Anchors, Yesterday's Hero?

ffiill said:
Cannot comment about other anchors but some years ago I put a 20 kg Bruce in my garden on top of course turf and attached it to my 4X4 towing ball.I then drove the 4x4 down my drive in low gear.The replica Bruce cut through the turf very quickly and set firm! I have tried Danforths similarly to great effect and CQRs to poor effect.
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Great if you anchor in coarse turf. What I want is one which will set in seaweed.
 
Neeves said:
You cannot buy it any more, I cannot suggest someone is recommending an anchor that is no longer made (and in my humble opinion, superseded) and then suggest within the alternatives is another one (even if it is more recent) that is no longer made.
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I believe the Bruce is still made but only for its original purpose - anchoring offshore drilling rigs!
 
I discover among the assorted anchors accumulating in my boatshed ( a 32' x 18' polytunnel now bulked-out with boaty stuff ) a 5kg Bruce - perhaps a copy.....

Should I keep this gem in the hope of its value appreciating with the years, or try a punt on eBay and go drink the proceeds in an oceanside hostelrie such as The Chainlocker or The Turks Head?
 
oldbilbo said:
I discover among the assorted anchors accumulating in my boatshed ( a 32' x 18' polytunnel now bulked-out with boaty stuff ) a 5kg Bruce - perhaps a copy.....

Should I keep this gem in the hope of its value appreciating with the years, or try a punt on eBay and go drink the proceeds in an oceanside hostelrie such as The Chainlocker or The Turks Head?
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Sadly dreams are free and drink costs more
 
If you have the money and value a decent nights sleep - you cannot go past a Spade (the investment will make your sleep better, even if only because you will no longer feel your wallet). It fits on most bow rollers, has a host of commendable reviews (PM Snooks for a better opinion). I'm impressed with the Kobra, cheap, effective and cheerful - not sure about the strength of the shank. I think the Delta adequate but now surpassed.

Sorry -edit - all will fit most bow rollers
 
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I pretty much agree with what Neeves has written. Although the Delta is not the greatest performer in ultimate holding, especially in soft mud, it is perfectly adequate for most people's anchoring. I owned two, of different sizes, for nearly 20 years and never had a problem until we experienced a huge storm with gusting winds over a bottom with the consistency of custard. In its favour it costs a fraction of the price of a Spade.

The Kobra shank is long and slender, which as Jonathan says raises questions over its lateral strength. It also makes it more difficult to stow on some rollers.
Kobra_zps2bb2ed8d.jpg
 
I had a Bruce copy for a time and on the two occasions that I was able to observe it set in clear water, it had set on its side.
Binned it soon after for a Delta, a good compromise of performance and price I thought.
 
Slow_boat said:
A Spade stows okay on the roller, then? The shaft seems a strange shape, that's all.
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Actually they are not that strange, if you take a french curve to a drawing of a Delta shank and then compare with the Spade - they are surprisingly similar. I'd get a drawing, from the website, from the UK distributor? make it up into card and try it on your roller.
 
A1Sailor said:
Can I ask the same question? My boat has a Bruce, or a Bruce copy, which I bought with it last year.
How do I tell if it's a Bruce or a Shiela?
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if its a genuine Bruce, all the ones I have seen say so (its embossed into the casting) and include the patent number. The ones I have seen also said 'made in England' - though I understand they licensed production to Belgium (and I have never seen one say 'made in Belgium'). If it does not say anything its a copy. If its a Sheila, they can be tough but some are flighty, some might even roll over on a whim (and you never really know till the chips are down).
 
Its obvious why Bruce moved out of the leisure market, given the image posted earlier. But when you think of the products they now make and the skills required to design and fabricate - all developed since 1970 - we are the ultimate losers.

But its an interesting image - it looks as if the anchor is to be deployed with a Dyneema rode.
 
It's easy to knock the Bruce, yet in soft mud it has excellent holding (as East Coasters well know). Grand if you spent all your time above that sort of bottom, but how many of us can carry a collection of hooks to suit different conditions?
Interestingly, it's the only one of the 'old-time' hooks to feature a concave working face, in common with all the top-performing modern anchors (if somewhat different in detail). To me, at least, it's self-evident that such a shape must offer the best resistance to pulling out. The problem with the Bruce in hard (or weedy) bottoms is getting it in in the first place.

My new boat had a 30kg (genuine) Bruce on the bow; it now has a Spade (well spotted, Neeves).
 
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Mine has "Made in Belgium" stamped into it

Neeves said:
if its a genuine Bruce, all the ones I have seen say so (its embossed into the casting) and include the patent number. The ones I have seen also said 'made in England' - though I understand they licensed production to Belgium (and I have never seen one say 'made in Belgium'). If it does not say anything its a copy. If its a Sheila, they can be tough but some are flighty, some might even roll over on a whim (and you never really know till the chips are down).
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