Anchor setup for serious crusing - anchor size for 25 foot, 2 tons (4500 pounds) yachts

[Neeves]

" Delta, Rocna, Vulcan, Epsilon and Kobra etc are all cast (and made in China). There is still some welding and galvanising. I'd guess that most of the Chinese fabricators also have their own galvanising (but my guess maybe way out). "


You got to sort this out, its misleading. The only one piece, cast anchor design I can think of is the excellent original Bruce and the multitude of orrid copies. I'm sure they are others and some that use cast components but that list is very dodgy.

.

I was a bit ambiguous - as Vyv said I meant the flukes are cast, though some have a cast toe with the aft section of the fluke welded on. As far as I know all shanks, currently, (though there might be exceptions, are cut from plate. By and large casting is cheaper, in China, than fabrication and most/all Chinese made anchors are cast. or use cast flukes. thereis nothing wrongwith casting if conducted correctly and the cast Rocna have been very good - nice clean, lost wax or investment casting. If spade and Anchor right cast and made in China the products would probably be cheaper - with a loss of employment where they are currently made.

apologies.

as an aside it is nice to see that some people do read and query the details. It keeps us on our toes If some make constructive comment and look for clarification.

I have no issues with being queried - and thank you Vyv. I would have answered earlier but my laptop has gone in for a 3 year service, needs a new screen, and I’ve been wrestling to get my IPad logged in ……. Grrr!

take care,

stay safe.

 

[geem]

Our boat is a 12T 42ft ketch. Our main anchor is a 25kg Rocna with 80m of 10mm chain. It has done remarkably well - its biggest challenge was in Fatu Hiva. The anchorage is 25m deep, so our scope was a little over 3:1. We had 55kt catabatic winds from 3 directions and she held just fine.

I am switching to an aluminium Excel before we depart NZ for the UK as it's hard to take the Rocna off the bow roller to stow in the locker for long passages and it has destroyed several large steel pins as it slams into the waves.

Friends have the same problem with their Rocna. Pins bent such that the anchor couldn't be deployed on arrival. Other friends rachet straps their oversized Rocna 40kg to the bow roller as the anchor bounces around. We have the exact same bow roller (as we are the same boat) but with a 30kg Spade and we need to do nothing on passage as the shape of the Spade sits perfectly on the bow roller. It's been through some hellish beats to windward with no issues

 

[Neeves]

While idly exploring the Viking gallery, did I spot the far-famed catamaran 'Josephine' - or did I imagine it? And some other bits and bobs with an Antipodean flavour to them...?

I have tested a Viking 10, roughly 10kg, and it is as good as a 15kg steel Excel or steel Spade, due to the location of our bow roller and thenViking roll bar we cannot house a Viking on the bow roller. However we have been using it deployed by hand from the bow - and it may (it has appeared) in some photos.

I like Viking as they have taken the obvious step of using high tensile steel in the fluke and achieved a lighter anchor without compromising strength. Saving 5kg is not much, but you would save 10kg of a traditional 30kg anchor and you would notice if you have to hand deploy from a dinghy.

I was also asked by the owner of Viking if he could sell my Bridle Plate and Boomerang. I am more than happy to ‘support’ an entrepreneurial attitide and have answered positively (and refused any payment). Viking since designed a chain hook for a snubber, which may have taken some of the concept of the bridle plate.

Zoidberg - well spotted!

The Ukrainians need all the help they can get and I’m a bit long in the tooth to go and fight but I can offer free access to design ideas - if indirectly it helps the war effort. Every little helps - though how they manage to make anything in all the chaos is a bit of a mystery.

Jonathan

 

[TNLI]

Don

Delta, Rocna, Vulcan, Epsilon and Kobra etc are all cast (and made in China). There is still some welding and galvanising. I'd guess that most of the Chinese fabricators also have their own galvanising (but my guess maybe way out).

I do agree a simple cast fluke welded to a bit of steel (for the shank) should not cost too much.

