6kg Vulcan vs Spade S40 anchor for Cape Cutter 19

[Juniorbrowne]

Dear all, I just purchased a Cape Cutter 19 and it is my first sailboat since I was a teenager. The anchor roller is close to hull so a narrower anchor would be ideal for clearance. I was deciding between a 6kg Vulcan or a Spade S40 for an anchor. Both are one piece galvanized and narrower in width than many competitors. I did not find any reviews in the SV Panope videos. Any advice is welcome. My cruising area will mostly be the American Gulf Coast.
Thanks,
Jason

 

[fredrussell]

Either will be perfectly adequate. Spades have reputation of going rusty sooner than some.

 

[Neeves]

There is a rough rule of thumb that if you take anchors of a similar design then the characteristics of performance will be similar. Evidence suggests that if you increase the size of an anchor its performance will increase linearly by a factor, less than 2. The relationship is not exactly linear because the anchor maker cannot always scale linearly as he might find that the thickness of available steel plate does not meet his needs and he need use a thicker or thinner plate than desired.

So double the size of the anchor and the performance characterics will increase linearly by a factor X (X will be less than 2)

So if you take two 20lb anchors of similar design then 40lb anchors will perform similarly to that X constant.

I think the design characteristics of the Rocna and Vulcan are both strongly influenced by the original Spade design.

If you wish to rely on the Panope tests here are the results.

Here we have Spade and Vulcan of 21lb which are very similar in performance - the 6kg versions will also be similar to their 21lb heavier models and/or I don't think you, blindfolded, will tell them apart.




However I would advise caution, the 22lb Rocna is shown to perform poorly against a CQR and though many of us have used a CQR most of us, given the choice, would use a Rocna and would state - Rocna is much better than a CQR. I think the margin for error is quite large as the 2 Excels should perform similarly, the difference in weight is small, but they are shown to be significantly different, much greater than the difference in weight.

And here are another set of results, bigger anchors, which show a 'similar' relationship between Vulcan and Spade.

Either will be perfectly adequate. Spades have reputation of going rusty sooner than some.

I would agree with Fred.

Jonathan

My post crossed with Ben's but I'd take Ben's comments on board if I were choosing. No other anchor of the same size can equal the hold of a Fortress in either sand or mud, and of anchors of equal size both Viking and Fortress are much lighter.

 

[boomerangben]

I have a 20’ Bayraider and have an aluminium Fortress (FX7 I think). Very light and great holding in sand and mud. Stows in the cockpit so we don’t have a heavy weight at the stem

 

[westernman]

Dear all, I just purchased a Cape Cutter 19 and it is my first sailboat since I was a teenager. The anchor roller is close to hull so a narrower anchor would be ideal for clearance. I was deciding between a 6kg Vulcan or a Spade S40 for an anchor. Both are one piece galvanized and narrower in width than many competitors. I did not find any reviews in the SV Panope videos. Any advice is welcome. My cruising area will mostly be the American Gulf Coast.
Thanks,
Jason

The spade sizing chart suggests the next size up would be more appropriate. You are over one ton. And over 6.5m if you include the bow sprit (which adds to the windage). Both together would push me to consider the S60 rather than the S40.

Spade Anchor Size Guide | Knowledge Centre | Jimmy Green Marine

 

[Supertramp]

Won't try to advise on Spade vs Vulcan but consider a second or kedge anchor of a different type - a small Fortress is a good bet and easy to carry about. With a small lift keel boat it's really useful to anchor on a beach and step off but rig a second anchor from the stern to hold the boat off the bottom or to pull it off when leaving or to deal with tide rise and fall.

 

[Tranona]

The spade sizing chart suggests the next size up would be more appropriate. You are over one ton. And over 6.5m if you include the bow sprit (which adds to the windage). Both together would push me to consider the S60 rather than the S40.

Spade Anchor Size Guide | Knowledge Centre | Jimmy Green Marine

That seems awful big and clumsy for the boat. Vulcan and Epsilon have 6kg for that size boat and well within the range..

 

[westernman]

That seems awful big and clumsy for the boat. Vulcan and Epsilon have 6kg for that size boat and well within the range..

Depends whose sizing charts you look at.

If you look at the American sizing charts for Spade, the smaller one is definitely OK.
If you look at the sizing chart I referenced, them the smaller one is not big enough.

