madabouttheboat
Well-known member
I would say a danforth style anchor is the worst I have ever used. More than once I have dragged using one, and when I’ve pulled it up I have had a large stone wedged in it.
What's the worst anchor?
- Thread starter zoidberg
- Start date
awol
Well-known member
From a post back in 2012 commenting on a 2010 thread - the poster made 2 consecutive posts and was never seen again!
dunedin
Well-known member
The old naval anchor emblem - a fisherman anchor with its rode tangled around it 
zoidberg
Well-known member
"A long time ago in a galaxy FE College far, far away"
....when for smiles and not much else I taught the RYA's slimmed-down syllabus ( yes, I know. They're wunderful - all of them ), I was keen to add in some of the stuff 'there wasn't time for' in the syllabus. Besides an intro to Mike Peyton's cartoon-books on laughs and East Coast seamanship, on one night per season I'd cart up 3 flights of stairs an example of all the different anchors I could find/borrow.... and some chain and rope. Phew! The things you do when you're young and stoopid!
I even had one of those rusty grapnel thingys made up of bent rebar and a couple of spot-welds, that sea anglers like when they go fishing among the rocks and wrecks.... 'cos they abandon them cheerily at the first signs of being stuck.
That permitted a visible demonstration, of sorts, of how each anchor tried to dig in as it was pulled along, and how important it was avoiding an 'up angle' on the leading chain. Each stude then went away with a graphic 'sight picture' memory of what they were trying to achieve.
For years afterwards, I'd receive picture postcards from Caribbean islands, where some ex-stude had been sitting at a beachfront bar, on t'third pina colada, watching the sunset and remembered my 'innocent' request.... "You know how you always have one postcard left over? Well, send it to me here. No, better still, send it to the College Principal. She just loves getting unexpected postcards from faraway places...."
Long after I'd left their employ, long after the Principal had changed two or three times, these exotic little picture postcards with palm trees and sunset beach vistas would pitch up on the latest Principal's desk.
"Who is that guy...?"
Ask me about cost-effective marketing....
....when for smiles and not much else I taught the RYA's slimmed-down syllabus ( yes, I know. They're wunderful - all of them ), I was keen to add in some of the stuff 'there wasn't time for' in the syllabus. Besides an intro to Mike Peyton's cartoon-books on laughs and East Coast seamanship, on one night per season I'd cart up 3 flights of stairs an example of all the different anchors I could find/borrow.... and some chain and rope. Phew! The things you do when you're young and stoopid!
I even had one of those rusty grapnel thingys made up of bent rebar and a couple of spot-welds, that sea anglers like when they go fishing among the rocks and wrecks.... 'cos they abandon them cheerily at the first signs of being stuck.
That permitted a visible demonstration, of sorts, of how each anchor tried to dig in as it was pulled along, and how important it was avoiding an 'up angle' on the leading chain. Each stude then went away with a graphic 'sight picture' memory of what they were trying to achieve.
For years afterwards, I'd receive picture postcards from Caribbean islands, where some ex-stude had been sitting at a beachfront bar, on t'third pina colada, watching the sunset and remembered my 'innocent' request.... "You know how you always have one postcard left over? Well, send it to me here. No, better still, send it to the College Principal. She just loves getting unexpected postcards from faraway places...."
Long after I'd left their employ, long after the Principal had changed two or three times, these exotic little picture postcards with palm trees and sunset beach vistas would pitch up on the latest Principal's desk.
"Who is that guy...?"
Ask me about cost-effective marketing....
Wansworth
Well-known member
Ford Anglia engine block
rogerthebodger
Well-known member
Too heavy to lift on board
This i why people have tries to design anchors that are light but have good holding. The only issue is that the holding ground differed so much that its almost impossible to design an anchor that will hold on all ground types
Wansworth
Well-known member
rogerthebodger
Well-known member
R
emind me to include a smiley
I will remind you to check your spelling and letter spacing
Bouba
Well-known member
A simple question with a simple answer ....the worst anchor is a Delta. In fact it’s not an anchor...it’s a plough....and it ploughs the seabed....using your boat as the tractor powered by the wind.
