Scary night

[Maine Sail]

A pointy anchor like a CQR or a Rocna is good at penetrating the seabed on its own and digging down, but a "blunter" anchor like the Bruce has more trouble and needs more weight.

Hmm..

Bruce Anchor In Hard Sand 4:1 Scope
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWXOurOiRkU

Rocna In Hard Sand 4:1 Scope
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzTGFGcAjTE

CQR In Hard Sand 4:1 Scope
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U5DKHtpXM8

CQR vs. Rocna Hard Sand 10:1+ Scope
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmGAckf69pE

Personally, I'll take a genuine Bruce over a CQR 8 days a week & I actually own two genuine CQR's.... The Bruce ideally should be up-sized by one or two sizes though..

[rtbates]

After being set on the beach twice in two years because a storm came through in the middle of the night with a 180º wind shift causing our Danforth (a real one) to break out and not reset I went to a 22lb Bruce.

The first time we anchored with the Bruce I donned scuba and sat on the bottom as my wife powered around the anchor and set off 180º. I was absolutely amassed and delighted to see the Bruce simply pivot in the bottom and never even came close to breaking out. I was a Bruce convert at once...we were anchored in granite sand. A coarse sand bottom created from granite getting ground up by glaciers a few million years ago. I also carry a 16lb Bruce as backup. It can also be shackled to the head of the 22lber as John mentions. I can't imagine the force required to yank both of them out.

[Tod Mills]

by Evans Starzinger: http://www.bethandevans.com/pdf/Main%20 ... 20test.pdf

I use a Bruce and so far have only had it drag one time: in soft Chesapeake Bay mud while singly holding a raft of a half dozen boats (similarly sized to mine) when a thunderstorm interupted an afternoon gab session. And when it dragged, it just slowly plowed a furrow in the bottom, giving us plenty of time to stow our painkillers and break up the raft.

So far I've never had a problem with it setting or re-setting in various bottoms with changes in wind or tide.

[wstringer]

Several years ago we were overnighting between Cat Cay and Chubb Cay in the Bahamas, travelling in company with two other boats. We anchored on the bank in about 20 feet of water with a 44 lb Bruce on 100+ feet of 3/8 BBB. There was a fair amount of grass on the bottom but from the surface, at least, the anchor looked to be well set.

Later that night the wind came up to 20 knots and we started to drag - would not have known except we were draggind directly down onto one of the other boats. Over the next hour we tried to reset the Bruce several times without success. I finally switched to a 35 lb CQR on about 20 feet of BBB with rope, and it grabbed so quickly it almost took the rope our of my hands. We had no more issues with dragging that night.

We began the night 1/4 mile east of the other boat. Next morning we were 1/2 mile north, having kept their anchor light to port the whole time we were dragging. (Don't ask me how THAT happened !!)

After another time where we could not get the Bruce to set well I changed over to the CQR permanently, and had no further issues with dragging. The Bruce just did not seem to be able to dig into the hard bottom with a veneer of grass an sand over it.

Warren

[Klem]

You can hear a horror story about every style of anchor ever made. Sometimes the anchor simply wouldn't work in the conditions and sometimes it was the user's fault. Given that anchors have different conditions that they excel in, it makes sense to buy one that works well for your proposed cruising area. The latest generation of anchors does a better job at working in all bottom types but there are still bottoms that they will not work in. My experience with the bruce is that it sets pretty well in everything but grass but that its ultimate holding power is low. For someone looking for an older generation anchor for their boat, it would be a good choice in most bottom types although oversizing it is wise.

Ground tackle sizing recommendations are pretty poor in my opinion from most manufacturers. They tend to suggest undersized anchors and rode with impractical amounts of scope. This is really the subject of another thread but anchoring in strong winds is much better understood now to maximize the total package selection for holding power.

[Michael Heintz]

First Maine Sail,

Fascinating test......and interesting results. I have a 35 lbs original CQR, with over 50 ‘ chain and never had a problem ( CD 30 MK II ), sailing in Long Island and Cape Cod. Originally had a 25 lbs Danforth, I now use that as my second anchor.

I must sat I am unfamiliar with the Rocna, but am VERY impressed with your test results !!!!

Anyone else have an opinion on the Rocna?

Maine sail thank you for that video test......extremely informative and done with great effort.....

Let’s continue the dialog.....there is nothing better than this board and the information gained from it!!!!!!

[Maine Sail]

First Maine Sail,

Fascinating test......and interesting results. I have a 35 lbs original CQR, with over 50 ‘ chain and never had a problem ( CD 30 MK II ), sailing in Long Island and Cape Cod. Originally had a 25 lbs Danforth, I now use that as my second anchor.

I must sat I am unfamiliar with the Rocna, but am VERY impressed with your test results !!!!

Anyone else have an opinion on the Rocna?

Maine sail thank you for that video test......extremely informative and done with great effort.....

Let’s continue the dialog.....there is nothing better than this board and the information gained from it!!!!!!

Michael,

I am one of those guys who likes to see how things work. As a result I have played around with all my anchors on intertidal areas on both hard and soft surfaces and one day I brought my video camera.