Excel is made from a number of steel plates welded together by hand and the ballast is cast steel, off site,l into the ballast chamber. The anchors are made in Australia from Australian steel. Supreme is made in NZ from component parts rolled, for the fluke, using one of 3 rollers. Manson are a big maritime fabricator and may galvanise on site. Knox is made from pieces of steel plate, welded, in Scotland and I assume uses UK steel. Galvanised off site. Spade is fabricated in Tunisia from component parts, welded by hand and the lead cast into the ballast chamber. It is unusual for an anchor maker to have in-house galvanising and the fabricated anchors need to be sent to an independent galvaniser, prior to the addition of any ballast. Viking are made in Ukraine using high tensile steel from Scandinavia, welded by hand. They are then delivered with some difficulty to the 'free' world. Fortress is made from USA aluminium extruded using custom made dies, anodised in a local sub contractor and finished off by hand in Florida. Shipping of anchors round the world is expensive

None of this is very efficient - but the volumes are small - you pay for all the offsite production in addition to the anchors effectively being hand and custom made.

If you are concerned at value for money - maybe support those who do make by hand.

Excel, Fortress, Spade etc, you need to check the complete list, have been certificated by a Classification Society for performance, commonly Super High Holding Power, this needs to be verified on a regular basis to keep the Certification valid. Anchors used on commercial vessels in survey will need a valid and up to date certificaion. Validity is unnecessary for leisure anchors but appears to be deemed a good marketing wheeze - though the certificated may no longer be valid.

It all costs money.

Jonathan

Don't bother buying any anchor that breaks or bends if you are in need of a main anchor. Then try and ignore all the biased tests and advertising, most of which is aimed at selling one of the modern anchors. If possible stick to the best of the anchor manufacturers, Lewmar.

So for a main or storm anchor it should be a cheaish Delta, or a genuine Lewmar CQR. For a secondary Lewmar make a variety of Danforths, including breakable alloy ones.
Make sure if you sail in rocky areas or heavy weed, (Kelp is the worst), that you do what the RNLI offshore boats and carry an Admiralty pattern fishermans. Oscillati make good ones and there are also some good fully folding ones available. If the rocky or even heavy gravel areas do not have any weed, then Lewmar make some very good versions of the Bruce, listed as Claw anchors. Good for a secondary in sand, gravel, mud or rocks and works on a shorter scope than any plough. Very popular with the Americans. I also carry a small folding grapnel, but only for deep water emergencies where I don't have enough chain or line to get a main or secondary to hold.

Don't forget that to work correctly you need the right size chain, and when things go bad, or you lose your main for some reason, then your secondary, (Steel Danforth or Fortress if weight critical), is the most important anchor. So 2 all chain, or mostly chain rodes with 2 anchors ready to set, not in some locker.

As regards anchor testing, you can trust the Lloyds and ABS, (American Beureau of Shipping), along with the USCG and RNLI. Lewmar also test their anchors, although no one seems to test for how fast they rust when used in rocks or heavy gravel in particular. To do a proper test is very complex and time consuming. First you need to find out how easy it is the bend or in the case of kit or bolt together jobs, break. After that, the tests need to include about half a dozen different bottom types, and each test needs doing around a dozen times to get a good average and include the all important 180 degree veer that some modern designs fail, but the older ones, Danforth in particular are real good in. Finally repeat the whole series of tests with different scope ratios, which can make a big difference to the report. The plough anchors for example reall need 4 to 1 minimum, not 3 to 1 which is OK for the Bruce, Danforth and the Lewmar Epsilon.
In some cases the size of the anchor is the limiting factor in terms of performance, so for example a 10KG Fortress might do far better than a 15KG CQR or Bruce, BUT it could be too big to fit the bow rollers. In many cases it's simply best to ignore private test results, and daft comments about which one is better from forums like this one.

 

[geem]

Don

Don't bother buying any anchor that breaks or bends if you are in need of a main anchor. Then try and ignore all the biased tests and advertising, most of which is aimed at selling one of the modern anchors. If possible stick to the best of the anchor manufacturers, Lewmar.

