Which anchor?

>It concerns me that you EXPECT to have to re-anchor several times before you get a proper set.

He didn't say that he said "we always choose our anchoring spots very carefully, sometimes dropping, lifting and re-setting the anchor a few times before we are finally satisfied."

Which is a sensible procedure that we also follow. I sometimed think that CQR knockers simply don't know how to use one and thus have bad experiences. I remember somebody on a forum who was knocking them saying they'd seen dozens of CQR's lying on their sides. Which rather proves my point - CQR's are plough anchors and need to be dragged.
 
I've got a Rocna

Id be interested in opinions of any one who uses a Rocna anchor.

I circumnavigated with a 45lb CQR, which I found satisfactory. Worst area was in the southern Caribbean where it struggled in the thin sand over coral. But it was usually OK once set. Had a big Fortress in reserve. Once had to use that when the bottom was very soupy.

I bought a Rocna two years ago and have found it better. It has always set first time. Resets if necessary when the tide changes, and usually brings a huge scoop of the sea bed to the surface when I lift it. Had to modify my roller so that it doesn't whack into the forestay when stowed and waves come over the bow. I'm a happy customer.
 
KellysEye said:
>It concerns me that you EXPECT to have to re-anchor several times before you get a proper set.

He didn't say that he said "we always choose our anchoring spots very carefully, sometimes dropping, lifting and re-setting the anchor a few times before we are finally satisfied."

Which is a sensible procedure that we also follow. I sometimed think that CQR knockers simply don't know how to use one and thus have bad experiences. I remember somebody on a forum who was knocking them saying they'd seen dozens of CQR's lying on their sides. Which rather proves my point - CQR's are plough anchors and need to be dragged.
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Yes, quite!! PS I'm 'she' not 'he' :)
 
bill12 said:
Id be interested in opinions of any one who uses a Rocna anchor. Are they as good as the marketing would have you believe
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I dumped my CQR almost 20 years ago and used Delta thereafter, finding it to be far superior. I never expected to find an improvement, but having bought a Rocna I think I have. The Delta was always excellent on all Atlantic coasts, except for very hard sand on a surf beach, where I couldn't get it to set. That apart, it was great until we encountered soft mud in the Eastern Med, where it dragged, admittedly in fairly horrendous gusts.

So I bought a Rocna. As with most things in life the costs of top grade equipment are not proportional to the benefits gained, so the improvement has not been enormous. But improvement it is. The Rocna sets first time every time, except in heavy weed, where we have adopted a different technique, reversing fast to get it to penetrate. This can never be 100% successful, although it's not bad. On every other bottom it's as good as they come.
 
There's very little kelp in the Med, so there's not too much point in planning to carry a kelp special anchor - fishermans.

Any of the modern range of anchors (I'm including Delta in that) will do a fine job as a bower anchor as long as you have sufficient scope - and that occasionally will mean 70 metres of chain, plus a bit of rope on the end.

A flat anchor (fortress, britany, danforth) stows very easily, and works very effectively when the angle of pull doesn't vary too much, so it's an excellent anchor for a forked moor in strong winds when you need to stop the boat sailing from side to side. It's also great for end on mooring or long line ashore.

I use rope for end on mooring, and solve Vyv's problem (invasive propellers - yes, I've been there too!) by using the CQR as a massive chum to sink the rope. That's just about all it was good for . . .
 
Like Vyv I went from CQR to Delta to Rocna in the Med. As he says the Rocna is very little better than the Delta and I have dragged it especially in weed. Which is where the Fortress comes in, set in a fork as well as the Rocna, just like Jim recommends.
This combination has never failed (yet)!
How much chain you carry is up to you, 30mtrs min really. I have rope after that but then in a multi I don't want to lug around huge weights that are rarely used!!
 
I think sometimes people have limited funds to spend on lots of different gear - especially some liveaboards. I know, I know, I'm going to get a lot of flack now about anchors being the most important thing on a boat etc... but, I'm just saying that anchoring is one of those things that gets easier as you do it more and get confidence in yourself, your boat, your ground tackle and your technique and I for one would rather get out there and be doing it than worry too much about having the latest design of anchor - especially if I couldn't really afford it!
There really is no substitute for experience.
When you think of what vessels people used to sail around the world on years ago with limited equipment and largely relying on their wits and tenacity.......
 
