Anchor holding power

[sketchrbob]

I believe the anchor supplied with the anchor package by the factory is a reasonable facsimile of the Bruce if not the real thing. I am wondering what kind of experience owners have had with this anchor -- namely how well does it hold in various kinds of bottom material, how easy is it to retrieve and how much chain do owners use? Also how much scope do owners find is necessary in crowded harbor situations? Thanks. sketchrbob

 

[Doug in Williamsburg]

Sketchrbob,

The anchor included by the factory with the R-25 is a clone knock-off of a Bruce anchor. I presume it is similar to that included with your R-21. It is quite adequate as a daytime lunch-hook or fishing anchor, i.e., when the skipper is awake and keeping watch. The length of chain commendably included by the factory will enhance the anchor’s effectiveness. Retrieval will not be a problem. It may meet your needs.

However, the anchor is not adequate for overnighting or when the wind kicks up. While you may not intend to overnight in your R-21, you may desire an additional margin of safety.

It is insufficient to determine the size of an anchor solely by the length of the boat. Other factors also apply, such as your intended use (lunch hook, working anchor, or storm anchor), the weight of the boat, and its windage. The prime factor is the horizontal load that the boat will exert on the anchor. Note, for example, that the R-25 is a heavy boat for its size. Based on the R-25’s working weight, most anchor manufacturers recommend a size anchor larger than that normally associated with its length (and bigger than the anchor included by the factory). A similar approach will apply to your R-21.

Quick setting and resetting are important traits for an anchor, but, as a cruiser, I am most concerned with the maximum horizontal load before the anchor drags or breaks free.

Four excellent anchors are the Fortress (a Danforth design on steroids), and the Delta, Rocna, or Quickline Ultra (all modern plow designs). The Rocna has demonstrated excellent performance with less scope. Upgrading the anchor is a sound investment in your safety. Unfortunately, you do get what you pay for.

On my R-25 I have a 22-lb Rocna. A friend has an 18-lb Ultra – very high performing, but a little pricey. Both boats have 50’ of chain. Smaller versions of these anchors may meet your needs.

Scope is scope. A 5:1 ratio is o.k. for a lunch hook. After all, you will be awake and keeping watch. Otherwise a minimum ratio of 7:1 is normal. Use more scope during a blow. You can shorten the ratio somewhat in a crowded anchorage, but the anchor’s performance will suffer. Some anchors perform notably worse with a shortened scope.

As to the desired length of chain, skippers differ in their preferences. Certainly not less than ½” of chain per foot of boat (recommended by Chapmans). 1” of chain per foot of boat is good (recommended by BoatUS). More than that is not essential, but may improve your anchor’s performance in bad weather. Boats anchoring among rocky bottoms or coral tend to use more chain. Boats on the Chesapeake Bay, with its soft bottom, can get by with less.

Good luck!

--Doug

 

[commander bill]

My R25 anchor will not hold well on Tennessee River bottom mud (mostly sticky clay). It digs in deep but still will not set & hold this type bottom well. A Fortress type will work better but looks horrible on front of the Ranger. That said here on Watts bar lake we have many very good protected coves with no wind or current & the Bruce with 50 foot of chain & my GPS anchor alarm allows me to sleep. I carry a 2nd anchor (Fortress) in cockpit for any case when I think a 2nd anchor might be needed. Anchoring with 2nd anchor by stern on the Tennessee river is not a problem.

By the way Dr Bob posted an outstanding writeup on anchor performance some time back on the C-Brats site

 

[Lobo]

To really improve any anchors holding power, add a KELLET.

Get a lead down rigger ball -- at least 10 pounds -- and attach it to sufficient line (I use 60' of thin double braid). You will also need a shackle to attach the weight over your anchor rode. It doesn't need to be big, but loose enough to slide down your anchor rode. Once your anchor is set, clip the kellet to your anchor line and let it slide down until it his either the bottom or -- preferably -- snug up to the rode/chain joint. I cleat the end of my line to a bow cleat. 60' feet works for me as I seldom anchor in water over 40' overnight. Add to yours if your depths are greater. When you up-anchor, pull the kellet up first (manually). You could always tie it to a float and toss overboard if depth and scope greater than your rode.

When it's down and breezy, first the boat has to pull up the 10 pounds of lead, then the weight of the chain before the pressure is put on the anchor.

I leave mine in the anchor locker. The shackle for the anchor rode is where I shackle my kellet, so it stays put.

I have a 10kg/22 lb Rochna. Love it! I do a lot of Race Committee work and can up and down anchor a dozen times a day when doing this. It's "drop and forget" -- I seldom even "set" it -- it just grabs. For overnight, though, I do proper sets.

I was doing this Saturday in heavier seas and winds. I also had Christmas lights all over the boat. I wasn't keen on going forward to bring in the anchor. I found that I can actually operate the anchor, including reaching into the anchor locker to knock down the chain hill, by stuffing myself up through the V-Berth overhead hatch. It's a bit of a stretch -- but I can do it. Great for single handing.

