I’m a CQR fan, but now I have a Rocna. I’m actually agreeing with you, though. CQR works great on everything I’ve tried in US waters from Great Lakes, Charleston, Florida Coast and North Gulf of Mexico, and even works well in the uncharted Gulf of America.
But in the hard coral sand around the Exumas, only danforth (style) and Rockna made me happy. Even with 60’ of 1/4 G4, CQR wouldn’t set without me diving and digging a hole. But the CQR is still my old friend. I’m gonna mount it on the front of my 32yo jeep next to the Winch. That should scream redneck sailor.
There are lies, damn lies….and anchor tests. However, Steve’s work is an exception in that he physically shows you WHY he says what he says and asks for comments. Completely honest and transparent. That said, there’s no way I’m ever going back to a CQR!
The British magazine Yachting World published an article many years ago concerning the holding power of all the anchors then available. A number of different sea beds were included in the test as well as how the anchor reset once the tide turned. As you might expect some anchors excelled in a particular scenario but the overall winner was the CQR. Holding bottom hasn’t changed.
I will freely admit that the OG Rocna may not be the best all around perfomring anchor in the world, but I have a 33kg on my 43' mono and it hasn't let me down yet. There's obviously more to the art of anchoring than just the design of the anchor, like where and how you use it. Although I am still amazed at the holding power of the delta when some 50' charter cat comes in and drops short scope next to you and is still there in the morning :)
I raced all sorts of boats for years and honestly never really had any anchoring skills except a couple of lunch hook times. Fast forward almost 40 years and I bought a cruising boat for myself and it had the type of anchor all the old race boats carried, a Danforth clone. It was a pretty inept anchor but that’s all I new, but I read about the great sailors that were sailing the world with CQR’s. There had to be something else for the estuary and coastal sailing community. I heard about the Rocna, but no one stocked it locally but the Mantus M-1 popped up in the Strictly Sail Pacific show and I liked it as similar to a Rocna, and cheaper. I used it in mountain lakes(rocky), The SF Bay(mud/mix)and Tomales Bay(mud/sand/WEEDS!) and I got caught out in three overnight squalls that required the Mantus to reset by itself several times and it was nothing short of amazing. It has a 25’ length of chain, 7~8:1 scope always and more overnight and holds through more than I can take.
There’s a few anchors out now that I believe to be better and I might buy as a bower but none at the Mantus family price point and I would buy one again certainly.
And, speaking of bad habits in anchors, I believe safety knowledge is often poorly disseminated by the maritime publications.
I believe there is enough evidence to flag that the classic Rocna anchors (the one’s with the roll bars) have the rare, but occasional, bad habit of failing to re-set after a wind shift or tidal current change.
In looking from the outside, I wonder whether this bad habit has contributed to the shift Rocna has made to its Vulcan design: a design which in casual observation looks much like the Spade.
I used a CQR for decades wandering widely and had good experiences. When set, for me, it stayed set. It also reset well in squally wind shifts. Setting well was the issue: certain bottoms defied it: grassy bottoms, for example, all over the Mediterranean, in particular, thwarted getting a good stick. The new generation anchors were far better at getting a good set. I went with Spade ~~15 years ago. The difference in the Med bottoms and later in kelp and other challenging bottoms was clear to me. I sometimes characterize anchoring in the great mud of the US east and west coast as only needing a safety pin and some fish line: seabeds just do not get better than this for anchoring. The rest of the world presents anchoring conditions that separate anchors and reveal there occasional bad habits.
It is funny how we develop a love for a certain anchor. I have never understood the whole Ford vs. Chevy rivalry, but I was sure in love with Rocnas for a long time.
Anchors are an ongoing cruising and boating topic, and everyone has an opinion. Who knew that confirmation bias was not just a political thIng?
I’m a CQR fan, but now I have a Rocna. I’m actually agreeing with you, though. CQR works great on everything I’ve tried in US waters from Great Lakes, Charleston, Florida Coast and North Gulf of Mexico, and even works well in the uncharted Gulf of America.