So for a main or storm anchor it should be a cheaish Delta, or a genuine Lewmar CQR. For a secondary Lewmar make a variety of Danforths, including breakable alloy ones.
Make sure if you sail in rocky areas or heavy weed, (Kelp is the worst), that you do what the RNLI offshore boats and carry an Admiralty pattern fishermans. Oscillati make good ones and there are also some good fully folding ones available. If the rocky or even heavy gravel areas do not have any weed, then Lewmar make some very good versions of the Bruce, listed as Claw anchors. Good for a secondary in sand, gravel, mud or rocks and works on a shorter scope than any plough. Very popular with the Americans. I also carry a small folding grapnel, but only for deep water emergencies where I don't have enough chain or line to get a main or secondary to hold.

Don't forget that to work correctly you need the right size chain, and when things go bad, or you lose your main for some reason, that your secondary, (Steel Danforth or Fortress if weight is critical), is the most important anchor.

Complete garbage

 

[TNLI]

Complete garbage

Pity a well known member has had to put his, her or its set of anchors in the black bin. Love the anchor mark!

 

[Yachtingsouthwest]

Don

Don't bother buying any anchor that breaks or bends if you are in need of a main anchor. Then try and ignore all the biased tests and advertising, most of which is aimed at selling one of the modern anchors. If possible stick to the best of the anchor manufacturers, Lewmar.

So for a main or storm anchor it should be a cheaish Delta, or a genuine Lewmar CQR. For a secondary Lewmar make a variety of Danforths, including breakable alloy ones.
Make sure if you sail in rocky areas or heavy weed, (Kelp is the worst), that you do what the RNLI offshore boats and carry an Admiralty pattern fishermans. Oscillati make good ones and there are also some good fully folding ones available. If the rocky or even heavy gravel areas do not have any weed, then Lewmar make some very good versions of the Bruce, listed as Claw anchors. Good for a secondary in sand, gravel, mud or rocks and works on a shorter scope than any plough. Very popular with the Americans. I also carry a small folding grapnel, but only for deep water emergencies where I don't have enough chain or line to get a main or secondary to hold.

Don't forget that to work correctly you need the right size chain, and when things go bad, or you lose your main for some reason, then your secondary, (Steel Danforth or Fortress if weight critical), is the most important anchor. So 2 all chain, or mostly chain rodes with 2 anchors ready to set, not in some locker.

As regards anchor testing, you can trust the Lloyds and ABS, (American Beureau of Shipping), along with the USCG and RNLI. Lewmar also test their anchors, although no one seems to test for how fast they rust when used in rocks or heavy gravel in particular. To do a proper test is very complex and time consuming. First you need to find out how easy it is the bend or in the case of kit or bolt together jobs, break. After that, the tests need to include about half a dozen different bottom types, and each test needs doing around a dozen times to get a good average and include the all important 180 degree veer that some modern designs fail, but the older ones, Danforth in particular are real good in. Finally repeat the whole series of tests with different scope ratios, which can make a big difference to the report. The plough anchors for example reall need 4 to 1 minimum, not 3 to 1 which is OK for the Bruce, Danforth and the Lewmar Epsilon.
In some cases the size of the anchor is the limiting factor in terms of performance, so for example a 10KG Fortress might do far better than a 15KG CQR or Bruce, BUT it could be too big to fit the bow rollers. In many cases it's simply best to ignore private test results, and daft comments about which one is better from forums like this one.

If Lewmar make such brilliant anchors then why have the RNLI not put delta anchors on the new Shannon Lifeboats and instead put two Spade anchors.

Secondly I don't think the RNLIs anchor choice is much to go on when they do not anchor overnight and sleep onboard in remote places.

 

[dunedin]

Don

Don't bother buying any anchor that breaks or bends if you are in need of a main anchor. Then try and ignore all the biased tests and advertising, most of which is aimed at selling one of the modern anchors. If possible stick to the best of the anchor manufacturers, Lewmar.

