What anchor should I buy?

Mikehp0 said:
Sorry. I Did a search before posting because I didn't want to sound like a newbie and upset people. . I have an electric car. Their forums are full of 'what sort of charger/cable do I need'? Old lags tend to reply 'do some googling / read the ****** manual'... Have I started that sort of thread?
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Dont worry about it... some people seem to enjoy taking offence when questions about anchors are posted. It doesn't happen with most other questions, even though noone is reinventing the wheel here, and most questions have been asked multiple times. If we all googled and found the answers elsewhere, there would be no need for a forum :(

I've got a narrowboat on a canal, so dont need an anchor for what I do, thus no axe to grind :)

I used to have a Moody 44 with a CQR copy, (Harbourfast), which wasnt good and, had I made it to Lefkas in Greece in 2008, I would have bought a Rocna or a Manson Supreme. I'm pretty sure the people who bought it from me, and sailed it across the Atlantic and through the Panama Canal, replaced it with a Rocna.

If I was faced with the decision today, it would be one of the new generation anchors with a Spade like shape, rather than a plough, and I have seen nothing to suggest it shouldnt be a Rocna or a Manson. If money were no object, I'd buy a Spade.

In the narrowboat community, a similar situation arises when someone asks whether a pumpout, or a cassette toilet, is best, yet ask a question about batteries the day after someone else has asked the same thing, and you get all the help you could wish for, without any moaning..... strange how some things engender this type of reaction - perhaps its a Pavlovs Dog kind of thing?

Ignore those who moan..... it's not helpful.
 
I know this is controversial but those who have recommended Delta anchors should dive and see how their anchors lie.
The Delta, by its design is a ploughing anchor.
That means that it never actually sets - it just keeps ploughing.
Which is great if thats what you want it to do.
But for me, I like my anchor to dig in and stay put.
And the Rocna does just that for me without breaking the bank balance.
In all conditions, I feel more comfortable with the Rocna than our old Delta any day.
 
prv said:
It’s a classic thread but not in quite the same way. NMEA0183 wiring is probably the equivalent to your charger thing ;). Anchor threads instead have no single objectively-correct answer and people can bang on endlessly about their preference. Probably worse in the sailyboat forums than here, though ;)

All that said, obviously the right answer is the Spade anchor like I have :D. Never dragged or failed to set first time in eight years of frequent anchoring in various conditions around the Solent, West Country and Channel Islands, sometimes in quite strong winds and tides. I’m more likely to anchor overnight than for a lunch stop, and am happy to leave the boat anchored with the Spade while going off for a walk around an island or a meal ashore.

For your sized boat you probably want the S100 model. The one downside of Spades is that they are not cheap.

Pete
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I have a Rocna which I’m happy with but I wouldn’t recommend it purely because I’ve never anchored in those waters. What I think the OP should do is follow the advice of Pete (above), the Spade is highly rated amongst the new generation anchors and he has experience with it in the OP’s home waters

Ps this is not a farming forum. Don’t get a plough
 
The OP is contemplating lunch stops in areas with good holding so his anchoring equipment does not necessarily need to be top of the line. I suspect a humble, fixed convex plough anchor such as the Delta or Kobra (the latter is slightly better and also usually less expensive) would be adequate but, if going to to the trouble to upgrade the anchor it is perhaps worth considering top of the line anchors. This removes the possibility of upgrading the anchor only to repeat the process if the requirements change or if the convex plough anchor is not sufficient. There is also an argument that an anchor is piece of safety gear.

I have spent a long time looking at anchor performance underwater and in my view the best multipurpose primary anchors are:

Mantus
Rocna
Steel Spade
Manson Supreme

While there is great debate about the best anchor, there are very few people that are knowledgeable about anchors that would not include these models at, or at least close to the top of the tree. (Note: there are a few new anchors such as the Knox and the Vulcan that I have not seen in sufficient detail).
 
noelex said:
The OP is contemplating lunch stops in areas with good holding so his anchoring equipment does not necessarily need to be top of the line. I suspect a humble, fixed convex plough anchor such as the Delta or Kobra (the latter is slightly better and also usually less expensive) would be adequate but, if going to to the trouble to upgrade the anchor it is perhaps worth considering top of the line anchors. This removes the possibility of upgrading the anchor only to repeat the process if the requirements change or if the convex plough anchor is not sufficient. There is also an argument that an anchor is piece of safety gear.

I have spent a long time looking at anchor performance underwater and in my view the best multipurpose primary anchors are:

Mantus
Rocna
Steel Spade
Manson Supreme

While there is great debate about the best anchor, there are very few people that are knowledgeable about anchors that would not include these models at, or at least close to the top of the tree. (Note: there are a few new anchors such as the Knox and the Vulcan that I have not seen in sufficient detail).
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Good. The serious anchormen are entering the affray :encouragement:
 
noelex said:
The OP is contemplating lunch stops in areas with good holding so his anchoring equipment does not necessarily need to be top of the line. I suspect a humble, fixed convex plough anchor such as the Delta or Kobra (the latter is slightly better and also usually less expensive) would be adequate but, if going to to the trouble to upgrade the anchor it is perhaps worth considering top of the line anchors. This removes the possibility of upgrading the anchor only to repeat the process if the requirements change or if the convex plough anchor is not sufficient. There is also an argument that an anchor is piece of safety gear.

I have spent a long time looking at anchor performance underwater and in my view the best multipurpose primary anchors are:

Mantus
Rocna
Steel Spade
Manson Supreme

While there is great debate about the best anchor, there are very few people that are knowledgeable about anchors that would not include these models at, or at least close to the top of the tree. (Note: there are a few new anchors such as the Knox and the Vulcan that I have not seen in sufficient detail).
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What about Ultra Marine?
Expensive but, IMO, the best anchor out there.
https://www.ultramarine-anchors.com/

That said, I am sticking to my Rocna.
Somewhere, I've got pics of the old Delta "ploughing" and my new Rocna just turning in its own hole.
 
Please... enough... I sense a hornet nest has been stirred for which I humbly apologise.

I think I'm going to go for a 20kg galvanised Rocna - I've got room to fit it so don't need to go for a Vulcan and they are on offer so a couple of hundred quid cheaper than the Spade.

Many thanks for your help

Mike
 
Mikehp0 said:
Please... enough... I sense a hornet nest has been stirred for which I humbly apologise.

I think I'm going to go for a 20kg galvanised Rocna - I've got room to fit it so don't need to go for a Vulcan and they are on offer so a couple of hundred quid cheaper than the Spade.

Many thanks for your help

Mike
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Good decision. From what I’ve heard and read from people with Rocna, you won’t be disappointed.

Be prepared to be stopped with a jolt when you first use it :)
 
Mikehp0 said:
Please... enough... I sense a hornet nest has been stirred for which I humbly apologise.

I think I'm going to go for a 20kg galvanised Rocna - I've got room to fit it so don't need to go for a Vulcan and they are on offer so a couple of hundred quid cheaper than the Spade.

Many thanks for your help

Mike
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Go to the Rocna website and print up the paper anchor, stick it to some cardboard and then test fit it. The point of a Rocna is very sharp so it needs to be away from your gelcote
 
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