The anchor on Trek dates from 1985 and is very rusty. Does any one have suggestions for where to get new chain, or just use Bunnings chain? I need a new anchor too, Plough type.

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Trek said..
The anchor on Trek dates from 1985 and is very rusty. Does any one have suggestions for where to get new chain, or just use Bunnings chain? I need a new anchor too, Plough type.

Why plough? Rocna or Manson Supreme with roll over bars are the new generation and supposedly much better at re setting in break aways like if wind or tide changes direction.

Got some chain at RTM last year which was quite a lot cheaper than Whitworths but I have no idea whether it is any good in the long term.

The plough on the boat never failed so I came to trust it. But if theres better I want to know.

I also have anchor chain dating back to the 80s it's been regalvanized maybe 20 yrs ago and it up for replacement. I think for the few extra dollars it's worth going PWB

For anchor I suggest putting a "Wanted ad" on Gumtree.
www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/eden-hills/boat-accessories-parts/anchor-22kg-stainless/1320379646

I have omc g43 anchor chain
Bought from Sydney lifting supplies
Good Chain fair price worth a look

ozzimarine.com.au/products/omc-g43-anchor-chains

www.sydneylifting.com.au/

Wasn't there a thread on here a while ago about crappy Whitworths chain which they refused to warrant within a year and where somebody posted that there was a place in Sydney where they would cut you some of their chain and then cut an extra metre off the same roll and stress test to destruction in front of your eyes. Was it Ramona?

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julesmoto said..
Wasn't there a thread on here a while ago about crappy Whitworths chain which they refused to warrant within a year and where somebody posted that there was a place in Sydney where they would cut you some of their chain and then cut an extra metre off the same roll and stress test to destruction in front of your eyes. Was it Ramona?

No, i dont think Ramona has been tested to destruction ??

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Trek said..
The plough on the boat never failed so I came to trust it. But if theres better I want to know.

That would be any other anchor out there!
Our Seabreezer friend who lost his Nicholson 32 in Townsville last week changed to a full new chain that morning and with a plow anchor plowed across the bay onto the the wall and lost the lot! I have rescued several yachts here in Westerly gales in the river and had to anchor them using their full chain with CQR anchors. They all plow and sometimes for 200 metres or so till they find a rock in the sand!

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julesmoto said..
Wasn't there a thread on here a while ago about crappy Whitworths chain which they refused to warrant within a year and where somebody posted that there was a place in Sydney where they would cut you some of their chain and then cut an extra metre off the same roll and stress test to destruction in front of your eyes. Was it Ramona?

Yes see here

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Sailing/General/Whitworths-Customer-Service

I had a plough when I bought the boat, it's in my garden now under the letterbox, replaced it with a sarca excel, so far so good, I bought the one rated for the size of the boat. Its always set first go and never dragged but I am going to upside it one or two sizes.

Ground tackle is not the place where you want to try and save money on your boat.

Interesting google re chain specs: the g43 is indeed stronger than the L grade, but still isn't rated as a lifting chain but I do like the guaranteed zinc thickness which I'm sure pwb and the like of cmp would be in a similar range. What I find most interesting is the SWL of lifting chain ie 10mm is only good for 5t, but we aren't lifting our boats with the anchor chain but using its weight to create a horizontal pull of the anchor along the seabed, so corrosion resistance and weight are the key. I've had my eye out for a spade anchor but they still won't work without a certain scope

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woko said..
Interesting google re chain specs: the g43 is indeed stronger than the L grade, but still isn't rated as a lifting chain but I do like the guaranteed zinc thickness which I'm sure pwb and the like of cmp would be in a similar range. What I find most interesting is the SWL of lifting chain ie 10mm is only good for 5t, but we aren't lifting our boats with the anchor chain but using its weight to create a horizontal pull of the anchor along the seabed, so corrosion resistance and weight are the key. I've had my eye out for a spade anchor but they still won't work without a certain scope

Its worth noting that SWL is generally 1/5 of the break load. So often galve shackles etc may seem to be pretty weak compared to stainless but stainless fittings are usually rated as a breaking load.

Thanks for info. I found some good videos on YouTube testing different anchor types too.

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Trek said..
Thanks for info. I found some good videos on YouTube testing different anchor types too.

And the conclusion as to the best type or types was?

Looks like Rocna or Spade.

Actual real tests here:

www.petersmith.net.nz/boat-anchors/independent-performance-testing.php

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Trek said..
Looks like Rocna or Spade.

Actual real tests here:

www.petersmith.net.nz/boat-anchors/independent-performance-testing.php

Who sells Spade in Australia.

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cammd said..

Trek said..
Looks like Rocna or Spade.

Actual real tests here:

www.petersmith.net.nz/boat-anchors/independent-performance-testing.php

Who sells Spade in Australia.

