Danforth Anchor - RIP

[Neeves]

Rather than guessing - the limited detail on Danforth is here:

http://www.danforthanchors.com

The steel of the shank of standard anchor is helpfully (?) described as 'high strength' the shank steel of the HT version is defined but then qualified as it is further heat treated (possibly quench and tempered). The HT version seems a better anchor as in addition to the stronger shank they appear to bevel the fluke which will make it better, or easier, to set in a harder substrate.

As guessing is in fashion - I'd have to think the shank of the HT version is stronger than the standard.

Earlier version of the genuine Danforth had drop forged shanks (with an 'I' section vaguely similar to, the original, CQR)

The only place I know that sell genuine, and copies, of Danforth is West Marine, chandlers in Japan and the American Pacific island, like Guam and Saipan.

Personally unless I was giving a new lease of life to a genuine Danforth model, surplus to the benefactor's needs (see post 18 above), I'd suggest that an unweighted fluke anchor is an essential component of anyone's anchor wardrobe - but invest in a Fortress. From tests it seems to work as well, or better than a Danforth, it is demountable (though I'd suggest assembly - and then its easy to use as a kedge - immediately) and its light, so can be safely deployed from a dinghy. As no-one here will use it as a primary - so the fear mongering of its inability to cater for a change of tension direction is probably not relevant. It merits mention that other anchors in mud and weed are less than dependable to a change of tension direction - don't for one moment think this is a fault of Fortress alone (just check Morgan's Cloud recommendations on anchors). Sized correctly Fortress has incredible hold in sand and mud. I'd be less enthusiastic on using a Fortress in weed or stones (but we carry other designs that cater).

From comment on this forum Fortress appear to come on e-bay surprisingly often.

I cannot say we use our Fortress often but we do use it enough. We find Fortress' size recommendations to be generous and have now moved down to using an FX 16 in sand, rather than the recommended FX-23, 38' x 7t cat. We still carry the FX 23, but with the fluke set a 45 degrees, for mud (which we do use, deployed by hand off the bow).

Jonathan

 

[Kukri]

R.I.P. indeed.

Yesterday we lost a Danforth clone to a ground chain. Again. The things take a good bite and nothing shakes them off.

 

[Neeves]

R.I.P. indeed.

Yesterday we lost a Danforth clone to a ground chain. Again. The things take a good bite and nothing shakes them off.

Proving that people on this forum do use danforth (even if clones)!

 

[sailaboutvic]

Eh, Jonathan, my present boat came with a genuine 20kg Danforth, as a second anchor. For ease of handling, I replaced it with a Fortress FX23, which has very similar dimensions, and presumably similar holding capability. At present the Danforth is languishing beside my cradle in the boatyard, and longing to be taken to sea again. (Free to a good home).

Vic, I suspect that in general the holding in parts of the Med, are possibly not as good as most of the holding around the West Coast of Scotland, although my experience of sailing in the Med is very limited. I do remember anchoring in an open bay in Majorca in a friend's boat. The anchor was probably a CQR. Another boat came in later, and proceeded to put out three anchors. I just smiled and shook my head. Very early in the morning, the boat with the three anchors was still there, while we were dragging out of the bay. He had obviously expected the strong katabatic wind, and we hadn't. Oh well, you learn something every day. Mainly that dragging in a warm dry Mediterranean, isn't a patch on dragging in a screaming gale in freezing cold rain on the West Coast.

Norman , this is the point I trying to make admit badly , people who swear by their x y z anchors are normally using then in a area where tho anchors suit , Just like my old CQR when I was based in the east coast , my god if you told me then my CQR was crap you would had an argument on your hand and like you I also had a Bruce which also work great in the east coast mud,
if any thing I would say the Bruce work better then the CQR did once I went off cruising , if I remember rightly the CQR and me parted in Portugal and the Bruce lasted till Italy four years on when I decided the boat wasn't big enough for a solo sailor to live on full time and sail back to the UK .
Next boat out left the UK with a delta and returned with a delta 14 years later .
My last boat left the UK in 2010 again with a delta only because I brought her new in 2019 and it came with a delta , bloody good anchor in my view for the money ,
but what I found was at times it took time to set and with the type of anchoring we do ,the extra min made a different of you was sitting nicely between a crow of boats of on the next boat bow ,
I do understand that some here can't imagine some of the anchorage we have to deal with , many are on home ground with anchorage where the boats are well space out in sheltered rivers or estuaries , that's not what it's like when your cruising as you know especially places like Greece , Turkey and Croatia we anchored the other night in a small anchorage with ended up being 60 boats , bit like the M25 leave a gap and someone will squeeze in and before someone says move on to a better anchorages , move on to where ? You need a anchor that will set fast and I find our Rocna Will .
The delta would hold well once in but didn't set fast , for sure any of the old type anchors be it a Bruce or CQR would be useless in tho situation .
So yes the Bruce's , Danfroth and the CQR do have a place in the history book but not at the end of my chain.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Proving that people on this forum do use danforth (even if clones)!