So for a main or storm anchor it should be a cheaish Delta, or a genuine Lewmar CQR. For a secondary Lewmar make a variety of Danforths, including breakable alloy ones.
Make sure if you sail in rocky areas or heavy weed, (Kelp is the worst), that you do what the RNLI offshore boats and carry an Admiralty pattern fishermans. Oscillati make good ones and there are also some good fully folding ones available. If the rocky or even heavy gravel areas do not have any weed, then Lewmar make some very good versions of the Bruce, listed as Claw anchors. Good for a secondary in sand, gravel, mud or rocks and works on a shorter scope than any plough. Very popular with the Americans. I also carry a small folding grapnel, but only for deep water emergencies where I don't have enough chain or line to get a main or secondary to hold.

Don't forget that to work correctly you need the right size chain, and when things go bad, or you lose your main for some reason, then your secondary, (Steel Danforth or Fortress if weight critical), is the most important anchor. So 2 all chain, or mostly chain rodes with 2 anchors ready to set, not in some locker.

As regards anchor testing, you can trust the Lloyds and ABS, (American Beureau of Shipping), along with the USCG and RNLI. Lewmar also test their anchors, although no one seems to test for how fast they rust when used in rocks or heavy gravel in particular. To do a proper test is very complex and time consuming. First you need to find out how easy it is the bend or in the case of kit or bolt together jobs, break. After that, the tests need to include about half a dozen different bottom types, and each test needs doing around a dozen times to get a good average and include the all important 180 degree veer that some modern designs fail, but the older ones, Danforth in particular are real good in. Finally repeat the whole series of tests with different scope ratios, which can make a big difference to the report. The plough anchors for example reall need 4 to 1 minimum, not 3 to 1 which is OK for the Bruce, Danforth and the Lewmar Epsilon.
In some cases the size of the anchor is the limiting factor in terms of performance, so for example a 10KG Fortress might do far better than a 15KG CQR or Bruce, BUT it could be too big to fit the bow rollers. In many cases it's simply best to ignore private test results, and daft comments about which one is better from forums like this one.

Please remind us how many nights you have spent on anchor in the waters the OP plans to sail in?
Your suggestions seem to be at odds with most people who have practical experience.

Is your boat launched yet?

 

[TNLI]

If Lewmar make such brilliant anchors then why have the RNLI not put delta anchors on the new Shannon Lifeboats and instead put two Spade anchors.

Secondly I don't think the RNLIs anchor choice is much to go on when they do not anchor overnight and sleep onboard in remote places.

The Lewmar Deltas are on all the RNLI RIB's, as they need a good plough for rescues that need the boat anchored, like a boat on the rocks where they veer down to get the crew off in very bad conditions. If the anchor drags, they would probably be too close to the rocks to try again.

The UK Spade is a very good main anchor, BUT the RNLI made a horrible mistake by not doing a rust test. All of the older Spades corrode very badly, although the first issue was the yellow paint fell off. They need to be hot dipped galvanised correctly if you have the same problem. I doubt very much if they will order any more unless the manufacturer gets their act together over the Zinc coating and uses a real good 2 component yellow epoxy. Alas that will make the Spade more expensive.

Ploughs like the Delta or CQR need more scope than the Spade, and that is an issue in deep water, hence the anchors in the inshore boats are different to the offshore ones. Same with the USCG, although they only use the Claw, (Bruce), steel Danforth and fishernmans inshore, but use 2 ships anchors that are basically fat steel Danfoths. Their RIBS use Fortress anchors as they are weight critical.

The offshore boats often get called out to do an inshore rescue, so they do anchor, but in much more serious conditions than any other operator, although I've seen some fishing boats using the same gear to get to fish like Sardines that hang out near the shore, so they anchor and veer down on them. Had to rescue one once as his engine had failed due to a flat start battery. All lifeboats are required to have 2 start batteries if they can't hand crank their engine(s).

 

[TNLI]

@DUNSDIN: I've spent about a year total at anchor, mostly with my old steel Van Der Stadt 34, Pacific Seacraft 24, Sunseeker day cab 22, and a lot of large Spanish rod and line or sports fishing boats. I've also bent several anchors in desperate conditions where I could not get out of an anchorage and was submarining the bows all night waiting for the chains to snap, luckily they didn't.
My old web site has a page for my last singlehanded circumnavigation page:

SAILING - HYBRID PILOT SERVICES LTD (hybridpilotservices.com)

 

[Pete7]

Pity a well known member has had to put his, her or its set of anchors in the black bin. Love the anchor mark!

