anchor choice

[BelleSerene]

Very good but just as good and cheaper is a FOB Rock.

http://www.fob.fr/menu6d86.html

Interesting... Looks like a Delta variant. It's not concave though, unlike the new generation ones, so I'd be wary.

I was parked recently next to a lovely Spaniard with a large Swan and what looked like a huge stainless Rocna on the bow. I asked him about it; he has a friend in Spain with a foundry business and got him to make up a copy in stainless steel - but oversize. He'd spent 72 nights at anchor last summer. He found what I always find: quick and hard setting and effortless resetting on turn of tide (which I always maintain is where the real risk lies as it's when you're not being attentive). I also like how it's stable on the bow roller but deploys with a nudge forwards once the chain's slack, and how it self-rights every single time on the bow roller upon weighing. Mine’s from before the Chinese wrong steel fiasco, but that's a thing of hey he past now.

 

[Sybarite]

The website is extremely sparse on information, doesn't even have a photo of it, but as far as I can see it owes more to the Delta than any new generation anchor. So not sure of your description of 'just as good' as the NG ones mentioned.

I haven't got the article to hand, or maybe it was in one of the French catalogues, but I remember it gave the traction limit (16kg anchor) at 2000kg which was twice the limit for the Kobra 2 (which I had previously fancied) and equivalent to the Rocna, whilst being cheaper.

PS: In fact, in the article they said that the Rocna was as good as the FOB Rock.

 

[Champagne Murphy]

The Sadler 32 and 34 came with a 25 lb CQR as standard. I'm not quite sure whether the one that came with mine was the original one but it was a CQR clone, not the real thing. I swapped it for a 16 kg Delta that served us well for many years. Excellent anchor for Atlantic coasts with a reasonable proportion of sand in the bottom but possibly slightly low on surface area where the bottom is predominantly soft mud. Bruce copies seem to be well regarded by the east coast fraternity, or the real thing if you can get one. Alternatively of course a new generation one if the funds will allow.

Knowing a bit about the boats history I thinks it is almost certainly the original, its definitely a real CQR and living on the East Coast it has stuck like glue in mud when asked to. Given the state of the hinge though I'm not sure I'm happy to trust to it in a blow so the re-galvanising option is out, it would probably weigh a lot less after blasting!

 

[charles_reed]

If it's been satisfactory for you, keep it and have it regalvanised.

I'd guess it a little on the light side for the Sadler 32, but it's close to the limit for one to handle without a windlass.
I've found the Delta far easier to handle and set.

Don't say where you're sailing and anchoring, but whilst the CQR is great in shingle and coarse sand it's lack of fluke area makes it less reliable in soft mud - that's when a Danforth/Fortress comes into its own.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I know some people will avoid Rocna because of their poor handling of the change of manufacture site and change in specification of steel ...

I will always avoid Rocnas because of the behaviour of their chief advocate on these forums. From what I read the design is good and the execution is fine, now that they are no longer made by the Shanghai Cheap n Cheerful Metalwork Company.

 

[BelleSerene]

I will always avoid Rocnas because of the behaviour of their chief advocate on these forums. From what I read the design is good and the execution is fine, now that they are no longer made by the Shanghai Cheap n Cheerful Metalwork Company.

We haven't heard from him for ages, and I believe they got rid of him.

 

[blackbeard]

...so the re-galvanising option is out, .....QUOTE]
In any case - I seem to remember being told that the CQR (and Spade) had a lead weight at its tip - in which case re-galvanising would need to be approached with care ... is this so?

 

[prv]

In any case - I seem to remember being told that the CQR (and Spade) had a lead weight at its tip - in which case re-galvanising would need to be approached with care ... is this so?

Certainly my Spade must have a fair bit of lead inside, it feels unfeasibly heavy for its size

Pete

 

[JumbleDuck]

In any case - I seem to remember being told that the CQR (and Spade) had a lead weight at its tip - in which case re-galvanising would need to be approached with care ... is this so?

I believe that a genuine CQR is all-steel, while some of the cheap copies use a bit of lead.

 

[PetiteFleur]

I have a Manson Supreme and it's excellent - replaced a cqr copy which was c****. Also the Fortress is excellent and light to handle. In East coast mud.

 

[vyv_cox]

From what I read the design is good and the execution is fine, now that they are no longer made by the Shanghai Cheap n Cheerful Metalwork Company.

Is that so? I understood that they were still made at the same factory, except that now they use a steel with properties somewhat closer to the original design specification rather than what they were told to use by an ex-employee.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Is that so? I understood that they were still made at the same factory, except that now they use a steel with properties somewhat closer to the original design specification rather than what they were told to use by an ex-employee.

Ah, possibly my mistake. I thought they were now crafted by poutine-fuelled canucks, but perhaps that's just the management layer. Still wouldn't buy one.

