I thought that the idea was that it was not traction it needed but grip
No, that’s one of those shady knock offs! Original Bruce’s were made in Belgium iirc.I have a 45-pound original Bruce with the sticker on it, in the US. Is it gold now?
In fact, it's an old one that has only been in the water a few times for testing. I have two. Not made in China etc.No, that’s one of those shady knock offs! Original Bruce’s were made in Belgium iirc.
As genuine originals I'd hang on to them, as you say - they are interesting historically - even if nothing else. If suddenly the supply of anchors to the US dries up or becomes stupidly expensive - make another decision then.
I read in one of the many threads about the current tariff furore that hourly rates in China are about $6.50 (which surprised me as they used to be a lot lower) whereas in USA they are $28. It would almost certainly be cheaper to import anchors, including tariff, than to build in USA.
Which is one reason why Delta, CQR, Epsilon, Rocna, Vulcan are made in China. Interestingly the cost of producing a Delta, CQR and Epsilon are more similar than different to the cost of producing Rocna or Vulcan. Another reason for producing in China is that all of these anchors involve casting, galvanising (and welding) - and most of us don't want a foundry nor galvaniser next door to us. By extension its why anchor chain is increasing made in China, its dirty, noisy, and galvanising involves some pretty nasty chemicals. Those 'production' costs are also why Spade is fabricated in Tunisia, Ultra in Turkey and Viking in Ukraine. The exceptions are Knox, Manson, Anchorright and Fortress (which are all cut, welded (except Fortress) galvanised or anodised). I don't know but assume the Lewmar Fortress clone (about which nothing is ever mentioned) is made in China, similarly Plastimo's Kobra - and a whole batch of knock offs, Danforth or Delta types.
You might be missing a point that there is a minimum wage circa $7.25 in some states. This would make it quite possible to have a working wage under $10 . That makes the figures more workable when one considers the skills needed to make an anchor. Obviously the overheads come in to play & I would expect american ones to be much higher than in China, due to H & S, worker rights etc
They alreay have foundaries & galvanisers. Their manufacturing industry is a lot larger than the Uk's. We have foundries & galvanisers & I bet those in the USA would dwarf ours. It just takes some one in a factory to say " let's knock out a few anchors" . They would not set up a totally new factory for the task, unless they had a stable market with enough volume. If Trumps tariffs stick they may then decide on a different strategy.
Absence of whole boats I would think as many are built in China..Nordhavn will be hit hard along with others.
You’re also assuming the minimum wage there to stay… that too could be revoked and wages slashed at the drop of a hat.
Same as in this country. There is always people with assets, who can carry on as normal.
Utility patents only apply in the areas that they are applied for. so if there is not one in the USA then it is not valid in the US. Of course that market being so big one would expect it to have been established. So an EU one might not cover the UK for instance. So manufacture in the UK & sell to the US at 10% tariff.
Yes I did have a boat in 2008, and I carried on using and maintaining her as normal.
But you never intended to buy a new boat anyway You had a twister (who needs another boat)--so that is just conjectureYes I did have a boat in 2008, and I carried on using and maintaining her as normal.
Had I lost her genuine CQR anchor, I would of course replaced it. With another genuine CQR anchor.
But would I have bought a new boat in 2008? Pehaps not.
I would probably have waited to see how things turned out before dipping into my capital.