Do you work for Lewmar by chance? Anyway plenty of space for any other CQR Copies if you have one.

Pete

 

[TNLI]

Do you work for Lewmar by chance? Anyway plenty of space for any other CQR Copies if you have one.
Pete

Great picture, as old CQR copies belong in a bin. It's a real bad copy, as it does not have, "MADE IN SCOTLAND", on one side and in the case of my lifeboat,
"15LB CQR PAT No 1316946 on the other. The weight must not have any fractions, as that might mean it's a Mk 1 and they are useless. The curved part below the hinge also has, "15LB CQR", but on one side only.

I'm semi retired, but if I was not I would go back to skippering fishing boats way down South, so the idea of working for Lewmar is rather funny.

Most of the private tests where they included a CQR, were done using a copy like the one in the skip, and they lack lead in the pointed part, so do not balance out correctly. None of my anchors are made by Lewmar as they are too expensive. My Danforth is a Force 4 one, the stainless Bruce is an unbranded copy, the Admiralty pattern folding fishermans is an Oscillati and the folding grapnel is also unbranded.

The CQR and Danforth are the most copied anchors of any type, which says a lot about their great reputation. Even Force 4 sells a copy of the CQR, although they must have permission of some type from Lewmar, although I don't think it has CQR stamped anywhere. Oddly enough if you can't afford Lewmar galvanised or stainless anchors, Force 4 make a good range.
Force 4 Plough Anchor | Force 4 Chandlery
Lewmar stainless CQR in picture:

 

[zoidberg]

If you have a 'New Gen' boat, do you need a new generation anchor?

Let me put that another way....
If I have an old boat, can I get away with an old-style anchor...?

 

[geem]

If you have a 'New Gen' boat, do you need a new generation anchor?

Let me put that another way....
If I have an old boat, can I get away with an old-style anchor...?

Our old gen boat loves our new gen anchor?

 

[TNLI]

If you have a 'New Gen' boat, do you need a new generation anchor?

Let me put that another way....
If I have an old boat, can I get away with an old-style anchor...?

Yep, it's an odd game with new boat equipment, because in some areas like the power train, there has been a lot of new generation gear installed, for example quite a number of smaller boats are now all electric, both sail and power. There have also been some significant changes resulting from the use of new materials like kevlar and carbon fiber. Obviously the instrumentation side of things has seen the most dramatic new developments.
It's all this new generation systems hype that has almost brain washed some boaters into thinking that just because they can buy solar panels that are twice as good as the ones for sale only 20 years ago, (I'm a serious fan of modern solar panels), and oddly enough half the price, that that type of change applies to other parts like anchors, BUT it does not. The only real change has been in the increased number of stainless steel anchors that look very nice indeed, BUT, just because they are new, that does not change how well they work.

Most boaters just can't accept that when it comes to anchors, NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN TERMS OF DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION, so if you have a 60 year old boat, you can buy used CQR's, Danforths, and Admiralty pattern fishermans anchors that are 60 years old.
If you have a new boat you can of course buy new generation CQR, Danforths and Bruce anchors from Lewmar, and they can all be nice shiny stainless if you wish, BUT all of those deigns will be almost identical to the older anchors. Some of the new anchor designs are just copies of real old anchors, or hybrids where 2 basic designs have been combined. The last major change was in WW2 when the US Navy design folks developed the Claw anchor for tank landing craft. The Bruce is just a copy of that design for North Sea oil rigs.
Alas some folks get really get upset when they find out that the wheel can't be improved, a plough will always be a plough, and a the Admiralty pattern fishermans that was in use in Nelsons day, will remain exactly the same shape and function in the same way. The basic Danforth design is hundreds of years old, certainly before WW1.

