Bruce Anchors

I use a genuine 20kg Bruce with 10mm all chain, and am very happy with it. Only once had a problem, when it came up clutching a huge granite boulder to its bosom. To be fair to the anchor, this was in a silly place to try to anchor.
 
I have used a 1.5 kg one on a mirror dinghy and with no chain it held perfectly, and despite being some 30 years old it is still rust free, a real quality item.
 
Worst anchoring experience I ever had was a week on a charter boat in Croatia with a Bruce (or Bruce copy; I'm not sure). It was awful. Very difficult to set and poor holding when it did. Drug in any kind of wind. Dman anchor nearly ruined an otherwise fantastic week.

Why would you buy an anchor that is clearly obsolete? I don't think that there is any question that the Spade, Manson, and Rocna are much better than older generation anchors.
 
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Dockhead said:
Worst anchoring experience I ever had was a week on a charter boat in Croatia with a Bruce (or Bruce copy; I'm not sure). It was awful. Very difficult to set and poor holding when it did. Drug in any kind of wind. Dman anchor nearly ruined an otherwise fantastic week.

Why would you buy an anchor that is clearly obsolete? I don't think that there is any question that the Spade, Manson, and Rocna are much better than older generation anchors.
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To be fair the Bruce was one of the first 'new generation' anchors and in it's day was hailed as the miracle anchor. Now the company has moved out of the liesure market and has a whole new range of commercial anchors. Certainly genuine Bruces were.are good quality kit, just as real CQR anchors are.
 
tidclacy said:
How do you recognise a genuine Bruce from a copy?
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Mine has 'Genuine Bruce ®' and the weight cast into the shank. Just before they ceased production they had 'Made in Brazil' cast on the shank. I spoke to Bruce about their Brazilian made anchors and they said that they had shipped their entire production line out to Brazil and the anchors were exactly the same quality as before.

As I have mentioned above, the 'leading' edges of the flukes are quite sharp to the touch whereas all the Bruce copies I have seen have rounded leading edges. Genuine Bruce anchors also resonate when tapped with a solid object or even your fingers. Copies make a dull sound.
 
I don't have "BRUCE" stamped on mine, therefore its cheap copy Bruce lookalike anchor.

So, can I trust it? or the casting will break off when under tension and torsion? Perhaps, I should put my pennies together (lots of them) and buy a ROCNA.

So what your experience with the Rocna anchor?
 
I have used a 7.5kg Bruce with 10 metres 1/4" chain & 30 metres of 14mm nylon warp ( with an angel during gales ) with a medium weight 22' boat, since 1978; it has never dragged once, but then I am careful !

It has also behaved itself impecabbly on a short scope for lunchtime stays at crowded anchorages; can't fault it, I suspect any snags are down to the operator...
 
Stork_III said:
I thought the name was cast into it not stamped after casting.
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Could be. My Bruce is not here beside me. It IS unmistakenly marked, with both make and weight.
I always have more confidence in goods which have their make marked indelibly, not just a paper stick-on label.:)
 
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC said:
I don't have "BRUCE" stamped on mine, therefore its cheap copy Bruce lookalike anchor.

So, can I trust it? or the casting will break off when under tension and torsion? Perhaps, I should put my pennies together (lots of them) and buy a ROCNA.

So what your experience with the Rocna anchor?
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Here's what might happen

claw-generic-broken.jpg


Casting can have a tendency to produce brittleness, partly because the quality of the metal used is often variable and contains dross. In this case there is a clear difference between the core and surface metal.
 
Bruce anchor

Dockhead said:
Worst anchoring experience I ever had was a week on a charter boat in Croatia with a Bruce (or Bruce copy; I'm not sure). It was awful. Very difficult to set and poor holding when it did. Drug in any kind of wind. Dman anchor nearly ruined an otherwise fantastic week.

Why would you buy an anchor that is clearly obsolete? I don't think that there is any question that the Spade, Manson, and Rocna are much better than older generation anchors.
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Dockhead, You have only remarked on your results with ommission of complete details of the rest of the equipment and the conditions of both weather and seabed experienced at the time. Also the type of craft. We can therefore not take your comment writen in the first paragraph and interprate it with any usefulness. Could I invite you to be more specific as I am interested ??
 
I used a 30kg Scottish Bruce and an all chain rode on a 43ft boat for six years .
Only dragged once at Pollensa in Mallorca where eelgrass growing out of hard sand makes for poor holding.... but everybody else was dragging in 45knts of wind.
The Bruce needs gentle treatment at first to get it started and then it digs in. With its curvy shape it can take changes in direction of pull without losing its grip.
However, if I was buying a new anchor I would not go for a cheap cast copy, I would re-read the many anchor reports and then decide.
 
Genuine Bruces.

vyv_cox said:
Here's what might happen

claw-generic-broken.jpg


Casting can have a tendency to produce brittleness, partly because the quality of the metal used is often variable and contains dross. In this case there is a clear difference between the core and surface metal.
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting that fantastic photo...Strooth Bruce... We have a supplier of Chinese Pattern Bruce anchors locally and I have one of these as a kedge. The main anchor is a 30kg genuine one. Just before buying it 27 years ago I was ofered what appeared to be a look-alike at the Beauley boat sale. I asked the vendor..."could I hit the tip of the fluke as hard as I could with a lump hammer also for sale". When he said no definly not, I cut the conversation short and moved on. So was aware of poor cast iron being used in the copies even then. Chris.
 
I've used a genuine 20kg Bruce for the last four years, on the West Coast of Scotland, and am delighted with it. The only (one) time That I had a problem with it was when it came up clutching an enormous round granite boulder to its bosom.
Are you allowed to say that here?
It was in a silly place to try to anchor, and was only going to be a temporary stop to explore an unusual bit of shoreline.
 
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