Dave
"Lobo"

 

[Bruce Moore]

I know very little about, and have even less experience, anchoring. But, I found this video on the Rocna site quite interesting. It discusses anchor design and shows setting performance for a variety of anchor types.

 

[Levitation]

The T&T list has recurring endless anchor debates... One going on right now... For your education and entertainment pop over to:
trawlers-and-trawlering-request@lists.samurai.com

denny-o

 

[Stella Maris]

We have used Bruce Anchors exclusively for the past twenty years and have only once had an issue with it setting. We have never had an issue with the Bruce dragging though. However, on Solitude as well as our Catalina 25, we carried 250 feet of line with fifty feet of chain. We always use the 7 to 1 scope ratio. On occasion this has been increased to 10 to 1 in a strong blow. At times I have also set two bow anchors with the same type equipment.

We have anchored in all types of bottoms using this equipment. Mud, sand, rock, and weed with no failures to date.....

On Karma, our primary anchor is a Bruce with 100' of chain and 250' of line. Along with this we carry two additional Bruce anchors with 50' of chain and 200' of line each.

The most important part of anchoring is the setting process. You must back down on your anchor to insure that it has set. If you are there just for the day and are going to be "on watch" drop and forget will work. However, if you plan to leave the boat or sleep, you must set it correctly.

 

[Doug in Williamsburg]

Lobo is quite correct about a kellet improving anchor performance. However, top priority is to get a good anchor, which Lobo already has done. Lobo has a 22 lb Rocna, the same as my R-25, Carol B. Then he can add the kellet as required by the conditions.

Solitude-Karma has used Bruce anchors, which are fine when properly used. The real Bruce anchors (not the imitations) perform better than the clones. The factory provides a clone.

There are two issues here. One issue is the type of anchor. The other is the size of the anchor. Regardless of the type, most boat owners (and manufacturers) select an anchor which is one size too small for the boat in other than moderate conditions. By selecting the next larger anchor, the skipper usually gains a sufficient margin of safety that the differences between the various types and brands of anchors are less important.

A second anchor, with its own rode, is prudent to have as a backup. I use a Fortress, which also can be used as a kedge to pull Carol B from a mild grounding, which, of course, will never happen <grin>.

Regardless of the type anchor and its weight, any vessel must have a proper rode with enough chain. The skipper must deploy the anchor properly and ensure that it has set.

It is good to hear everyone’s well considered ideas on this subject.

--Doug

 

[pwensinger]

Steve at the Utube channel "SV Panope" just sent his Patreon subscribers a very negative review of the 22# Lewmar claw.
He reviews anchors after he tests them in various bottoms in the PNW area. He's published 124 reviews. The 22# Lewmar has been part of the RT anchor package.

 

[Emerson]

Steve at the Utube channel "SV Panope" just sent his Patreon subscribers a very negative review of the 22# Lewmar claw.
He reviews anchors after he tests them in various bottoms in the PNW area. He's published 124 reviews. The 22# Lewmar has been part of the RT anchor package.

He made some interesting points as he described and showed some details. He also shared a chart ranking/rating a fair number of characteristics. A “crowd-favorite”, the Rocna, scored much better when compared to the Lewmar, but still ranked low on the list. Hence, I wonder if anyone installed the Mantus M2 25 on their R-29 and how did it fit?? A bit concerned about clearance between anchor and bow to avoid banging up the boat. (Note: a 17 lbs unit was used in the comparison)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[pwensinger]

re: Steve's rating of the Rocna:
He tests the anchor in a variety of bottoms and tests them on how they handle a veer (the wind or tide is swinging the boat to another direction), a 180 degree change (the tide has changed) and in a straight line pull. The roll bar Rocna tends to pick up bottom material in a weedy bottom when it's pulled around so it can have a hard time resetting. I had one on my sailboat, anchoring many times in Lake Huron's North Channel. It worked great. I went to the dark side this year and now own a R29 Classic. I replaced the Claw it came with a 33# Vulcan (a Rocna brand anchor). Have anchored just twice this season, in clean sand. No problems other than the stock Lewmar anchor windless struggled with the weight.

 

[knotflying]

Talking anchors is very much like talking politics and religion, everyone has their reasons for their choices. Anchoring has much to do with the seabed you are anchoring in and length of chain is also critical. Most factory supplied tugs come with 50 feet of chain which is very helpful for anchoring, as is scope. Basically the longer the chain the better as holds true with scope. In the PNW getting scope can be difficult, which makes longer chain even more important. My experience has been that the Rocna and Manson supreme are good all around anchors and hold well under all conditions. Setting the anchor properly is important as well. Paying out you rode as you are backing up is much better than just dumping out rode and having it in a bundle at the bottom.

 

[SJI Sailor]

+1 to knotflying. Also there is no perfect anchor for all conditions (and in bad conditions, may need 2 or more).

As for kellets, the discussion I've read suggests that for modern anchors they have a few benefits in light conditions (e.g., reducing swing radius in drifting situations) but don't add anything when the wind picks up. That makes sense to me -- any kellet would weigh much less than the chain. The Rocna designer discusses them here: https://www.petersmith.net.nz/boat-anchors/kellets.php As Doug noted, a solid anchor is the most important.