Oddly enough it's not just anchors that are not changing in design terms, but the same can be said of different hull designs. If you look at some modern Cat's, or offshore yachts, you will find the same designs were in use hundreds or sometimes even thousands of years ago. The hull sape of an offshore lifeboat has not really changed for at least 300 years. Obviously the materials in use are completly different, as is the way a boat is built.

SO, OUT WITH THE OLD, AND IN WITH THE NEW OLD DESIGNS! MY FAVOURITE FLEABAY PAGE:

Antique Anchors for sale | eBay

This part is real good, as it mentions FLUKE anchors and some of the popular new generation anchor are just such designs, others are modified ploughs:

Types of antique anchors
The design of old boat anchors went through three basic stages of evolution. Fluked anchors, dating back to at least first-century Rome, are distinguished by having forked teeth. Admiralty Pattern anchors, or simply Admiralty anchors, also known as Fisherman anchors, are made of a single shank fixed with a shackle or ring for the rode and two fluked arms at the other end, the stock mounted at a 90-degree angle to the arms onto the shackle. The third common style of anchor, the stockless anchor, is made of weighty flukes attached to a shank by a ball and socket or pivot joint.

From these three basic designs an enormous variety of types of anchors have evolved, each used for different vessels, functions, and conditions. You can build a collection of various types of anchors from a single era or a single type of anchor from various eras. Either way, some types of old anchors for sale on eBay include:

• Grapnel
• Herrenshoff
• Northill
• CQR plough
• Delta
• Danforth
• Claw or Bruce

I think it's great that if you have a new boat, you can buy new generation stainless versions of all of the types above, with the exception of the Herrenshoff or Northhill!

 

[Neeves]

Yep, it's an odd game with new boat equipment, because in some areas like the power train, there has been a lot of new generation gear installed, for example quite a number of smaller boats are now all electric, both sail and power. There have also been some significant changes resulting from the use of new materials like kevlar and carbon fiber. Obviously the instrumentation side of things has seen the most dramatic new developments.
It's all this new generation systems hype that has almost brain washed some boaters into thinking that just because they can buy solar panels that are twice as good as the ones for sale only 20 years ago, (I'm a serious fan of modern solar panels), and oddly enough half the price, that that type of change applies to other parts like anchors, BUT it does not. The only real change has been in the increased number of stainless steel anchors that look very nice indeed, BUT, just because they are new, that does not change how well they work.

Most boaters just can't accept that when it comes to anchors, NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN TERMS OF DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION, so if you have a 60 year old boat, you can buy used CQR's, Danforths, and Admiralty pattern fishermans anchors that are 60 years old.
If you have a new boat you can of course buy new generation CQR, Danforths and Bruce anchors from Lewmar, and they can all be nice shiny stainless if you wish, BUT all of those deigns will be almost identical to the older anchors. Some of the new anchor designs are just copies of real old anchors, or hybrids where 2 basic designs have been combined. The last major change was in WW2 when the US Navy design folks developed the Claw anchor for tank landing craft. The Bruce is just a copy of that design for North Sea oil rigs.
Alas some folks get really get upset when they find out that the wheel can't be improved, a plough will always be a plough, and a the Admiralty pattern fishermans that was in use in Nelsons day, will remain exactly the same shape and function in the same way. The basic Danforth design is hundreds of years old, certainly before WW1.

Oddly enough it's not just anchors that are not changing in design terms, but the same can be said of different hull designs. If you look at some modern Cat's, or offshore yachts, you will find the same designs were in use hundreds or sometimes even thousands of years ago. The hull sape of an offshore lifeboat has not really changed for at least 300 years. Obviously the materials in use are completly different, as is the way a boat is built.

SO, OUT WITH THE OLD, AND IN WITH THE NEW OLD DESIGNS! MY FAVOURITE FLEABAY PAGE:

Antique Anchors for sale | eBay

This part is real good, as it mentions FLUKE anchors and some of the popular new generation anchor are just such designs, others are modified ploughs:

Types of antique anchors
The design of old boat anchors went through three basic stages of evolution. Fluked anchors, dating back to at least first-century Rome, are distinguished by having forked teeth. Admiralty Pattern anchors, or simply Admiralty anchors, also known as Fisherman anchors, are made of a single shank fixed with a shackle or ring for the rode and two fluked arms at the other end, the stock mounted at a 90-degree angle to the arms onto the shackle. The third common style of anchor, the stockless anchor, is made of weighty flukes attached to a shank by a ball and socket or pivot joint.

