CQR Difficulties

[scarlett]

I am back in the UK and have just seen all the very useful and interesting replies to my post on the 28th of July. Thank you very much everyone who bothered.

I bought the lead but after looking at dozens of CQRs, Deltas and Bruces dragging decided the danger and effort would be an interesting experiment but not for me.

Without sight of the posts I ordered a 12 KG Oceane [4tone 32 foot boat ].

My CQR and a 25 lb fisherman are under my boat with a sign suggesting people can help themselves and put what they think they are worth through the hatch!

Any offers for 10 lb of lead?

Scarlett

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[Guest]

Post deleted by danfoley

 

[Guest]

Seconded ...

I have a fishermans for weed conditions and the CQR for normal.

Never had a problem ...... but I use all chain, I put out a generous scope without being OTT.

In fact I had one of my previous boats - Alacrity 19 break its mooring in a F11 in Langstone ...... I was on her at time !!!! It was dark and blimey the spray and s...t was amazing !!!! I had tried to get back before all hell broke loose with my brother from Bembridge .... Anyway I knew somewthing was wrong even though I couldn't see where we were !!! The boat was bouncing on the bottom with the waves exceeding the depth ------ about 15ft !!
The only option I had was to pay out the CQR and a decent amount of chain.

Having an inflatable - my brother and I then made it to shore where the CG was waiting - having been called by my 'then' wife ...... so a drink in the LB fund and a genuine thanks.

Next day when weather ad gone down - I went out to the boat .... she was still in same place with no damage. The cqr had held her despite all. The mooring chain was still on her with the broken shackle ...... the shackle was a heavy D shackle that had broken its pin and opened out ..... I used to show the shackle to others to illustrate the forces exerted on moorings etc. - even by a small boat like that.

For me that was enough to convince me of chain and CQR for general use.



<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I came - cos they said was FREE Guinness !
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[Birdseye]

Your best decision may well be to keep all the anchors - I dont think that there is such a thing as a universal anchor, best in every situation. After all, the CQR is both very common and very well recommended - so its highly unlikely to be useless.

we carry a CQR, a Bruce and an Aluminium Danforth type. But the real key bit of kit has been the electric windlass which has allowed us to repeatedly re-anchor until we're sure we have the right spot. Enthusiasm for moving soon fades after you've manually recovered a 35lb anchor and chain a few times!

The other secret is not to use all chain. Once the catenary is lost, the shock loads with all chain can be horrendous. Use a decent length of nylon as a shock absorber - and dont make it too thick a diameter either.What you need is stretch.

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[Mirelle]

Can I \"third\" that?

I've dragged a CQR twice in the last thirty years, (once in Spitzbergen and once in Walton Backwaters!) and on both occasions the fault was mine for trying to be too clever and anchoring on a short scope on the edge of deeper water, thus pulling the anchor downhill into a much greater depth when the wind came offshore, which is something no anchor could possibly tolerate.

Conversely, confronted with a recalcitrant Stuart 8 and a heavy 30 footer in the Exe at half ebb, a 15lb CQR literally thrown over, on a short warp, held amazingly.

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[scarlett]

Regarding the latest replies I had consistent failure with my 30lb CQR copy in sand on more than half a dozen different locations. It only dug where there was mud.

I was in Lakka on Paxos when a blow was forecast. I anchored with a small Fortess held down the CQR lying on its side a metre behind it. The depths and clarity in Greece are such that you can often see your anchor.

More than fifthy boats sought shelter and more than half of them had one sort of problem or other. Not setting or running out of room before setting or dragging. The problem anchors were CQRs, Deltas and Bruces. No Danforth or Bungelstein [sic] failed.

I spent the afternoon watching because it was mildly amusing.

I still have s Seaclaw, like a Bruce, a Meon, like a Danforth, the Fortress and a little one for the dinghy. I carry 60 metres of 8mm chain with 50 metres of nylon, some other 8mm chain on nylon and some 6.5 mm chain on an Ancrolina. I want to find a good home for the CQR and the fisherman just to reduce weight on our 4 tonne boat.

I have for the same reason left a 25 lb Brittany and a folding 10lb 'chocolate' anchor in the garage. Any offers!

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[Jaguar]

I have just bought a boat in Trinidad with a CQR as the main anchor. Virtualy every anchorage I tried would not get the anchor to bite. Even very light motoring back would drag the anchor. I dived down a couple of times and found the anchor just resting on the bottom - no sign of digging in, though I had all chain and 4 x scope. I desperation I changed to a danforth and this seemed to hold better. Though, on one occasion the wind changed through 180 degrees in less than two minutes and picked up to 20 knotts. Of course, we dragged. When I hauled up the danfoth, one of the plates had bent through 15 degrees!! In other places I resorted to using the CQR and the Danforth off the back. Deltas seemed to be more popular out that way. After looking at the anchor lying on the sea bed it was difficult to see how it could bite in as well as a Delta with the CQR's hinge. I must admit, this was my first time anchoring overseas. I have allways anchord ion the UK previously, with great success.

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[rich]

I walked around a drying anchorage in herm in sept, the only anchor that was dug well in was a delta,

<hr width=100% size=1>rich ) <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.jersey-harbours.com>http://www.jersey-harbours.com</A>

 

[HaraldS]

Grew up with CQR and thought it was a great anchor; that was 30 years ago. Anchored many hundred times in very different places and really never was let down. Must say though that the anchor was two sizes oversized relative to vendor spec then. Many years later, chartering in the Caribbean the CQR on the chartered boat let me down a few times, and I carefully pulled the anchor in with engine, often watching it snorkeling above it. Several times it just dragged happily over the ground, nothing happened, and it was just plain sand. Diving down, sticking it in made it work just fine.
Later I talked to somebody about it and he said this was typical on charter boats as the anchors get used a lot, (in the Carib), and the hinge wears out changing the angle of attack, thus making older CQRs fail. Not sure I believe this theory though, as wear would increase the angle, which should make it easier for the anchor to bite.
Nowadays I have just one CQR and that is a stern anchor of 45 lbs on 60m of 8mm chain. Sure not a primary size for a 19 ton boat, but still decent. It ket me down several times, even on multiple attempts with huge scope *5 - 6 tines). It's sure not worn out, it just doesn't seem to work well.
Often we had a few tries with it, and then reverted to a 24 lbs Fortress which worked at try always. That one with just 6m of chain and the rest rope.
The 110 lbs bruce bow anchor had never let us down, unless we tried to anchor on a hard lava bed. But again, that's two sizes over spec. and now I think size matters more than anything else. But no question, the CQR is a very old design and there is better technology on the market. If I can figure out how to self stow another anchor on my stern, (The shaft disappears into the transom, the fluke locks up below) I'd go for something else, most likely a spade.


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