But in the hard coral sand around the Exumas, only danforth (style) and Rockna made me happy. Even with 60’ of 1/4 G4, CQR wouldn’t set without me diving and digging a hole. But the CQR is still my old friend. I’m gonna mount it on the front of my 32yo jeep next to the Winch. That should scream redneck sailor.
I don’t get it. Every single guy I know who traded his 35 pound CQR for 70 pound Rocna thought the Rocna had way more holding power.
There are lies, damn lies….and anchor tests. However, Steve’s work is an exception in that he physically shows you WHY he says what he says and asks for comments. Completely honest and transparent. That said, there’s no way I’m ever going back to a CQR!
The British magazine Yachting World published an article many years ago concerning the holding power of all the anchors then available. A number of different sea beds were included in the test as well as how the anchor reset once the tide turned. As you might expect some anchors excelled in a particular scenario but the overall winner was the CQR. Holding bottom hasn’t changed.
Nice.
Independent thinking all around. ⛵⛵⛵
I will freely admit that the OG Rocna may not be the best all around perfomring anchor in the world, but I have a 33kg on my 43' mono and it hasn't let me down yet. There's obviously more to the art of anchoring than just the design of the anchor, like where and how you use it. Although I am still amazed at the holding power of the delta when some 50' charter cat comes in and drops short scope next to you and is still there in the morning :)
I raced all sorts of boats for years and honestly never really had any anchoring skills except a couple of lunch hook times. Fast forward almost 40 years and I bought a cruising boat for myself and it had the type of anchor all the old race boats carried, a Danforth clone. It was a pretty inept anchor but that’s all I new, but I read about the great sailors that were sailing the world with CQR’s. There had to be something else for the estuary and coastal sailing community. I heard about the Rocna, but no one stocked it locally but the Mantus M-1 popped up in the Strictly Sail Pacific show and I liked it as similar to a Rocna, and cheaper. I used it in mountain lakes(rocky), The SF Bay(mud/mix)and Tomales Bay(mud/sand/WEEDS!) and I got caught out in three overnight squalls that required the Mantus to reset by itself several times and it was nothing short of amazing. It has a 25’ length of chain, 7~8:1 scope always and more overnight and holds through more than I can take.
There’s a few anchors out now that I believe to be better and I might buy as a bower but none at the Mantus family price point and I would buy one again certainly.
Power to weight and cost it simply has no equal.
Hi all,
And, speaking of bad habits in anchors, I believe safety knowledge is often poorly disseminated by the maritime publications.
I believe there is enough evidence to flag that the classic Rocna anchors (the one’s with the roll bars) have the rare, but occasional, bad habit of failing to re-set after a wind shift or tidal current change.
In looking from the outside, I wonder whether this bad habit has contributed to the shift Rocna has made to its Vulcan design: a design which in casual observation looks much like the Spade.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
It is amazing how many differing and also alike anchor "tents" there often are the Annapolis Shows.
I used a CQR for decades wandering widely and had good experiences. When set, for me, it stayed set. It also reset well in squally wind shifts. Setting well was the issue: certain bottoms defied it: grassy bottoms, for example, all over the Mediterranean, in particular, thwarted getting a good stick. The new generation anchors were far better at getting a good set. I went with Spade ~~15 years ago. The difference in the Med bottoms and later in kelp and other challenging bottoms was clear to me. I sometimes characterize anchoring in the great mud of the US east and west coast as only needing a safety pin and some fish line: seabeds just do not get better than this for anchoring. The rest of the world presents anchoring conditions that separate anchors and reveal there occasional bad habits.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
I have a similar arsenal Fortress and Rocna. Swapped Bruce for Rocna
It is funny how we develop a love for a certain anchor. I have never understood the whole Ford vs. Chevy rivalry, but I was sure in love with Rocnas for a long time.