Which chart do you think your insurance company would look at after you got blown onto the shore in a gale?

 

[Tranona]

Depends whose sizing charts you look at.

If you look at the American sizing charts for Spade, the smaller one is definitely OK.
If you look at the sizing chart I referenced, them the smaller one is not big enough.

Which chart do you think your insurance company would look at after you got blown onto the shore in a gale?

Chances of being blown ashore in a gale in a 19' Cape Cutter and the anchor fails to hold because it is too small are pretty slim. 9kg is a pretty heavy piece of kit to be lugging forward and deploying by hand on such a small boat.

Anyway the OP is In the US (American Gulf Coast) so a non problem for him and his insurer.

 

[chriss999]

I used a 6kg spade in a similar sized boat and was happy with its holding and happy with its weight.
But an anchor decision depends on where/when you are anchoring and only you know that.

 

[Neeves]

The OP is apparently only concerned about his choice of anchor and restricted the advise he wants between 2 very similar anchors (as I firmly believe the Rocna and then Vulcan are based on 'updating' a Spade). I would second Tranona's suggesting of throwing Epsilon into the mix as it might, I don't know US pricing, throw a cheaper reliable anchor into the mix.

But an anchor choice is only part of the question - it would be interesting to learn of the OP's choice of rode (for which I'd suggest 6mm G30) and then what shackle he is going to use to match both chain and the chosen anchor's chain slot.

The suggestions to supplement any primary rode with another, second, anchor like a Fortress (the second anchor should be of a different design to the primary) is very sensible.

Jonathan

 

[NormanS]

Chances of being blown ashore in a gale in a 19' Cape Cutter and the anchor fails to hold because it is too small are pretty slim. 9kg is a pretty heavy piece of kit to be lugging forward and deploying by hand on such a small boat.

Anyway the OP is In the US (American Gulf Coast) so a non problem for him and his insurer.

That's an interesting theory. Do you have a list of boat designs that don't get blown ashore in gales?

 

[Tranona]

That's an interesting theory. Do you have a list of boat designs that don't get blown ashore in gales?

Read the whole sentence. BTW it was not a "theory" - just an observation.

 

[boomerangben]

The OP is apparently only concerned about his choice of anchor and restricted the advise he wants between 2 very similar anchors (as I firmly believe the Rocna and then Vulcan are based on 'updating' a Spade). I would second Tranona's suggesting of throwing Epsilon into the mix as it might, I don't know US pricing, throw a cheaper reliable anchor into the mix.

But an anchor choice is only part of the question - it would be interesting to learn of the OP's choice of rode (for which I'd suggest 6mm G30) and then what shackle he is going to use to match both chain and the chosen anchor's chain slot.

The suggestions to supplement any primary rode with another, second, anchor like a Fortress (the second anchor should be of a different design to the primary) is very sensible.

Jonathan

I only use 5m of chain then nylon (can’t remember diameter). On small boats lots of chain is a pain and of course there’s no need for a snubber. The nylon can be disconnected and used for other things when not anchoring eg long mooring warp for high quays etc. A stainless screw gate carabiner connects the chain to the anchor. Very simple since the loads are small for small boats

 

[Neeves]

I'm not familiar with 5mm chain (I live in the nether parts of the world - subject to 'the tyranny of distance' (with apologies to Geoffrey Blainey) and surprised, but not doubting. you can get small, reliable, stainless, screw gate carabiners.

The OP has some luck on his side - Peerless make a range of G80 shackles, their Peerlift range, which would equally suit as I think the smallest is a 1/4". I'm not sure that they are available in American chandlers but would be easy to access from an American lifting retailer.

Jonathan

 

[boomerangben]

I'm not familiar with 5mm chain (I live in the nether parts of the world - subject to 'the tyranny of distance' (with apologies to Geoffrey Blainey) and surprised, but not doubting. you can get small, reliable, stainless, screw gate carabiners.

The OP has some luck on his side - Peerless make a range of G80 shackles, their Peerlift range, which would equally suit as I think the smallest is a 1/4". I'm not sure that they are available in American chandlers but would be easy to access from an American lifting retailer.

Jonathan

Sorry should have been clearer, 5m of 6mm chain