From these three basic designs an enormous variety of types of anchors have evolved, each used for different vessels, functions, and conditions. You can build a collection of various types of anchors from a single era or a single type of anchor from various eras. Either way, some types of old anchors for sale on eBay include:

• Grapnel
• Herrenshoff
• Northill
• CQR plough
• Delta
• Danforth
• Claw or Bruce

I think it's great that if you have a new boat, you can buy new generation stainless versions of all of the types above, with the exception of the Herrenshoff or Northhill!

Simply too many factual errors

amd it’s mostly rubbish - as said by Geem

Don’t feed the trolls

Jonathan

 

[TNLI]

Simply too many factual errors

amd it’s mostly rubbish - as said by Geem

Don’t feed the trolls

Jonathan

Yes, applogies as I just found that there are companies in the EU making Northill's. In class or type terms it's really another type of Admiralty fishermans, although something of a cross breed that looks like it should be good in rocks and weed, BUT would also function to some extent in sand or mud. Love to have one, although a stainless one would be expensive.

Now I was also wrong to ignore the Herreshof, as it appears they are also available in steel and bronze and are in 3 parts rather than the 2 for a normal fishermans, so very easy to stow. I'm thinking of selling my folding Admiralty pattern fishermans, AND El-cheapo standard bar fishermans, just to buy one. Alas it might look cool but Bronze is not cheap:

 

[vyv_cox]

Yep, it's an odd game with new boat equipment, because in some areas like the power train, there has been a lot of new generation gear installed, for example quite a number of smaller boats are now all electric, both sail and power. There have also been some significant changes resulting from the use of new materials like kevlar and carbon fiber. Obviously the instrumentation side of things has seen the most dramatic new developments.
It's all this new generation systems hype that has almost brain washed some boaters into thinking that just because they can buy solar panels that are twice as good as the ones for sale only 20 years ago, (I'm a serious fan of modern solar panels), and oddly enough half the price, that that type of change applies to other parts like anchors, BUT it does not. The only real change has been in the increased number of stainless steel anchors that look very nice indeed, BUT, just because they are new, that does not change how well they work.

Most boaters just can't accept that when it comes to anchors, NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN TERMS OF DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION, so if you have a 60 year old boat, you can buy used CQR's, Danforths, and Admiralty pattern fishermans anchors that are 60 years old.
If you have a new boat you can of course buy new generation CQR, Danforths and Bruce anchors from Lewmar, and they can all be nice shiny stainless if you wish, BUT all of those deigns will be almost identical to the older anchors. Some of the new anchor designs are just copies of real old anchors, or hybrids where 2 basic designs have been combined. The last major change was in WW2 when the US Navy design folks developed the Claw anchor for tank landing craft. The Bruce is just a copy of that design for North Sea oil rigs.
Alas some folks get really get upset when they find out that the wheel can't be improved, a plough will always be a plough, and a the Admiralty pattern fishermans that was in use in Nelsons day, will remain exactly the same shape and function in the same way. The basic Danforth design is hundreds of years old, certainly before WW1.

Oddly enough it's not just anchors that are not changing in design terms, but the same can be said of different hull designs. If you look at some modern Cat's, or offshore yachts, you will find the same designs were in use hundreds or sometimes even thousands of years ago. The hull sape of an offshore lifeboat has not really changed for at least 300 years. Obviously the materials in use are completly different, as is the way a boat is built.

