Anchoring on grass

  • Thread starter Thread starter rpb
  • Start date Start date
R

rpb

New Member
Joined
4 Dec 2002
Messages
6
Visit site
I have a CQR anchor in my Island Packet 380, based on the Italian coast, where I have found myself on a number of occasions anchoring on sand covered by long sea grass. My anchor is fine under normal conditions but just glides over the grass.

What is the best anchor to use on weed?

I would welcome your thoughts.

Paul B
 
you'll probably get on better with a rigid anchor. i find the delta works fine as long as you don't let it get choked with weed. heard good things about the french spade also. danforth types would be no use at all, bruce might work ok.
 
I have bought a new type it is called a SPADE .Ive also got Two Delta 26kgs and a Fob and over 100 mts of 5/8 chain .
bloody hell after writing that I now know why Billskip`s old derelict was 0.0005 kt faster.But yet again ,he was using the engine and all his sails , and I only the head sail !!
cheers bob t

Bob T
 
I have a 20kg Bruce as my bower anchor. It is great in sand and mud but it is poor in weed. The problem seems to be the lack of a sharp point and the large cross-sectional area which make cutting through weed very difficult. I suspect that the Delta would be good in weed as it is rigid and has a sharp point. However, I've never used one.
 
Re:another opinion..

I was last spring 2001 on a 18 tons trawler, on St Malo bay, with the team of "Voiles Magazine": - one journalist, a real old salt with plenty of sailing and anchoring experience.. a photograph and a diver (Also photograph). The reason was to make anchor tests.. (published in the November 2001 issue)

I was larfing when I saw the journalist taking onboard one BIG grapnel and a Fisherman anchor and I asked him why he was taking old pieces of Museum??
His answer was clear.. these are the only anchors which work on grass..

Well.. we went on a specific place in the St Malo bay, full of grass ("Zostére" type - sorry but I don't know the translation in English..)
We trow the Fisherman.. no holding.. we tried several times.. with no results.. He was very disapointed .. then we tried also the Grapnel.. with the same bad results..

I did ask him "Why don't we try the "New generation" anchor?? he was very reluctant, telling me " if neither the Fisherman, nor the Grapnel work" no anchor will work.. but he tried..
At the first attempt, the anchor dig in and the 15 kg anchor hold the 18 tons boat backward at full trottle.. at each trial he had the same results.. If you can read French.. you will read the Journalist's comments in the magazine.. if not, you can easely imagine them..

As a conclusion.. Yes the Fisherman anchor was "the Best" at the Roman and Greek time, but now its best use is to decorate your garden.. :0)

Now some explanations.. the most important point for grass.. is to PENETRATE and for penetration the "secret" is OBVIOUS, you need a sharp point or edges.. you need the right penetrating "chisel like" angle and you need weight (at the right position. on the anchor's tip)

Neither the Danforth (or its French copy the Britany) nor the CQR have these characteristics.. the Fortress is much too light and these three anchors have the reputation to be very poor in weed..

fair winds and peacefull anchorages..
 
I swore by CQR's all the time I cruised the Channel. However when I went to
the Med the 35lber did slide on grass sometimes. My backup used to be a 45lb CQR and
persistence but age and concern for my back made me buy 'the best anchor in
the world" , an aluminium Fortress which has two very sharp points yet weighs nothing.
I have to admit that it usually penetrates weed better than the CQR. It's light weight
makes it ideal for loading into a dinghy to lay in addition or at a different angle. The
45lber now rusts slowly under the engine where it's weight is best placed. In fact it hardly
rusts at all since I attacked it with a grinder and epoxy paint. The dripping oil helps.
The Fortess in the foc'sle doesn't give the sails rust stains, and can be manhandled
(or even woman handled) onto the foredeck without hernias or slipped discs. It's then
given some chain to see it's way to the bottom and drinking can resume under the Bimini.
 
Re: Spade!!

Hello I am sorry but I don`t know how it works ,other than I belive there is more weight over the point,I was a bit flipant with my reply and will use the spare Delta on my other boat. Heared and read VERY good reports about the Spade and though that I would give it a try .I can only comfirm these reports If I somehow lost the spare Delta would replace it with a Spade
cheers bob t

Bob T
 
Excuse my bad...

....English! I didn´t mean how the Spade works (un-intentional translation in 'Swenglish'), I meant how you judge the performance of it.
But if I got you right you haven´t been able to use it yet?
 
Re:another opinion..

Thank you,

That was very helpful, except you don't say what anchor the magazine DID recommend!
I assume this is the "new generation" anchor. Can you remember what type it is?

PB
 
Re:another opinion..

Hylas is trying very hard not to advertise his own products /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

He is the designer of the spade anchor. If you do a search by user, and look at his first post, you will find he is quite open about this, though maybe he should declare it every so often for people who don't remember posts from a while ago
 
Re:another opinion..

Oh no!!!... I couldn't not declare it at each post.. this will also be advertising.. but just have a look at my profile, which is always available to everybody.. This is absolutely not a secret..

Yes, I have to admit that as the designer, I'm in a somewhat difficult situation
But I'm also a full time sailor and I'm pleased to share some of my experiences..
I always try to be as objective as I can.. and if sometime I'm not.. as you know that I'm the Spade inventor, you should be able to make your own opinion...
But I believe (perhaps I'm wrong) that I have quite a good knowledge about this matter...
Sometime I regret to be the designer.. because I have done extensive studies and tests about anchors.. and I know things about competive anchors that I can't tell..
That's why.. I never say this product is good or this product is just sh***.. but I always reproduce what magazines and tests say about my anchor or competition and if I have to say something, I always explain the physical reasons why..
I'm very pleased to have the chance to discuss with you on this forum but I'm fully open to any criticisme if sometime I'm not objective enough..
 
Re: Sharpness...

You are perfectly right about the "rigid" shank..
But if you have the chance to have a close look at the point or the edge of the Delta.. perhaps you will change your opinion about sharpness... ..
One other important point for "penetration" and mostly to grass.. you need the right penetrating "chisel like" angle...
The BRUCE anchor has both this right angle and one of the most heavy weight repartition on the tips (about 38% of the total anchor's weight) then perhaps if
you re-sharp the points it will work..
 
Re:another opinion..

This year I added a SPADE. I did one simple test in a familiar Hudson River anchorage (Croton Point). The bottom is soft mud over hard clay. My new SPADE set perfectly on the first try. Conditions were calm. I used chain with lots of scope, engine 2,000 rpm in reverse with Maxprop. Two years previously in the same location with the same conditions & technique, my Delta dragged twice before setting on the third try. I have not tried the SPADE in grass or weed yet, but expect it to work well because its point is sharp and it has a higher proportion of its weight on the point than other anchors.
 
Happy New year Bill didn`t know they had reverse gearboxs in boats that old .
Had Xmas card off J / S sent them an e-mail but have not heared anything ,they are not flooded out in Surrey are they? all the best . cheers bob t

boss1
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top