Jump to content

Anchoring - tips and tricks?


Recommended Posts

Found my anchor testing photos. not scientific, but address that "nagging doubt" as you are dozing off to sleep and the wind flicks around in the anchorage.

You can see the excel set in maybe 1 x its length. The plough simply would not set.

My main issue with the plough was not being confident it had set - that nagging doubt all the time. You know the excel has set, it stops the boat. Like I say, I ensure everyone is sitting down when I back down now, it is like backing into a brick wall.

The nagging doubt thing becomes more relevant when the wind shifts, and the anchor needs to re-set by itself.

In my view, you have already dragged twice. you can be as careful as you can with setting, but you will still have that little subconscious doubt. The purpose of getting the excel for me was to well and truely banish that little subconscious nagging doubt. Well to be honest, for me it was a fully conscious front and centre doubt, the plough just drags too easily.

Test location, Arkles bay at low tide. Hard sand.

Plough.jpg

Excel.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

I had, long ago (18 or 20 years) a Manson Plough. Thought it was ok, until one day anchored at Torrent Bay (Abel Tasman National Park, top of South Island for you Northerners!) on hard sand. Was dug in with about 4:1 scope, all chain. We had a front come thru, about a 180 deg wind shift, and 30 or 40 knots. The Manson Plough, pulled out, as expected, but by the time the rode was straight in the new direction, the boat was drifting quite fast. The Anchor never reset, it just skidded along the bottom for more than 30m, at which point I raised it, and reset it manually. 

I've been in the same situation with the Rocna, and that has never happened, it never moves more than a meter or so before resetting. Oh and on Wheels note about Rocnas - yes they had quality issues when production went to China, resulting in examples with bent shanks etc. They have replaced quite a few I understand, and the issues were resolved some years ago.

IMO any of the new SHHP anchors would be fine, just get one that fits on your bow, and is correctly sized. An anchor is not the place to save a few $$!

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

We have a CQR and never ever had any trouble. When i set the anchor I always give it plenty of time in reverse and let the helm go when it appears to be set. If the helm stays neutral i'm happy and shut down engine.

For a 10m boat i think you maybe a bit short in the chain length. Also, what is chain size?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Get rid of the plough, doesn't matter whose it is or where it came from.

Go see that turkey Grant at Chains Ropes & Bondage or whatever they are called, and get the Crew discount!

Any of the high or super high holding power modern designs will deliver you to a new world of bliss when the wind comes up overnight.

We use Rocna's, Excel & Manson Supreme on various work boats, and the Sarca Excel on Bad Kitty, changed from a Rocna but only because it fits better without the roll bar.

Both excellent anchors. And don't scrimp on chain, I'd add 20% to what you think is plenty.

The last time a plough could be considered a good anchor a big wooden boat loaded up with animals was about to run aground on Mt Ararat.

  • Like 1
  • Upvote 3
Link to post
Share on other sites
51 minutes ago, marinheiro said:

That's not correct, Manson's just copied the CQR, they never had any licence from Simpson Lawrence. Same as the way they copied the Rocna 

Simpson Lawrence made the Delta, a fixed shank version of the CQR. Lewmar made CQR.
While there are similarities, Manson have argued they never copied CQR. Only they know the real truth I guess, but they still have a great version, unlike many of the nasty copies of it out there.
They certainly did not "copy" Rocna. But they sure improved on it. And besides, Rocna has a bigger story behind it's design than I wish to say. That is up to KM if he ever wants to tell the story.
After all, how do you come up with a design different to another without being similar. There are dozens of different versions of Anchors on the market within each category of design and thus all similar.
The Excel anchor took the old Delta design and made major improvements to it. Very simply, design and modeling programs allow manufacturers to improve designs in ways we never could in the past and that is how Anchor Right came up with the design. It's arguably the best anchor on the market in both performance and biuld quality. Actually, all their designs have superb build quality. Rex would phone up all excited about the latest destructive test results and I would yell back so he could hear, "what are trying to anchor into, solid concrete????". I used to argue they were way over engineered. It is amasing to see this thing work in a range of bottom types.
Another Anchor that was amazing was the Alloy Spade. The one with the yellow paint on the back of it. I always found it hard to understand why this anchor performed as well as it did. But it sure did perform. I don't know if it is still made, but imagine it priced itself off the market. If you look at their SST anchors, they are lovely, but few would ever have the kind of budget needed to own one.

