Brilliant - love it.

Philip:
Here is a matematical equasion that may asuage your sticker shock. 
     PAV = BVB – BVA

Where:
PAV - proper anchor value
BVB - boat value before hitting rocks
BVA - boat value after hitting rocks
       provided by a Happy Hooking customer: Tomasz

(btw, I spoke with the European Ultra distributor at boot Duesseldorf and the Ultra is selling very well - sales increasing by double digits every year)

+x

 

Philip Heaton - 2/28/2020

The Ultra - wow 2300 Euros for a 27kg/60lb anchor .....

Alex, Interesting. Thanks for sharing. Dick

The Ultra - wow 2300 Euros for a 27kg/60lb anchor .....

Hi Dick
We do have a Vulcan anchor and it is indeed an excellent anchor. I have suggested it to several people. It is designed for boats with a bowsprit and it did not fit our bow terribly well.
http://cruising.coastalboating.net/Seamanship/Anchoring/Vulcan/index.html
Perhaps of interest, is that Mantus now makes an anchor (M2) that looks a lot like the Vulcan. We have not yet taken one of these out cruising.

The fastest setting and best holding scoop type anchor we have used to date is the Ultra. It is so good, that we comfortably left our boat unattended at anchor off Iona in Scotland's Inner Hebrides, where there is a very strong alternating current - the bottom being hard sand.
http://features.coastalboating.net/FeatureArticles/AnchoringMadeEasy/AnchoringMadeEasy.html

+x

 

Alex Blackwell - 2/27/2020

Excellent points, all. And I wholeheartedly agree with Dick's comments regarding the modern scoop type anchors - though we have disagreed in the past on the roll bar issue and specifically regarding on the Rocna. :)

In case anyone would like an unbiased historical review of the development of the (Pleasure) Boat Anchor, we have this posted here:
http://cruising.coastalboating.net/Seamanship/Anchoring/History.html

Another thing that may be of interest, we recently tested the British Knox anchor. It is a rollbar scoop, but with a gap between the two fluke halves. It set and held remarkably well in several different bottom types. it is also priced quite attractively:
http://cruising.coastalboating.net/Seamanship/Anchoring/KnoxAnchor/index.html

We do, of course, have our favourite. It is a scoop without a roll bar. If anyone needs to know what it is, I will divulge.

Hi Alex,
Sounds like a Vulcan about which I have heard few field reports.
I always appreciate hearing about the choices others make in their gear, so, please, divulge.
My best, Dick

Excellent points, all. And I wholeheartedly agree with Dick's comments regarding the modern scoop type anchors - though we have disagreed in the past on the roll bar issue and specifically regarding on the Rocna. :)

In case anyone would like an unbiased historical review of the development of the (Pleasure) Boat Anchor, we have this posted here:
http://cruising.coastalboating.net/Seamanship/Anchoring/History.html

Another thing that may be of interest, we recently tested the British Knox anchor. It is a rollbar scoop, but with a gap between the two fluke halves. It set and held remarkably well in several different bottom types. it is also priced quite attractively:
http://cruising.coastalboating.net/Seamanship/Anchoring/KnoxAnchor/index.html

We do, of course, have our favourite. It is a scoop without a roll bar. If anyone needs to know what it is, I will divulge.

+x

 

Philip Heaton - 2/27/2020

Hi Dick
Yes, the weight difference in anchors at the bow is not an issue.  In fact we increased our chain length from 60 to 80 metres so that was a chunk of weight too.  Moreover with all the kit, spares, provisions etc that we added to the boat for our Pacific and onward cruising we had to raise the waterline anti-fouling.  Since being in the Med we have gone in for a major declutter but with the weight of two outboards and liferaft mounted on the pushpit this somehow seems to avoid us being bow down ... or even stern down.  We are also quite happy with what may be a higher than usual waterline/boot-top
As for the effectiveness of the Manson vs the Delta, although the former does not necessarily set first time in all circumstances we have found that it does set more readily than the Delta - not scientific analysis of course but there you go ...
Cheers Phil

Hi Phil,
Give me well reported field data over scientific analysis most any day. Glad you are pleased. Dick

Hi Dick
Yes, the weight difference in anchors at the bow is not an issue.  In fact we increased our chain length from 60 to 80 metres so that was a chunk of weight too.  Moreover with all the kit, spares, provisions etc that we added to the boat for our Pacific and onward cruising we had to raise the waterline anti-fouling.  Since being in the Med we have gone in for a major declutter but with the weight of two outboards and liferaft mounted on the pushpit this somehow seems to avoid us being bow down ... or even stern down.  We are also quite happy with what may be a higher than usual waterline/boot-top
As for the effectiveness of the Manson vs the Delta, although the former does not necessarily set first time in all circumstances we have found that it does set more readily than the Delta - not scientific analysis of course but there you go ...
Cheers Phil

+x

 

Philip Heaton - 2/25/2020

Our boat (OVNI 395) came with a Delta 20kg/44lbs and we thought it was fine but it let us down on three occasions, of which one required some very hectic manoeuvring to avoid damage to other boats - all was OK and of course it was at night.  So, we bought a Manson Supreme (the clue is in the name) 27kg/60lbs.  We sleep easy at night now.  We have not tested it in hurricane force winds but it has reset during a 180 degree wind shift in 35-40kts.  We keep the Delta for a second anchor/tandem anchoring/spare - and we have a Fortress FX-55 just to be sure.

So much about anchors is personal experience, different bottoms, different boats that at present I suspect it is hard to be certain about the various merits of the modern brands.  I suppose there is some cunning designer working on the next generation of anchors ... at least let's hope so.

Hi Phillip,
Sorry you endured 3 occasions of your Delta letting you down. There are certainly no guarantees that come with the new generation anchors, but I suspect that stories such as you describe will occur less often, probably far less often. One thing of note in your post  I would wish to underline: that is that you bumped up the weight of your bower from 44 to 60 pounds. I believe that setting/holding effectiveness increases exponentially with weight, so you now have a much better anchor with a good deal more potential to hold your boat in place. I suspect the added weight on the bow will make no noticeable difference to your sailing and that the price difference pales in comparison to how much better you sleep.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy