What's the worst anchor?

[srm]

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.

If the Claw came out while the Bruce patent was still enforceable their only defence could be that it was different, ie different geometry or something significant.
My first yacht charter was to a company making a promotional film for a revolutionary new anchor that could be fabricated from flat plate in any size from yacht up to oil rig. I took one look at it and said "that looks like an angular Bruce". The inventor then went into a long explanation about the difference in the geometry for angles of attack and penetration. It did not help him in court a year or so later, in fact he went to prison for contempt of court. The toy he tried to anchor my 42ft 10 ton displacement boat with was no use either. The diver filming it said the anchor started to dig in, then jumped out of the sea bed and disappeared. It probably saved the inventor from injury as the "experienced" yachtsman was holding the rope in his hands, not even surging it under a cleat.

 

[zoidberg]

'Some mothers do have them....'

Oh, and Thinwater's pic shows a cheap Third World knockoff of the genuine Graham Tiso Deadman.... which has three planes of engagement for Cairngorm and Antarctic snow, not two for the deep winter snowfields of the Great Dismal Chesapeake Swamp!

Yet anither o' yon 'Murricains pinching a good idea engendered in the Old Country, then marketing it as all their own work - like Bluegrass music and The Longest Day.
Then they have the cheek to complain about the Chinese thieving design ideas....

 

[thinwater]

'Some mothers do have them....'

Oh, and Thinwater's pic shows a cheap Third World knockoff of the genuine Graham Tiso Deadman.... which has three planes of engagement for Cairngorm and Antarctic snow, not two for the deep winter snowfields of the Great Dismal Chesapeake Swamp!

Yet anither o' yon 'Murricains pinching a good idea engendered in the Old Country, then marketing it as all their own work - like Bluegrass music and The Longest Day.
Then they have the cheek to complain about the Chinese thieving design ideas....

SMC is located in the Pacific northwest, about 2800 miles from the Chesapeake. The thing is, snow is so variable as to defy simple description or regional experience. Kind of like the difference between hard sand and pudding mud.

The only deadman I've ever found need for snow climbing was a piolet driven deep, reinforced by a boot and crampons. Mostly, an obsolete method, like some of the anchors we're discussing. Fast and light.

 

[noelex]

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.

These comments are spot on.

A genuine Bruce anchor has some complex twists in the geometry of the flukes (see photo below). Unfortunately, copies are usually simplified designs and these work less well, often much less well.

Don’t buy a Bruce copy.

 

[zoidberg]

SMC is located in the Pacific northwest, about 2800 miles from the Chesapeake. The thing is, snow is so variable as to defy simple description or regional experience.

'The Pacific northwest' is certainly one of the more interesting corners of this blue marble. I'd very much like to go, preferably with a rugged easily-driven sailboat equipped with a decent diesel heater.

I gave up snow/ice climbing a long time ago - about the time that girlie beach volleyball was invented.

 

[LiftyK]

It was called the Flook anchor. It was quite popular in Australia at one stage:
View attachment 182749

I still have mine

 

[madabouttheboat]

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.

Around where I am, with thick black smelly mud, my Delta is the best anchor I have ever used.

 

[Stemar]

Don’t buy a Bruce copy.

I would go further - don't buy a copy of any anchor unless you're only ever going to use it as a lunch hook in good weather. Which, of course, is fine until the day you need to use it for real, and the weather isn't so good. Good luck...

 

[Poignard]

I would go further - don't buy a copy of any anchor unless you're only ever going to use it as a lunch hook in good weather. Which, of course, is fine until the day you need to use it for real, and the weather isn't so good. Good luck...

Indeed! It could completely ruin one's luncheon party.

 

[Poignard]

This shows that our predecessors gave some thought to anchor design, and did the best they could with the tools and materials available to them.

