Anchor Question

[simonjames]

I am currently looking at changing my anchor to a Rocna or Spade. At present the boat is in the Med and I have a lot of difficulty anchoring in fine sand with the Delta ie, wind shift anchor drags etc etc. the boat is a Jeanneau SO 49i so prone to moving around in the afternoon sea breeze.
I wondered if any one had any advice/recommendations on either of these anchors or any other for that matter.
I apologise if this topic has already been covered, but just need some advice, as neither anchor is cheap.

 

[pmagowan]

The Rocna is cheaper and gets similar results in the magazine tests. It relies on a roll bar whereas the spade uses a weighted tip. I think both are good in sand.

 

[NormanS]

Oh no! Here we go again. Sorry, but all the people that have ever bought an anchor, will come on and swear that there's is by far the best. In the meantime, try using a bit more scope. What weight is your Delta?

 

[simonjames]

30kg and I've laid out 40 metres of scope (chain) in 4 metres of water to no avail. I can swim over it in a morning and it's completely buried only chain showing, then when the wind turns it drags and won't reset. I apologise in advance I'm not saying the Delta is no good, as in the uk it was great. Just in fine sand it really seems to struggle

 

[Twister_Ken]

Generally, any of the new generation anchors will do better if they are spoon shaped, rather than plough shaped, like your Delta. Spoons go on digging in. Ploughs go on, err, ploughing.

I suspect the best of the new ones for you may actually be the one that sits on your bow roller best.

And rather than asking here, why not ask those of your Med neighbours who don't drag what they're using?

 

[simonjames]

I've tried asking them but most don't anchor overnight , they're quite happy to pay 80+ euros a night in a stifling windless marina, also a lot of the boats you see in a crowded anchorage by day have come from their home marina and disappear at night. Those who do anchor tend to use cobras and danforths due to the cost of the others on offer.
Most people I ask seem to say that the Delta is not good for those conditions but offer no alternative.

 

[LadyInBed]

You could go Old School and use a Danforth for the fine sand

 

[fishermantwo]

I would suggest you make timber versions of both and see what fits your vessel. There are templates available online of the various sizes. If you use an anchor locker the Rocna bar might make it hard to fit in, the spade might not suit your bow roller etc.


The Ultra is made in Turkey.

 

[TonyMS]

We were in Corsica when we made the same decision to change. The Rocna was not available locally, but we found a Spade dealer in Bastia, with lower prices than I've seen anywhere else (but still enormous!).

Incidentally, the Spade has completely solved the resetting problem.

Tony

 

[Chalker]

Recently I dragged three times one night using a Delta in a fine sand/mud bay with 60m chsin in 10m. Not much wind either.
Next morning I added a Fortress on the mud setting with 5m chain attached at the Delta anchor shackle. That fixed the drag.

 

[vyv_cox]

I am surprised that you have problems with the Delta. It is generally recognised that the Delta is excellent in sand but not so good in soft mud, where its relatively small surface area for its weight puts it at something of a disadvantage. I used one on Atlantic coasts for more than 20 years without ever dragging except for once on a very hard sand bottom.

I have had problems in the Med with mine but that was in exceptionally windy conditions on a mud bottom. I changed to a Rocna that has not suffered the same problem, although my bow roller has been modified to take the hoop.

 

[Hypocacculus]

Given that the Delta is excellent in other conditions, why not get something like a fortress or a danforth to complement it?

 

[richardbayle]

Given that the Delta is excellent in other conditions, why not get something like a fortress or a danforth to complement it?

+1

 

[LadyInBed]

Given that the Delta is excellent in other conditions, why not get something like a fortress or a danforth to complement it?

That will be a +1 to #7 then

 

[Storyline]

Given that the Delta is excellent in other conditions, why not get something like a fortress or a danforth to complement it?

Not sure I would want to rely on either of those resetting themselves unattended. Fantastic when set (I believe ) but if they broke free in a changing wind they may just skip across the bottom.

 

[Hypocacculus]

Not sure I would want to rely on either of those resetting themselves unattended. Fantastic when set (I believe ) but if they broke free in a changing wind they may just skip across the bottom.

So can all sorts of other anchors. Surely that's why the anchor watch is necessary? If you want "tie up and leave" surely what you really should be looking at is a mooring?

 

[ribrage]

I am currently looking at changing my anchor to a Rocna or Spade. At present the boat is in the Med and I have a lot of difficulty anchoring in fine sand with the Delta ie, wind shift anchor drags etc etc. the boat is a Jeanneau SO 49i so prone to moving around in the afternoon sea breeze.
I wondered if any one had any advice/recommendations on either of these anchors or any other for that matter.
I apologise if this topic has already been covered, but just need some advice, as neither anchor is cheap.

I doubt ONE anchor is the way forward , better (if you have space) to able to have a choice , my old tub came to me with a pair of 60 lb CQR anchors, I bought a fortress FX55 to use a kedge and have used it in a blow as a second bower as it gripped better than the CQR's

I'm at anchor now in Ibiza and sat to a 40 kg fishermans as nothing else I had would cut through the 3 ft of weed we are sat in, I've been surrounded by new generation and old generation anchors for the past week that have dragged left right and centre In just twenty knots of wind , some laid properly others chuck it and chance it.

Laying an anchor out properly with plenty of scope, plus having the option to change it if it doesn't work is better than blindly believing what you have hanging from the bow roller is the be all and end all just because it says so on the wrapper.

Of course all very much in my humble opinion

 

[Sybarite]

30kg and I've laid out 40 metres of scope (chain) in 4 metres of water to no avail. I can swim over it in a morning and it's completely buried only chain showing, then when the wind turns it drags and won't reset. I apologise in advance I'm not saying the Delta is no good, as in the uk it was great. Just in fine sand it really seems to struggle

This was the criticism noted in French tests. By reputation here, Spade is no1 followed closely by Rocna. On the same level as Rocna (in the tests) you could have a look at the Fob Rock.

 

[simonjames]

Thanks for all the advice given, I have bought a spade and kept the delta and a danforth that I use as a kedge to give me more than one option as pointed out.

 

[vyv_cox]

So can all sorts of other anchors. Surely that's why the anchor watch is necessary? If you want "tie up and leave" surely what you really should be looking at is a mooring?

That may well be OK for the odd weekend anchoring adventure but not when you anchor most nights for six months or longer. The ability of an anchor to reset is probably its most important property, largely ignored in anchor tests because it is difficult to simulate. This is probably the area where the new generation anchors are most superior to older types. This photo shows a Manson Supreme, initially set in a SW 4-5 that gradually veered to several hours of gusty NE 6-7.