You'll never get a definitive answer on which is the best anchor.

I just settle for a heavy anchor and a long chain. The anchor happens to be a CQR but I doubt I would notice much difference whatever it was.

Personally, I think what matters is plenty of weight to encourage the anchor to dig in and a long chain to give a horizontal pull.
 
bill12 said:
Id be interested in opinions of any one who uses a Rocna anchor. Are they as good as the marketing would have you believe
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Used a 25kg Rocna on a 42ft boat for 3 seasons. Delighted with the results. does what it says on the can.

So far it has never dragged. Failed to set once - I then went nearby set successfully and watched a series of boats with a variety of anchors fail to set in the same place.

Moral: Its good but it ain't perfect

I always give 2000 revs astern to double check its in.

Would I buy another one? Yes, without a doubt.:)
 
I store my Rocna on the bow roller. From there it both self launches and self parks without any problem.

The only issue you may face is that the anchor stock is "taller but narrower than a CQR. ( I am using those terms with the anchor positioned horizontally on the bow roller). Narrower clearly does not present a problem but you may have some height restrictions.

You may also have some issues with the stowage pin on your bow roller, but that is not a show stopper.

Generally when manhandling a Rocna on deck I find it much easier and safer than a CQR because: -

1. It doesn't try and bite you like the hinged CQR does!!
2. The self righting loop makes a very useful handle

Hope that helps
 
Different anchors

The people who've said have more than one type are wise, plus pointing out that a fisherman is a helluva lot of weight for it's power.

On our 40ft 12 ton ketch we had a CQR for ages but changed to a Rocna two seasons ago to manage weed penetration and have been very happy with it. Still have the 65lb CQR in a locker, and the 45lb CQR in the anchor locker as back up bower anchor. In addition Fortress on the stern for bows to mooring and a fishermans tied onto the pushpit for a last resort.

The main anchor (now 55lb rocna) is on 80m chain, recently extended from 60m. We have used all of that in 25m depth twice in the last season! We have another 15m of rope we could shackle onto the chain if we had to.

Our stern anchor has the 10m chain and 30m rope set up. We would hesitate to change to all chain as what we have is hard enough to woman-handle on and off the stern deck. We cannot go stern to if we actually want to get off RG! So the idea of a chum run down the warp is very valuable and one we will adopt as soon as the summer starts!

Our last chum parted company from its pin (it wasan old piece of lead with a pin set into it when melted) and we left it in 20m of water at Port Man. So now I need some weights from a cheap sports shop - I'm sure we can find one in Ostia.

Which goes to show that not only do different situations demand different strategies, but your own solutions and choices evolve with experience and other people's bright ideas.
 
Roaring Girl said:
Still have the 65lb CQR in a locker, and the 45lb CQR in the anchor locker as back up bower anchor. In addition Fortress on the stern for bows to mooring and a fishermans tied onto the pushpit for a last resort.

So the idea of a chum run down the warp is very valuable and one we will adopt as soon as the summer starts!
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Either the fisherman or the CQR would make a great chum . . .
 
Have a 45 footer. Upgraded (matter of opinion, clearly) from a CQR to a 25kg ROCNA last season. Spent two months afloat along the south and west coast of ireland last season. NEVER failed to set. Thoroughly reliable. I would recommend it to anyone.
 
Just like to say that this anchor thread has been one of the most intersting I've read recently. The ROCNA seems to come out very well. I've been using a 35lb CQR since leaving the UK and now in Italy with one problem setting in weed in Majorca. I'm always intersted in sailors who trash the CQR and their reasons for having issues with it. However as advised above, it's nearly always down to technique and practice. Do it and you get better.......
 
Caladh said:
I'm always intersted in sailors who trash the CQR and their reasons for having issues with it. However as advised above, it's nearly always down to technique and practice. Do it and you get better.......
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I wouldn't trash it at all and happily used a CQR on RG and our previous boat all over English south and east coasts, and across Biscay and till we got to the French Riviera. And there met weed!

Here the CQR really really struggled and we were having enormous trouble getting it to set. We always back down, and we are experienced anchorers and just found it was giving us huge problems. What's more, in trying to get a good set we were further damaging the weed beds, which are themselves an important habitat.

So we did the research, and were very influenced by the comments of Scottish sailors about the value of rocnas in their weed beds, which is why we went with one of those rather than the Spade.
 
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