Anchors - galvanised or stainless steel?

C

ColourfulOwl

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The anchor that came with my boat I believe is a Brittany anchor, which doesn't exactly have the best reputation for being a main anchor.

I'm looking to upgrade to a rocna / delta anchor and need something around 16kg (11m).

Which brings up the question of do I folk out the money for a stainless anchor or go with a galvanized one? Other than aesthetics is there any difference? Pros and cons of each type?
 
Stainless anchors are for bling when sitting unused on the bows in a marina.
If your anchor is on the bottom bling doesn't matter. And i suspect shiny doesn't help grip (may or may not reduce it).
Most serious cruisers, like us, have a galvanised anchor and enty of chain. Used extensively.
PS Many good types of "new generation" anchors, most are good. But we binned a Delta to replace with Rocna, as Delta not in same league IMHO
 
dunedin said:
Stainless anchors are for bling when sitting unused on the bows in a marina.
If your anchor is on the bottom bling doesn't matter. And i suspect shiny doesn't help grip (may or may not reduce it).
Most serious cruisers, like us, have a galvanised anchor and enty of chain. Used extensively.
PS Many good types of "new generation" anchors, most are good. But we binned a Delta to replace with Rocna, as Delta not in same league IMHO
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Thanks for that. That's pretty much what I thought. I'm not one of those people who wants to spend a week of every month polishing stainless to make it shiny... The white decks in the sun blinds me enough without a giant magpie attractor stuck on the bow xD. I'm going to pick up a galvanized, but need to explore a bit about what will work well for me and the area's I want to sail :) Plan is to do a circumnavigation of the UK, either in 2024 or 2025, then look at going further a field. Whilst this year I plan to pop over from Fleetwood to Isle of Man this year and maybe venture north to Scotland in the season for a few weeks.
 
All the "new" anchors are better than older styles. Choice it sits well on your bow roller. You will find it is a hotly debated subject, but in practical terms there is little to choose between them as they all set and hold well in a range of seabeds. The standout for me is the latest Epsilon from Lewnar which is substantially cheaper than the others and performs as well on tests. That is what I chose. 16kg is the correct size and Marine Suoerstore are usually the best priced.. I assume you already have a windlass with most likely 8mm chain.
 
Another downside to s/s anchors is they sometimes get stolen off the seabed while you are anchored, as they are so valuable. More a problem in the Caribbean than the UK though.

As for the particular model, I was let down by my Rocna several times, so I have changed to the French "Spade", no problems since.
 
westernman said:
If you can't decide which anchor have a look in the following video and the other 153 in the series.


You still won't be able to decide afterwards either......
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I will save you time... Buy a Spade. I had two Rocnas (20 and 25). They set well on a shorter scope than a Spade but that hoop will cause problems if you are at anchor for a few days (or weeks ;) in one spot. Twice I weighed anchor and the chain had wrapped around the hoop. Luckily when weighing anchor conditions were calm so there were no dramas - but if the wind had been howling and boats dragging down on me it would have been a real pain to untangle that mess. Setting a spade is best done (imho) at 4 or 5 to 1. The Rocna would set in 3 to 1. And a little hint - never set less then 20m of chain even if you are in 3m.
 
Star-Lord said:
I will save you time... Buy a Spade. I had two Rocnas (20 and 25). They set well on a shorter scope than a Spade but that hoop will cause problems if you are at anchor for a few days (or weeks ;) in one spot. Twice I weighed anchor and the chain had wrapped around the hoop. Luckily when weighing anchor conditions were calm so there were no dramas - but if the wind had been howling and boats dragging down on me it would have been a real pain to untangle that mess. Setting a spade is best done (imho) at 4 or 5 to 1. The Rocna would set in 3 to 1. And a little hint - never set less then 20m of chain even if you are in 3m.
Click to expand...
I would be tempted to get a Vulcan if I was in the market for a new anchor, with the Spade as second choice.
 
Seven Spades said:
If you budget allows get a stainless anchor and Cromox SS chain. There are two benifits.

1. The anchor and chain will come up clean
2. The chain won't pile up.

The downside is:

1. Cost
Click to expand...
I'll highlight that for you.

Cost

I liked the look of stainless so much I vaguely considered buying one for my own boat when I snagged the (galvanised) Rocna on a charter boat and had to liberate it with a junior hacksaw from the toolkit.

I did two things. Changed my mind on buying stainless anchors & chains. Bought a proper full sized hacksaw with suitable 32tpi blades for my own boat.
 
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You c§an of course carry a battery angle grinder if cutting chain is you thing . I have admired shiny versions but haven’t even moved on from the Lewmar delta yet . I doubt for most uses the bliny stainless type makes a difference but if I had say an oyster 47 I might buy one🤣.
 
westernman said:
I would be tempted to get a Vulcan if I was in the market for a new anchor, with the Spade as second choice.
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I would not. I would buy the Spade. There is a reason people buy them! If you want a cheap option the Delta (even though is not a new gen) will be suitable for most conditions if you size it correctly. I have met boats in the Med who anchor for months and months with a Delta. Just make sure you set it properly.
 
Keep a look out for second hand bargains as well. I got a second hand Ultra (I know, stainless bling!) on gumtree for the price of a galvanised Spade (and before the current price craziness).

Now, at least, I have an anchor for life :cool:
 
imho, welding of stainless is a complicated process, leaving the materials prone to cracking with not a whole lot of force if done improperly.
for that reason alone id go for plain old galved steel any day, simply for peace of mind.
 
I can't agree with that. For example the Ultra Anchor is only available in Stainless and I woudl love one for two reasons. Firstly I think it is the best anchor on the market for holding and setting and secondly because it will come us clean and I won't need to hose off glutenous mud and have to deal with sprayback!
 
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