 

[pmagowan]

Ah, possibly my mistake. I thought they were now crafted by poutine-fuelled canucks, but perhaps that's just the management layer. Still wouldn't buy one.

I understand your sentiment and none of us want to buy from a company that acts in a less than transparent way. The bottom line, however, is that they are a good anchor at their current spec. I don't intend to try bending mine, I don't expect I could but if it does I get a new one. If we just compare like for like and forget about the past shenanigans the rocna performs well. It certainly has changed my anchoring and I can vouch for its hold in many bottom conditions in strong winds. I held in Puilladobhran gusting 8/9 when most others had to run for Oban in the night. When it sets you cant hold onto the chain, which was how I checked the CQR, as it will stop fast. It works for me and has made my anchoring much more secure as well as tidied my foredeck. I was of the same mind of you when I went to Ardfern but I didn't have much choice unless I went somewhere else and I was keen to get one of the NG anchors for security.

 

[James_Calvert]

I've just retired the 35lb Sowester plough from my Sadler 32, replaced it with a 12kg Kobra 2. All I can say is that it does fit in the locker in its ready-to-use mode, and doesn't quite clonk the stem on the way up or down.
It seemed the best value option, I'll see how we get on over the season.

 

[Sybarite]

...so the re-galvanising option is out, .....QUOTE]
In any case - I seem to remember being told that the CQR (and Spade) had a lead weight at its tip - in which case re-galvanising would need to be approached with care ... is this so?

Yes. Don't know about the CQR but WRT the Spade the lead is melted out before re-galvanizing and then added back afterwards.

 

[jordanbasset]

I've just retired the 35lb Sowester plough from my Sadler 32, replaced it with a 12kg Kobra 2. All I can say is that it does fit in the locker in its ready-to-use mode, and doesn't quite clonk the stem on the way up or down.
It seemed the best value option, I'll see how we get on over the season.

We had one for 4 years, brilliant, great holding (when some other boats were not) Most revews are very good, if and when we get another boat and the anchor is not upto it will get another Kobra 2

 

[J Neeves]

The latest news on Rocna is that they have changed production, again. They no longer produce in the 'original' Shanghai factory but somewhere else, I'd guess at the Ningbo plant where they fabricate the chains. They have dropped the cast fluke and now build as originally with plate steel, folded and welded. They have a big Rocna logo stamped into the rear of the upturn of the fluke. The story runs they have been building this way since July last year.

Another story seeped out from Thailand about this and the authors were suggestion 'copies' and CMP said it was just to top up production as sales were so good.

However no official word, and I have seen none of these models in Sydney.

Nothing wrong with any of this, but if you see a Rocna with a plate steel fluke and monster logo, stamped not embossed, on the rear - its probably genuine.

If its all true - why they have not announced same, no idea.

Jonathan

 

[prv]

If we just compare like for like and forget about the past shenanigans the rocna performs well. It certainly has changed my anchoring and I can vouch for its hold in many bottom conditions in strong winds. I held in Puilladobhran gusting 8/9 when most others had to run for Oban in the night. When it sets you cant hold onto the chain, which was how I checked the CQR, as it will stop fast.

I see similar with the Spade (I imagine their performance is about the same; I chose Spade for better fit on the bow (no roll bar), plus a small element of the Rocna misbehaviour). You know it's in - close the windlass brake, slight delay as the chain pulls into line, then the boat comes to a dead stop and the foredeck dips noticeably.

Pete

 

[pmagowan]

I see similar with the Spade (I imagine their performance is about the same; I chose Spade for better fit on the bow (no roll bar), plus a small element of the Rocna misbehaviour). You know it's in - close the windlass brake, slight delay as the chain pulls into line, then the boat comes to a dead stop and the foredeck dips noticeably.

Pete

Yep, I had wanted a spade and was prepared to pay the higher price. I think, in the tests, they seemed to just pip the Rocna and they didn't have all that funny business to worry about. That is why I went to Ardfern as they were registered as the closest supplier of spade anchors. When I got there they said they could order one in but they stopped stocking them as people went for the cheaper Rocna. The set was the biggest fundament change as with the CQR I had to hold the chain and feel the anchor dragging until it started to set, then you had to dig it in. With the rocna I tried the same thing, kneeling on the foredeck with the chain in my hand as we reversed but it just went 'twang' and set solid. It could do a nasty to your fingers if you are not careful. Now I throw it over and then wait for the bow to dip as we reverse. I then give a tug on the chain to get a 'feel' for it but this has proved unnecesary so far.

 

[ctva]

From personal experience, I've had a 16kg Kobra 2 on a SO34 and would replace it with the same if ever needed. Good price/quality/holding mix.