Stone Anchors - Maritime Archaeology Trust

 

[zoidberg]

Stone Anchors - Maritime Archaeology Trust

Some years back I crewed on a 33' trimaran and had the task of 'anchoring' in Oban Bay, awaiting our runners, at the start of the Scottish Islands Peaks Race. The bottom there was notoriously foul, so lowering a conventional anchor was imprudent. The alternative was to jill about hundreds of metres further out - which extended the rowing of the runners out from the shore rather a lot.

I found a couple-of-metres square tattered offcut of a fishing net discarded on the beach, 'borrowed' some boulders and wrapped them up in the netting, and - choosing our spot inshore close to the runners' embarcation-point - lowered this stone bundle to the seabed on a doubled warp. Once our runners and rower were aboard, it was a matter of moments to slip the doubled warp, leaving the boulders behind.... sailing away out of the bay before others had paddled even halfway to their boats.

 

[rogerthebodger]

The moorings in our marina are held in place with large concrete blocks and to date have not moved.

A bit heavy to lift on my own would need several heavy crew members

 

[KevinV]

I have in my shed a cheap brittany anchor with no edge on the flukes that came with a previous boat. The only good thing to say about it is that it stowed flat on the deck. I've never been desperate enough to see if it might work - I have severe doubts.

 

[Refueler]

The moorings in our marina are held in place with large concrete blocks and to date have not moved.

A bit heavy to lift on my own would need several heavy crew members

When I was club mooring in UK ...... club had a mold for casting concrete sinkers ... basically a ring about 1.5m diameter and about 20cms high. We stood the ring on a sheet of scrap ply just above high water mark on slipway.
Took a short length of scrap chain from the local Dredger Company which was then 'hung' in centre of the ring .... with most of top link clear for later shackling to.
Poured concrete and let set.

Whole was then slid down the slipway on the ply and into the water at low tide .... there would be riser chain shackled on and good rope through link sticking out of concrete. The rope would be ready to make fast to suitable boat ... I used my SR25 for a number of them being a bilge keeler ...

I would edge the slipway as the tide came in ... and once keels touched block - I would make fast each rope end to secure hard points on boat fwd. Tide would continue to rise ... boat would lift block..... riser chain would be with rope to deck - but all chain on top of block

Carefully motor out to designated spot ... where decision made to 'let go block' or wait falling tide to settle block in place. Letting it go could be dramatic !! One guy I know nearly went over the pushpit rail as the bow shot up !! Best is to lay out couple of anchors to control boats position and settle with tide.

 

[zoidberg]

Discussions a while back with the 'sharp end' of the Diving Belle moorings contractors team near Plymouth - the ONLY such service provider to offer a detailed survey report and guarantee on 'their' moorings - elicited their view that concrete blocks for moorings are all very well, but by far the better material for this use is plate steel. Apparently, this settles deeper, flat into the mud/substrate and is a whole lot harder to shift than their bespoke concrete lumps.

Even better, they claimed, were steel wheels from railways locos..... but the supply of these has largely dried up.

 

[Roberto]

Flook the Flying Anchor and

I want one

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I want one

I'd prefer Flook (comic strip) - Wikipedia

 

[Roberto]

I have in my shed a cheap brittany anchor with no edge on the flukes that came with a previous boat. The only good thing to say about it is that it stowed flat on the deck. I've never been desperate enough to see if it might work - I have severe doubts.

Likewise I would not trust it either, but: to my big astonishment I must say I have seen it extensively and satisfactorily used by many boats having actually anchored in very wild places. To me that stands way above any anchor testing results, or impressions

 

[vyv_cox]

Likewise I would not trust it either, but: to my big astonishment I must say I have seen it extensively and satisfactorily used by many boats having actually anchored in very wild places. To me that stands way above any anchor testing results, or impressions

The Britany (correct spelling) is very popular in France. Similar to a Danforth. I have spoken to many satisfied users.

 

[zoidberg]

This 'Fred Is Being Hijacked!

The 'Best Anchor Beggars' are at it again, sneaking back in to swerve and subvert us back into their cult. Don't stand for it!
Strike a blow for freedom from monotony - and show us your Worst Anchor!