to be an expert. I don't know of any anchor that has not failed. I will wait for your Rocna to fail. I hope that it doesn't happen.All of the anchors listed are anchors that work, in their given application.Some of the posters here anchor in rivers and danforths do work great, one direction. I have three different bruce style knockoffs that I have used for 10 years, average 2 to 3 nights a week 6 months a year. I use a 4.4# for lunch and fishing. I use an 11# for winds to about 25 knots. and a 16# that I use about three times a year to anchor multiple boats when rafting-up.I have had 2 situations where the anchor did not reset. The first was an 11# claw on a 20 knot day. When I pulled the anchor up, it had an 8# mushroom anchor fouled in the claw.The second was a night time mud and grass situation when the wind 35 mph gusts changed 90 degrees and the anchor broke loose and did not reset. I was sound asleep and woke up when I felt the bow blow free. I was so close to shore I had to start the engine and motored at an angle over the anchor until I could go forward to retrieve and clean the anchor to reset it. The wind was three times what it was forecast. I only had the 11# claw out. I doubled the scope and slept the rest of the night.Maine sail, I have 3 brothers, and my dad. We do sailing trips mostly in Fla, the keys etc. The captian is the boss. I do what I am told and sleep... ok, try to sleep, in the cockpit with my foot on the wheel. I bet we have more dragging miles than you do!Again, thanks for the challenge! I love them and it helps everyone.r.w.landauFred, it looks like you have room for two!

 

[Fred Ficarra7897]

Ya know RW, there's a pattern in your last post.

Lunch hooks. I use my working anchor for everything. Sleep and lunch are too precious to risk.

 

[r.w.landau]

Fred, two drags in 10 years and over 700 nights, I like my bruce knock offs.

They are lunch anchors for you but for my 25' boat, they are great.Hope things are well with you!r.w.landauI still think the key is ample chain and scope.

 

[PilotAlso]

FWIW: I will NEVER buy a Rocna!!!!

I'm very new to this stuff but I know what I don't like,A rabid manufacturer who insinuates all other vendors products are marginal at best and mostly dangerous.I plan to use the Bruce which came with the boat and wait until another, less irritating, manufacturer comes along with the next, latest-greatest, anchor.Sometimes simply having a great product isn't enough when it's represented by poor marketing and salesmanship.

 

[Rick D]

PilotAlso....

...you just identified why most communications professionals discourage clients from responding in Internet forums. When they don't, people wonder why. When they do, they tend to irritate more than illuminate, and in a marketplace, bad news travels a lot wider than good. Rick D.

 

[Ross]

I am troubled by the widely different test results

for some anchors with long histories and solid reputations and the test results as shown in the chart published a little way back. If my memory serves me the Bruce anchor was used to anchor North Sea oil platforms and was successful enough that it was scaled down for pleasure boat use. I seem to recall the Danforth was designed for the military during WW11 for landing craft. The CQR goes back at least into the '50's and has served many cruisers well for fifty years.  I wonder if the tests were conducted in a manner that would insure the optimal setting conditions for each anchor type or if they were all expected to perform on the same scope and same length and weight of chain. My CQR sets every time on the first try. BUT I NEVER attempt to set my anchor on short scope 7:1 is minimum for me with the heavy chain I use. If a captain anticipated high winds and if he was prudent he would use more than a 7:1 scope when he anchored. With a long scope the anchor is more likely to stay buried and plow a curve into the bottom as the wind shifts. It would be rare for the wind to blow 35 from the west and shift 180 degrees and blow 35 from the east. I think they say that the wind backed or veered so the pull on the anchor with a long scope will change slowly and probably the anchor will follow the pull.

 

[Doug Burton]

since the thread seems dead

it seems alot of you have extra anchors. Anybody want to sell their old around 40lb Bruce? Dougb123 at (as in @) verizon.net

 

[Maine Sail]

Doug ..

You'd be looking for a 44 lb Bruce or a 33 lb Bruce.. I have a 33 but it's on loan to a buddy. I do have a 35 CQR and a Spade A-80 I'd sell but you NEED CHAIN with both of those anchors..! The A-80 is a much better anchor than the CQR though..