Link to post
Share on other sites
37 minutes ago, wheels said:

Simpson Lawrence made the Delta, a fixed shank version of the CQR. Lewmar made CQR.
While there are similarities, Manson have argued they never copied CQR. Only they know the real truth I guess, but they still have a great version, unlike many of the nasty copies of it out there.
They certainly did not "copy" Rocna. But they sure improved on it. And besides, Rocna has a bigger story behind it's design than I wish to say. That is up to KM if he ever wants to tell the story.
 

Simpson Lawrence developed both the CQR and the Delta, they were subsequently bought out by Lewmar. Just about everything Manson's have ever produced has been a copy of someone else's design. By the way the story of the Spade (from Adrian Faulkner) was that Alain was making a copy of a Delta for the boat he was building but realised it would work better with the fluke inverted, so the Spade in essence is an "inside out" Delta.

I am well aware of KM's views on the Rocna, I also have Peter Smith's first hand advice about its history over the years and KM's involvement. When the Manson copy of the Rocna was first released, in breach of Peter's NZ registered design and the confidentiality agreement signed by the Mair's while they did due diligence on buying Rocna, he sought my and other peoples advice on his options. My simple advice was "unless you are in a position to spend a s**t load of money on lawyers, you a f**k*d". When he went to his lawyer he was given the same advice. This was what the Mairs were banking on. 

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

MH is right Manson never had a licence from Simpson Lawrence, and further more their plough is a way different animal to the genuine CQR -the Trevco was closer.

A genuine CQR with appropriate chain will work-just not as fast setting as the new generation lead by the proven and tested Delta -another Simpson Lawrence product.

The Excel seems to be the only recent advance, I know enough about the genesis of the Rocna to say that I wont be using one.   

Link to post
Share on other sites

We use a Manson supreme, great anchor, always back up and dig it in, we have 30 mtrs of 8mm chain and 14mm warp, I always put out all the chain, and adjust amount of warp depending on depth and wind,it’s surprising the amount of boats that drop some chain over then turn motor off with out setting the anchor, if they are close to me and it’s a bit breezy I will move

Link to post
Share on other sites
30 minutes ago, marinheiro said:

Simpson Lawrence developed both the CQR

No the CQR was designed way before they existed. A very famouse Scotsman by the name of Sir Geoffry Ingram Taylor designed it in 1933. He was a very clever Physicist, Mathmatician and an expert in Fluid Dynamics and Wave Theory. He applied maths to it's design.

Link to post
Share on other sites
7 minutes ago, wheels said:

No the CQR was designed way before they existed. A very famouse Scotsman by the name of Sir Geoffry Ingram Taylor designed it in 1933. He was a very clever Physicist, Mathmatician and an expert in Fluid Dynamics and Wave Theory. He applied maths to it's design.

Agree about Taylor developing it, no record if it was developed independently or on behalf of Simpson Lawrence who manufactured it from the 30's onwards. Simpson Lawrence were established 1908 per

 https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb248-ugc075#:~:text=Simpson-Lawrence was started in,private limited company in 1937 .&text=The company was already involved,Britain joined the Common Market.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Looks like we have a winner - the Ultra anchor!  But they need their own special swivel.


So for a 10m yacht: 

Ultra 12kg, plus Ultra Swivel 8mm = 1899 + 369 = AU$ 2268.

Excel No. 3 12.5kg = NZ$ 472.27

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

This guy has dozens of great videos testing of different t anchors in differing conditions and veering. Ploughs rate very lowly and my experience is that a plough won’t reset once the boat is moving, which his video evidence confirms  

Watching them all will take a while. 

Link to post
Share on other sites
11 hours ago, Island Time said:

 

IMO any of the new SHHP anchors would be fine, just get one that fits on your bow, and is correctly sized. An anchor is not the place to save a few $$!

This ++

We've had a supreme and a spade on various boats, both streets ahead of the plow we had for a while on the previous boat. As per the thread rockna, excel etc are excellent too. Imo it's not worth persevering with the plough, you can add chain/change technique, but when you're stuck somewhere and it's really blowing its better to not be wondering if you'll shift. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...