Aquaboy
Well-known member
any anchor is the worst ......if you dont know how to anchor...
vyv_cox
Well-known member
It was by no means the worst performer in the 2006 major test program. They went out of business shortly afterwards but I heard they had been revived not long ago.
vyv_cox
Well-known member
Delta is an excellent anchor within its limits. Probably the most numerous of all, given that the majority of charter fleets in the Med carry them.
I used them for 25 years in Irish Sea, North Sea, Baltic, Biscay, Mediterranean with almost zero problems.
Baddox
Well-known member
The worst I’ve used was a CQR which came with the boat. I nearly wrote that it consistently dragged but even that would be untrue, it would hold for a while then randomly let go.
When I used to run an angling boat I welded some light rebar into a grapnel with all rope rode weighted with some lead flashing rolled around it to help it sink. It sometimes took a few attempts to anchor in weedy, rocky areas but the advantage was that if it became too stuck, a hefty pull could bend the flukes enough to release it. Its limited holding ability was its advantage, which you wouldn’t say about most anchors.
Incidentally, I know the OP will appreciate the used of a “dead-man” in winter climbing. They were a shaped plate used as an anchor in snow and were also called flukes. Mainly because it was a fluke if they ever worked; when they were set well though, you couldn’t pull them out even with a tow truck.
When I used to run an angling boat I welded some light rebar into a grapnel with all rope rode weighted with some lead flashing rolled around it to help it sink. It sometimes took a few attempts to anchor in weedy, rocky areas but the advantage was that if it became too stuck, a hefty pull could bend the flukes enough to release it. Its limited holding ability was its advantage, which you wouldn’t say about most anchors.
Incidentally, I know the OP will appreciate the used of a “dead-man” in winter climbing. They were a shaped plate used as an anchor in snow and were also called flukes. Mainly because it was a fluke if they ever worked; when they were set well though, you couldn’t pull them out even with a tow truck.
Mister E
Well-known member
The worst anchor is one that floats
Bouba
Well-known member
I see that your seas line up…so you could anchor in the Irish Sea with your Delta…and wake up in the North Sea. Or anchor in the North Sea and wake up in the Baltic….
bergie
Active member
Indeed. We had a nice lesson of this in the Ría today. We anchored yesterday, and the first drop held, as it always does. Bottom is sand with a light frosting of seaweed.
Today arrived a 38ft German sailboat with a CQR. Tried anchoring a couple of times, no bite. Motored over to the next bay. Then hour later motored back here, tried again, then motored to the next bay to try there. Story doesn't tell if they found holding.
In the evening a 40-ish ft sail training vessel arrived with a delta. Took them maybe five tries and an hour, but now they're anchored and seem to stay put.
No wonder some people are hesitant to anchor. If that's your success rate...
zoidberg
Well-known member
The idea was brought back 'down south' by the several Scots climbers who had been employed by the British Antarctic Survey - including the late Johnny Cunningham and 'Wee Malky' - where the concept was used to anchor dog teams for the night in snow.
The original 'Dead Man' was a snow shovel*. This was thought unwieldy to carry on the Hard Scottish Ice routes being developed by 'Johnny K' and his mates at SCPR Glenmore Lodge and in the steep Cairngorm corries behind. The handle was quickly dispensed with. Better shapes were explored.
*Actually, the true original deadman was a 3-foot log, buried in the snow by Alaskan dog-team handlers. A lack of Alaskan trees in Antarctica led to other artifacts being trialled by the dog-team handlers there, which included several Scots climbers.
Budding hills-gear entrepreneur Graham Tiso, flushed with the sales success of his Pterodactyl ice axe ( a copy of the Hamish Mc job ) seized on the idea, produced an aluminium version with 'anhedral' wings, bolted on a wire cable, and sold lots to university climbing clubs students from areas of England that had no snow or ice.
A career, an industry, was born....
thinwater
Well-known member
Snow fluke (deadman).
Boathook
Well-known member
Beat me to it. I was going to mention a wooden anchor. Wasn't to sure what shape / style to mention
thinwater
Well-known member
I have found the Lewmar Claw vs. Bruce differences ... just amazing. If you are going to flat out copy something, why do it wrong? The Bruce is pretty good. Very good at some things. The Claw is ... pretty much useless. I have a 2-pound one on my kayak for fishing, mostly because it doesn't have sharp points and was dirt cheap. Of course, 2 pounds of concrete in a can would also work, the traditional canoe anchor.