SO, OUT WITH THE OLD, AND IN WITH THE NEW OLD DESIGNS! MY FAVOURITE FLEABAY PAGE:

Antique Anchors for sale | eBay

This part is real good, as it mentions FLUKE anchors and some of the popular new generation anchor are just such designs, others are modified ploughs:

Types of antique anchors
The design of old boat anchors went through three basic stages of evolution. Fluked anchors, dating back to at least first-century Rome, are distinguished by having forked teeth. Admiralty Pattern anchors, or simply Admiralty anchors, also known as Fisherman anchors, are made of a single shank fixed with a shackle or ring for the rode and two fluked arms at the other end, the stock mounted at a 90-degree angle to the arms onto the shackle. The third common style of anchor, the stockless anchor, is made of weighty flukes attached to a shank by a ball and socket or pivot joint.

From these three basic designs an enormous variety of types of anchors have evolved, each used for different vessels, functions, and conditions. You can build a collection of various types of anchors from a single era or a single type of anchor from various eras. Either way, some types of old anchors for sale on eBay include:

• Grapnel
• Herrenshoff
• Northill
• CQR plough
• Delta
• Danforth
• Claw or Bruce

I think it's great that if you have a new boat, you can buy new generation stainless versions of all of the types above, with the exception of the Herrenshoff or Northhill!

Nothing has changed in terms of design or construction????
Other than the revolutionary change from convex to concave perhaps? Forcing the classification authorities to develop the SHHP standard specifically to cope with the remarkable increase in holding power that was provided.

 

[TNLI]

Nothing has changed in terms of design or construction????
Other than the revolutionary change from convex to concave perhaps? Forcing the classification authorities to develop the SHHP standard specifically to cope with the remarkable increase in holding power that was provided.

The materials might have changed but I've not seen many robots building boats in my area. I suppose the RNLI autoclaves for making CF panels are a change of sorts. It's only in the multi hull or race applications that you will see some very different designs. The use of swing keels and hydrofoils is increasing.

There has not been a revolutionary change from concave to convex, the last real changes were the hinged plough, (CQR), and the Claw. If you walk around a typical marine, about 75% of the new boats have a Lewmar Delta, with a far lower percentage of Danforths second and Claw, (Bruce), anchors third. I would guess that around a third of those anchors are copies.

All you need to get SHHP performance is a very light weight anchor, alas until they use CF, that means using aluminium, or steel that is far too thin. Just look at the list of anchors saying it's rated for SHHP and you will be looking at a list of easily bent or broken anchors.

More info on anchor ratings: Anchor Certification, HHP & SHHP Classification, Type Approval: Lloyd’s, RINA, et al (petersmith.net.nz)

That page is well worth reading, BUT this part does hint at the very serious problems with bent and even broken, (Chinese stainless bolts), new generation anchors, and only the ABS do serious bent shank testing:

However there is no restriction on construction and engineering standards or processes which may be poor compromises of best practice – for example, with anchors, edge-welding thin steel plate to build up thickness, rather than the far stronger but more expensive use of solid steel. At least one manufacturer certified by a society engages in this sort of short-cutting.

 

[Neeves]

The materials might have changed but I've not seen many robots building boats in my area. I suppose the RNLI autoclaves for making CF panels are a change of sorts. It's only in the multi hull or race applications that you will see some very different designs. The use of swing keels and hydrofoils is increasing.

There has been a revolutionary change from concave to convex, the last real changes were the hinged plough, (CQR), and the Claw.

All you need to get SHHP performance is a very light weight anchor, alas until they use CF, that means using aluminium, or steel that is far too thin. Just look at the list of anchors saying it's rated for SHHP and you will be looking at a list of easily bent or broken anchors.

‘what a load of rubbish, Epsilon is made from steel and is approved by Lloyds as a SHHP anchor. Supreme is made from Steel and is approved by Lloyds as a SHHP anchor. Rocna is made from Steel was approved, may still be, by RINA as a SHHP anchor. Excel is approved by Australia’s Marine Salert Authority as a SHHP anchor - and is made from steel. Most, or all, of these anchors can be made up to at least 100kg - in steel. Spade, made in Tunisia to a French design is approved by Lloyds as a SHHP anchor - in steel. Ultra is made in stainless steel and approved by ABS as a SHHP anchor.. Fortress is made in aluminium and is approved by ABS as a SHHP anchor and used by US Govenment agencies,’ and some of the vessels are large.

High tensile steels are common place in anchor production.