You be surprise what people use on this forum , or mybe not

 

[ashtead]

Norman , this is the point I trying to make admit badly , people who swear by their x y z anchors are normally using then in a area where tho anchors suit , Just like my old CQR when I was based in the east coast , my god if you told me then my CQR was crap you would had an argument on your hand and like you I also had a Bruce which also work great in the east coast mud,
if any thing I would say the Bruce work better then the CQR did once I went off cruising , if I remember rightly the CQR and me parted in Portugal and the Bruce lasted till Italy four years on when I decided the boat wasn't big enough for a solo sailor to live on full time and sail back to the UK .
Next boat out left the UK with a delta and returned with a delta 14 years later .
My last boat left the UK in 2010 again with a delta only because I brought her new in 2019 and it came with a delta , bloody good anchor in my view for the money ,
but what I found was at times it took time to set and with the type of anchoring we do ,the extra min made a different of you was sitting nicely between a crow of boats of on the next boat bow ,
I do understand that some here can't imagine some of the anchorage we have to deal with , many are on home ground with anchorage where the boats are well space out in sheltered rivers or estuaries , that's not what it's like when your cruising as you know especially places like Greece , Turkey and Croatia we anchored the other night in a small anchorage with ended up being 60 boats , bit like the M25 leave a gap and someone will squeeze in and before someone says move on to a better anchorages , move on to where ? You need a anchor that will set fast and I find our Rocna Will .
The delta would hold well once in but didn't set fast , for sure any of the old type anchors be it a Bruce or CQR would be useless in tho situation .
So yes the Bruce's , Danfroth and the CQR do have a place in the history book but not at the end of my chain.

If a med cruiser were to replace a delta with a rocna would you move up from 20kg to larger size .

 

[sailaboutvic]

If a med cruiser were to replace a delta with a rocna would you move up from 20kg to larger size .

I would it I had a small delta and couldn't afford a much better one , but. I have a 25 kg Rocna , oh no I said it , another anchor war

 

[ashtead]

I would it I had a small delta and couldn't afford a much better one , but. I have a 25 kg Rocna , oh no I said it , another anchor war

Many thanks for this we have a 20 delta which could use as a spare with short chain and rope but will look at 25kg rocna these do seem the way to go and seemed to be stocked by local chandlery .

 

[Neeves]

Forget anchor wars

That romantic idea we have been harbouring of a quiet sunset behind some glorious Greek ruins in an isolated anchorage have been slightly tarnished by the new vision of Centre Parts on water or the yachtsmen equivalent of Blackpool, circa 1965. No wonder there have been claim of anchoring at short scope. The question has to be - why are you there and why would you stomach it for more than 2 weeks - I must be missing something, certainly the Greek ruins!

No wonder its called the lucky country. The attraction of NW Scotland, and Rockall, seem very obvious now

Jonathan

 

[sailaboutvic]

Forget anchor wars

That romantic idea we have been harbouring of a quiet sunset behind some glorious Greek ruins in an isolated anchorage have been slightly tarnished by the new vision of Centre Parts on water or the yachtsmen equivalent of Blackpool, circa 1965. No wonder there have been claim of anchoring at short scope. The question has to be - why are you there and why would you stomach it for more than 2 weeks - I must be missing something, certainly the Greek ruins!

No wonder its called the lucky country. The attraction of NW Scotland, and Rockall, seem very obvious now

Jonathan

Firstly you have to remember the Med is a very big places I sailed many of the country in 25 plus years I think it's getting on to 28 now and see very little , Greece is another big country on its own with thousands of anchorages most people seen very little , they have this dream of sailing to Greece some don't go that far , they just buy a boat in Greece , they get to the Ionian and that's it there they stay , which is fine , that's what they want and everyone to there own .
Only real problem is now the Ionian is getting rather packed with charter boats , just have to read some of the posting on the liveaboard forum .
There not many very quiet parts like the Aegean which we cruising this year , it's been some time last time we was here .
now to get to the good parts you need to pass the bad parts like around Athens where there are marinas that house thousand of charter boats any anchorages around them parts are going to be packed so you need to get away but first you have to pass them .

Last night we had five at anchor then night before on our own , three night ago there was a Meltemi blowing and no matter where we ended up the anchorages where full with people that's not moved for days , we now just about away from the charter circuit and we expect to get many more empty anchorages .
As why we don't sail in Scotland , very simple the weather , we can easily sail till the end of Dec in the Med , our season start around March , don't get me wrong , you can get some shitty weather but in whole it's great especially if your a sailor and not into motoring , plus the places is empty from Oct till April.
I did my bit of Scottish sailing in my younger days , I just too old for all that cold wet weather now .
Ps , to day we sailing in 20kts of wind its 30c the seas are almost flat speed 6.8 kts there no other boat in sight and I am eating an ice cream . British weather , no thank you .