I now own a digital load cell and when I get some time over the off season plan to see what they hold in a similar substrate. Believe it or not the CQR has been one of the worst performing and not jsut in hard substrates. I used CQR's for many years and was never comfortable after my intertidal testing I now know why. In many instances, even once set, I could drag a "properly sized", by manufacturers spec, CQR with only the reverse thrust of my engine and that should NOT happen. Don't get me wrong I have hundreds of successful anchorings with CQR's but many of those took two or three tries to get a good solid set. I don't have much tolerance for multiple sets and re-sets because I do all the anchoring myself and rarely use my windlass. The new gen anchors set almost instantly, like you're tied to a cement jetty...

While I don't believe the perfect anchor has been built yet the Manson Supreme and Rocan are the best I've experienced in various bottoms from hard to very soft silt. For old gen anchors I still like the Bruce if you up-size it. I have used many anchors over the years and still own 2 Spades, 2 CQR's, 1 Bruce (now on loan to Dean ), Supermax, Fortress, Rocna & Manson Supreme. I sold my Delta with the last boat which is also not a bad anchor in terms of "old technology" but I still prefer a Bruce over the Delta and a Spade, Manson Supreme or Rocna over any of the "old gen" anchors....

While many people only anchor when they have to I have spent a great deal of time experimenting and putting mine through the paces to really see what they can do when pushed hard and to the limits. I actually put myself in a Nor' Easter out in front of the house with my Rocna to see what she'd do but peak wind speed only hit 52 so it was not the storm I thought it was and not really a good test..

[Dean Abramson]

Dean is very interested in all the anchor discussion. I know you guys like to talk about and compare big heavy things. But once we didn't drag, and seemed to be stationary, my biggest fear at the time (besides being struck by lightning) was that one of the other boats in the cove would drag into us. We did not know until the next morning that 2 of the 3 boats near us were moored and at first didn't realize nobody was on them. We kept wondering why they never turned on a lot of their lights as it got darker out, as we did. The other boat was anchored and did turn on his lights just after we did, so it was comforting to know we could see where he was some of the time. Visibility was dismal because we were in fog before the storm began; then add sideways-blowing rain, and fast-approaching darkness. As it turned out the other anchored boat did drag, about 300 ft according to him. I thought he had moved, but it was hard to tell until I saw his position the next morning - west of us instead of east. Luckily, all the boats had been at a nice safe and private distance from each other. Since there seems to be little other offense in this situation, is there any defense?

[Sally Perreten]

Sounds just like a storm we had at Napatree 3 (4?) years ago....which went on and on for 5 hours, constant lightning hitting all around us. Why we were not hit is in the category of miracle.

We had gone there to 'recover' from being hit by an unpredicted line squall in Narragansett Bay on our way home to Stonington. All we could do with that one is run before it with a few inches of jib unfurled. 45 minutes from just outside Dutch Harbor to being anchored in the Pnt Judith harbor of refuge. Pretty good time for a CD27.

We still bear psychic scars.

Sally

[Dean Abramson]

Maine Sail has very generously lent me his 33 lb. Bruce, and I am hoping to get that installed today. I will try it, and I may also try his 25 lb. Manson Supreme.

I confess that I am not quite sure what my wife is asking above... But if she is wondering if it is okay to torpedo other boats, I will tell her that that is not accepted practice.

Dean

[Carl Thunberg]

Marvo,

So far as defense against other boats dragging into you, about all I can offer is stand watch and be prepared to fend off. That, combined with a loud air horn to awake the captain of the offending vessel.

[bottomscraper]

Big Fenders?

BFFs

[Klem]

I must sat I am unfamiliar with the Rocna, but am VERY impressed with your test results !!!!

Anyone else have an opinion on the Rocna?

Michael,

I also have a Rocna (15kg) on the bow of my 30k. It is certainly not a perfect anchor but in my opinion, it is the best out on the market at this point. While the holding power that it provides is very good, I consider the best features to be the setting and veering abilities. Being someone who can't stand the thought of using the engine unless becalmed, I always try to sail onto the anchor which was always worrisome with other anchors since they wouldn't necessarily set and I might be dragging through an anchorage quickly. I only have probably 30 nights on this anchor since I just got it but it has held in 40+ knots on 2 occasions.

Being someone who used to work commercially and has well over 1000 nights on the hook, I have always considered occasional storms spent at anchor a given. For that reason, I felt that the Rocna was worth the investment and it certainly has been.

I also want to give a big thanks to Maine Sail for the type of testing and reporting that he provides to all of us, his opinions on anchors definitely helped me decide which one to buy.

[Neil Gordon]

We turned on the running lights and the steaming light.

Dean,

Thanks for the story, which is well told.

I'm confused about turning on running lights and the steaming light while anchored? On the odd chance someone was entering the anchorage and saw your starboard running light, wouldn't they assume you'd yield to them and also pressume you didn't have anchor rode ahead of you. I'd stick with an anchor light.

[Dean Abramson]

Neil,

I knew it was not "by the book," but the visibility was just so poor, I just wanted to be as visible as possible. I assume that the other Cape Dory came to the same conclusion, as he did the same thing. Also, I knew that at any moment we might in fact, by necessity, be moving under power, or at least trying to. I kind of doubt that another boat in there would have insisted on being a stand-on vessel re the Rules Of The Road in those conditions, in a cove. We and the other anchored boat were kinda in survival mode, and any newcomers would have been too. I wish that the moored boats had been lit up like Christmas trees; we would sometimes lose sight of them, and they were the closest hazards.

I see your point. But I would probably do the same again in that situation. We also had an anchor light, lit, hanging in the cockpit. Others would no doubt choose differently.

Dean