Quandary
Well-Known Member
At the end of last month I started an anchor thread, raising the question of stowing and handling modern anchors. Lots and lots of responses, all appreciated, some very useful and some (particularly from the Antipodes) very entertaining. I always enjoy the banter from down under, how they just love to slag off their competition.
After digesting the content and with very unsettled weather here in August I set sail to look at the stuff and try it on the boat. First stop, Ardfern, where they had 10 and 20kg. Rocnas (did you know these are delivered wrapped up in bubble wrap) When unwrapped, the welding and galvanizing looked OK but they did not have a 15 kg. in stock though it seemed that the 10 kg. was as big as could be easily brought through the double rail pulpit. Then off to Inverness with an anchor stop on the way in Inverscaddle Bay where we sat comfortably overnight on our 10kg. Delta on a gravelly bottom. At Gaelforce they had a selection of Mansons but only one Spade, when they showed me the prices I understood why. Comparing the 11 kg. and 16 kg. Manson Supremes, I decided that the awkward handling of the bigger size would be a disincentive to anchoring. I decided to buy the 11kg. Supreme and it is now in the anchor locker, I will post the details whenever it drags, watch this space?
Most of the yachts we encountered on this trip were Norwegian or German or Swedish, their anchors Bruce Delta and CQR we also met a Canadian on his way back to Nova Scotia via Svalbard and Iceland who wanted a new anchor but could not find a stockist.
Now, the reasons for my choice,
Spade anchor prices are just silly. Anchor Latina was not available to inspect, Bugel is not sold here .
The 11kg Manson seemed well made, entirely of high tensile steel with very workmanlike welding and galvanizing. The 'rock slot' was neither here nor there as far as I can see, the shank is plenty strong enough but I prefer to attach to the end where the oblong hole is big enough to let a big shacke eye through with the pin going through the chain. Manson's web site focusses on the quality and performance of their own product of which they seem genuinely proud, they don't waste time slagging of every other anchor made. Gael force assured me that any problem arising with use or durability would be dealt with by replacement or refund rather than repair or regalvanizing. They pointed out that it would be against their commercial interest to have a rusty anchor on display on any boat.
The Manson is made in New Zealand in Manson's own workshop with guys in boiler suits who look as if they know what they are doing, there are no dissimilar metals in the construction and despite being a bit heavier than the Rocna and coming all the way from NZ rather than China it is more than 25% cheaper. Not being bubble wrapped the product had been exposed to manual handling with out damage.
However why does no one in Europe make a decent anchor at a competitive price, it is not rocket science and Gaelforce themselves make massive steel anchors for mooring fish farms etc. there surely is a market and there is plenty of steel and zinc about just now.
However I now have two anchors of the almost the same weight (by the way, does anyone want a genuine Bruce 22kg.) The Manson bower is in the anchor locker with 30m. of 8mm. chain plus 100m. of 14mm three strand nylon, I have never used all of it (touch wood) there is plenty of room for anchoring once you get north of Oban. The Delta back up will be in the bottom of the cockpit locker with 16m. of 8mm in a canvas bucket plus a long mooring warp to extend it when needed. It will be next season before the Manson is fully tested though it will get some use before lift out, it will hopefully, only be for overnight stops in reasonable weather. (While West coast moorings and marinas have been under big pressure this summer the migration back to the Clyde and South is almost complete so there is now plenty of space)
After digesting the content and with very unsettled weather here in August I set sail to look at the stuff and try it on the boat. First stop, Ardfern, where they had 10 and 20kg. Rocnas (did you know these are delivered wrapped up in bubble wrap) When unwrapped, the welding and galvanizing looked OK but they did not have a 15 kg. in stock though it seemed that the 10 kg. was as big as could be easily brought through the double rail pulpit. Then off to Inverness with an anchor stop on the way in Inverscaddle Bay where we sat comfortably overnight on our 10kg. Delta on a gravelly bottom. At Gaelforce they had a selection of Mansons but only one Spade, when they showed me the prices I understood why. Comparing the 11 kg. and 16 kg. Manson Supremes, I decided that the awkward handling of the bigger size would be a disincentive to anchoring. I decided to buy the 11kg. Supreme and it is now in the anchor locker, I will post the details whenever it drags, watch this space?
Most of the yachts we encountered on this trip were Norwegian or German or Swedish, their anchors Bruce Delta and CQR we also met a Canadian on his way back to Nova Scotia via Svalbard and Iceland who wanted a new anchor but could not find a stockist.
Now, the reasons for my choice,
Spade anchor prices are just silly. Anchor Latina was not available to inspect, Bugel is not sold here .
The 11kg Manson seemed well made, entirely of high tensile steel with very workmanlike welding and galvanizing. The 'rock slot' was neither here nor there as far as I can see, the shank is plenty strong enough but I prefer to attach to the end where the oblong hole is big enough to let a big shacke eye through with the pin going through the chain. Manson's web site focusses on the quality and performance of their own product of which they seem genuinely proud, they don't waste time slagging of every other anchor made. Gael force assured me that any problem arising with use or durability would be dealt with by replacement or refund rather than repair or regalvanizing. They pointed out that it would be against their commercial interest to have a rusty anchor on display on any boat.
The Manson is made in New Zealand in Manson's own workshop with guys in boiler suits who look as if they know what they are doing, there are no dissimilar metals in the construction and despite being a bit heavier than the Rocna and coming all the way from NZ rather than China it is more than 25% cheaper. Not being bubble wrapped the product had been exposed to manual handling with out damage.
However why does no one in Europe make a decent anchor at a competitive price, it is not rocket science and Gaelforce themselves make massive steel anchors for mooring fish farms etc. there surely is a market and there is plenty of steel and zinc about just now.
However I now have two anchors of the almost the same weight (by the way, does anyone want a genuine Bruce 22kg.) The Manson bower is in the anchor locker with 30m. of 8mm. chain plus 100m. of 14mm three strand nylon, I have never used all of it (touch wood) there is plenty of room for anchoring once you get north of Oban. The Delta back up will be in the bottom of the cockpit locker with 16m. of 8mm in a canvas bucket plus a long mooring warp to extend it when needed. It will be next season before the Manson is fully tested though it will get some use before lift out, it will hopefully, only be for overnight stops in reasonable weather. (While West coast moorings and marinas have been under big pressure this summer the migration back to the Clyde and South is almost complete so there is now plenty of space)
