CQR/Plough What is the difference

No-one has yet explained how you identify "genuine" and "copy" CQRs. I have no idea if my 25lb Sowester CQR-type is cast or forged. What are the obvious signs - or the manufacturers who make each type?

Mudhook

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No Sam, if you look carefully, the genuine CQR and copies are not similar.. they only look like!..

I know, by experience, that a small detail can change a lot of things.. look for example, at the holding difference between the Fortress and the Guardian, made by the same manufacturer and looking quite similar..

When you want to launch a "new" product on the market.. either it should be quite different from existing products.. or if you want to introduce a "me too " product, it should be either better.. but this condition is very difficult to achieve.. then the only remaining possibility is to have a product much cheaper..

Nearly all CQR copies are made by casting, and most of them are comming from China where the cost of the raw steel and also the manufacturing costs are much cheaper..

Now, from a purely technical point of view, why is the CQR better than any cheap copies..

As already pointed out, forging is a more expensive process but giving a better material resistance of the material it self..
The genuine CQR is not completely made of forged material.. the two "wings" of the plow are made by a steel plate, shaped and then welded onto the tip of the anchor..

By casting, it is not possible to achieve the same low thickness than the CQR wings.. they are all more thick.. and this is a very important point.. one of the weak point of the CQR is to have not enough weight on the tip (only 18% of the total weight of the anchor). By having more thick "wings" you increase even more the weight at the back of the anchor.. thus decreasing the weight distribution at the tip level.. and, following the different copies, nor the angles nor the surfaces are similar..

Now, do you believe that the "Louis Vuiton" bag, you will purchase at Tanger, the "Lacoste" shirt, featuring the same "crocodile"... or the "Cartier" watch you will take back from your vacation trip in Thailand.. if they look nearly similar.. but costing three to four time less.. will be of the same quality?? If you believe that.. sorry, but you are very naïve.. You will have what you pay for..
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Should I mention again, as requested by several participants of this forum, that I'm the author of a book published in France under the tittle 'Tout savoir sur le mouillage" and in Germany under the tittle "Besserankern" .. and that I am also the designer of both the SPADE and the Océane anchors???


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As an example here is the site of a well respected anchor builder here in NZ - <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.manson-marine.co.nz>http://www.manson-marine.co.nz</A>. They make a number of different styles including ploughs. Not sure how many of their smaller anchors go to UK but I do know that Mirabellas anchors came from this company as well as those for many other super yachts.

Should put paid to the view that any plough not a CQR is rubbish - also they make some very nice stainless steel ploughs which I would be happy to have on my boat even though they are not CQR or forged from mild steel as seems to be the claim is necessary for a reliable one.

As others have said a genuine CQR, unless a copy being misrepresented as a being "CQR", can be identified on the stock. I do not think there is any simple way of identifying poor quality ploughs except by looking for signs of poor construction and their metallurgy - most of the weak construction ones are cast from spheroidal graphite or other iron rather than forged or cast from steel. As Hylas says, poor construction ones may not have the plough fabricated from steel plate but be cast instead.

If there is no manufactuers name on the stock I would suspect it. If there is a name and it is a reputable anchor manufacturer you will be able to track the manufacturer down. If they build anchors for a variety of vessels including superyachts and commercial ones then I do not think you have much to worry about regardless of the finer anecdotal claims as to why one anchor is better than another. If the name on the anchor is the "house" name of a seller of a wide variety of low end boat equipment, rather than that of a known anchor builder, then I would suspect the anchor's construction.

John

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CQR is a Trade Copyrighted Name and Drop-forged is reputed to be strongest ....

Plough is literally same design - but without tradename CQR. Often cast material which has been reported to crack / break on hitting hard rocks etc.

Many have genuine CQR's, many like me have 'copy'ploughs and I haven't broken one yet ......... but that is not to say it does not happen.

My tyhought was to use part of the price difference to offset cost of buying a bigger one better suited to anchoring than the piddly little ones in tables etc.

I believe that Simpson Lawrence, original distr. of CQR's couldn't stop the Plough from entering the market due to some copyright error / loophole or whatever .....


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ... and of course Yahoo groups :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/
 
Nigel.

Any patent is only valid for a maximum of 20 years..

When a patent has more than 20 years, it will become part of the public domain and anybody has the right to copy it..

The original CQR patent has now more than 70 years..

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