What sort of anchor is this

[SteveSarabande]

So having decided it is potentially going to let me down, I am looking for a replacement. I guess choosing an anchor is going to be even more contraversial, but here goes.

How about Lewmar Deltas? any good. My cruising area is the Bristol Channel, I saw these that are local to me, if they are ok then is 6kg enough or should I splash out on 10kg? Sabre 27 fin keel
http://www.marinescene.co.uk/category/227/delta-anchors/

 

[vyv_cox]

Uhmmm, maybe Bugel - it's quite interesting that it seems the Bugel is only mentioned once in this thread. I absolutely love it. It has no moving parts and the quality of the steel is superb. My boat was hanging on it for about 5000 days and dragged twice in the last 14 years, once in sand and rock in up to 63 kn of wind.

My only reservation was the description 'New Generation', not with its holding or performance. It is most certainly a predecessor and stepping stone of the NG anchors, with its fluke shape and roll bar. My understanding of the NGs is that they have been designed to maximise tip loading for optimum setting and are concave to maximise holding. This is not quite true of the Bugel but that does not detract from it in its own right.

To Stevev2:
I believe the Delta to be excellent in your area. I had several over 20 years on Atlantic coasts, where it never let me down. The only problem I had was in very soft mud, where it dragged uncontrollably in strong gusting winds. For a 27 foot boat I would think the 10 kg is better - that's what I had with the same size of boat.

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

Genuine CQR`s are std equipment on new Oyster yachts

Is that supposed to be an endorsement for the anchors?

 

[sailorman]

Is that supposed to be an endorsement for the anchors?

One would assume so,as they are the most successful English yacht builder. continuios trading for over 32 years, with a double Queen`s award to industry as well

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

One would assume so,as they are the most successful English yacht builder. continuios trading for over 32 years, with a double Queen`s award to industry as well

One cannot argue their commercial success, but if you knew the first thing about yacht component selection for boat builders you would know that a careful comparison of various options and selection based on established criteria is NOT how they do things.

And, if you looked carefully at the boats themselves you would also know that most owners ditch the CQR and fit something else.

 

[sailorman]

One cannot argue their commercial success, but if you knew the first thing about yacht component selection for boat builders you would know that a careful comparison of various options and selection based on established criteria is NOT how they do things.

And, if you looked carefully at the boats themselves you would also know that most owners ditch the CQR and fit something else.

well we see many in our marina for re-fit or on brokerage. it seems strange they almost all have a C.Q.R at the bow

 

[geem]

whilst in the Caribbean where the holding is poor, we saw many British yachts with CQR types anchors dragging around the anchorages. I dont know it they were genuine or not.
I watched on several occations, yachts anchoring near us. I was in the water with mask on so could see how some of these anchors performed. The CQR types were amazing. If you reversed too fast, the anchor would drag across the sand with the swivel allowing the head of the anchor to oscilate backwards and forwards with no chance of the anchor setting. It didnt look good!
By comparison, I watched a friend anchor next to us a few times and his Delta woud bed in instantly as he put load on the chain in reverse. We had a pattern Bruce type that worked well but too much reverse would drag the anchor. it was usually better to do only enough reverse to allow the chain to lie in a straight line. The wind would then do the rest and the anchor would slowly bed in.
My experience in the UK, where holding is usually a lot better than the Caribbean, is that most anchors work resonably well as long as they are big enough. The Caribbean is a real test bed where anchor performance needs to be far better. I wouldnt choose a CQR for my boat.

 

[vyv_cox]

whilst in the Caribbean where the holding is poor, we saw many British yachts with CQR types anchors dragging around the anchorages. I dont know it they were genuine or not.
I watched on several occations, yachts anchoring near us. I was in the water with mask on so could see how some of these anchors performed. The CQR types were amazing. If you reversed too fast, the anchor would drag across the sand with the swivel allowing the head of the anchor to oscilate backwards and forwards with no chance of the anchor setting. It didnt look good!
By comparison, I watched a friend anchor next to us a few times and his Delta woud bed in instantly as he put load on the chain in reverse. We had a pattern Bruce type that worked well but too much reverse would drag the anchor. it was usually better to do only enough reverse to allow the chain to lie in a straight line. The wind would then do the rest and the anchor would slowly bed in.
My experience in the UK, where holding is usually a lot better than the Caribbean, is that most anchors work resonably well as long as they are big enough. The Caribbean is a real test bed where anchor performance needs to be far better. I wouldnt choose a CQR for my boat.

Your post mirrors precisely my experience of watching boats anchor in the Mediterranean. Swimming around an anchorage with a mask and snorkel is very educational.

 

[macd]

Funnily enough I thought the holding was mainly good in the Caribbean (Antilles), but then I did have a pointy modern hook which suits the usual bottom encountered there. I dragged once, and very slowly, in a patch of atypically very soft mud in the St Martin lagoon. No doubt CQR aficionados would tell you you have to v-e-r-y gently tease the hook into the bottom, and good luck to them.