I bought a spade anchor a A100 , incredibly expensive but it is a very good anchor I managed to fluke a bloke who was building a cat and had brought it back in from overseas, never regretted buying it , twice in the middle of the night a storm had hit and the working anchor was dragging and had to jump out of bed and heave the storm gear on deck and let it go stopped me dead both times. the Rocna which I have used a 40lb holds well but has a fatal flaw of clumping up with mud and weed and won't reset,
www.morganscloud.com/2019/05/24/anchors-resetting-failures-with-rocna-and-some-thoughts-on-vulcan2/
In my opinion the best value anchor in Australia from a holding perspective and price wise because they are Australian, is the SARCA Excel Anchor it is right up there with the Spade.
www.anchorright.com.au/products/sarca-excel-anchor/

actual test

If you want unbiased and scientifically rigorous data for anchor comparison, there is really only one site of high value. SV Panope. (Edit - Just saw that Magnesium had linked to this site too)

****3U

This guy has spent years testing different anchors. Interestingly, the Rocna and the Mansom Supreme don't test that well. The Sarca does. Spend a bit of time and go through the tests and the comparsions, watch why the Rocna and Supremes don't reset well all the time (and why I have a CQR on my bow and the Supreme in the anchor locker). The guy running the site tried to get the Supreme to be better at resetting by drilling holes to allow the packed mud to disperse but it didn't help. The Supreme is an example of hype being bigger than reality. I saw it with Bruce anchors and Deltas, some new style anchors don't do everything, and resetting in the mud is a really important quality, that CQRs can do. But, for my boat a Sarce EXcel will be on the list as it scores really well on the tests. The Supreme is great for Queensland but bad in Tassie in our experience.

cheers

Phil

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Trek said..
Looks like Rocna or Spade.

Actual real tests here:

www.petersmith.net.nz/boat-anchors/independent-performance-testing.php

This is one of the better articles on testing anchors but it is hosted on Peter Smiths website so obviously he selected a test where the Rocna performed well. They do perform well for a roll bar anchor but the rollbar limits the depth the anchor actually penetrates sand. The Spade and the Ultra on the other hand just keep going down! Rocna have their take on a spade anchor with the Vulcan.
I'm in the spade type anchor camp and I think they have the larger surface area for holding than any plow anchor. The Sarca Excell has the added wings to try and get the spade performance.
The down side of the Spade and the Vulcan is the shape of the shank which does not fit easily on a bow roller. The Ultra has a very similar spade as the Spade but the shank is almost identical to the Rocna so it fits on a bow roller. The Ultra is only available in polished stainless steel and is very expensive. It's also the most stolen anchor in Australia and the owners of the gin palaces just replace them with Sarca Excells!
Another anchor to consider is the Bugel. These are the first of the high-holding anchors and come standard on all Amel yachts.
Anchor resetting is a major concern for most people. Anchors that reset quickly are those that have the most weight on the point compared to the other contact points, the end of the shank and the corner of the wing. There is a Youtube video somewhere comparing the anchors.
I use a copy of an Ultra in SS that I fabricated with a hollow shank that concentrates the weight in the lead-filled point. Total weight is about 13 kilos. I can not recall the weight now of the three corners.

SV Panope on resetting testing



Go to 19.30 to see his testing chart. The Rocan is getting better in his testing and does reset 4 out of 5 times in this test. The Excel reset only once. The best anchors at resetting seem to be roll bar anchors which is a bummer to those who can't use roll bars. The top anchor according to Panope is the Viking which looks very similar to a Manson Supreme. I wish I could tell the difference and do a bit of surgery with my grinder to make my Supreme more similar.

We've got a Sarca Excel, replacing a Bruce. It seems to be fantastic, and in the Port Stephens mud it also comes up dramatically cleaner than a Bruce.

Our lightweight pick is now a Fortress alloy Danforth type. It's not completely reliable (although since we don't use when we need reliability we don't spend too much time setting it) but normally the holding power appears to be dramatically better than the old Danforth (TM) we had. The first time we used it was when sitting on the Sarca. I dropped the Fortress over the side and let the boat swing. The Fortress didn't break out until the rode was about 1:1. Both anchors seem dramatically better than our older CQRs, Bruce and Danforth.

I too have a #5 Excell, replaced a Rocna which I found would fill with a mud and seagrass ball and drag. NOT what I needed, the Excell has only dragged once and that was in Taylors bay which I'm led to believe has a bottom like soup.

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Kankama said..
SV Panope on resetting testing

Go to 19.30 to see his testing chart. The Rocan is getting better in his testing and does reset 4 out of 5 times in this test. The Excel reset only once. The best anchors at resetting seem to be roll bar anchors which is a bummer to those who can't use roll bars. The top anchor according to Panope is the Viking which looks very similar to a Manson Supreme. I wish I could tell the difference and do a bit of surgery with my grinder to make my Supreme more similar.

No Bugel's or Ultra's in the comparison.

Have a sarca excel 40kg great anchor
In the 3 years I have had it its always set 1st go and never dragged
When retrieving it I often need to get the chain tight lock it off with the snubber and drive over it to brake it out I suspect It digs in deep
After a big blow in iluka it took quite and effort to get it out of the mud
If I ever need a new anchor it would be an excel
Another good thing with the excel is there is no roll bar to interfere with pulpits ect i had that problem with a manson supreme on my swanson

Have a sarca excel 40kg great anchor
In the 3 years I have had it its always set 1st go and never dragged
When retrieving it I often need to get the chain tight lock it off with the snubber and drive over it to brake it out I suspect It digs in deep
After a big blow in iluka it took quite and effort to get it out of the mud
If I ever need a new anchor it would be an excel
Another good thing with the excel is there is no roll bar to interfere with pulpits ect i had that problem with a manson supreme on my swanson

That's nuts 40kg = 80lb I run a CQR copy half that weight and have to drive it out in Iluka. In a fit of paranoia I set the 60lb genuine CQR and it took so much effort to retrieve I put it ashore under a tree on the dingy beach for desperate times

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Ramona said..

Kankama said..
SV Panope on resetting testing

Go to 19.30 to see his testing chart. The Rocan is getting better in his testing and does reset 4 out of 5 times in this test. The Excel reset only once. The best anchors at resetting seem to be roll bar anchors which is a bummer to those who can't use roll bars. The top anchor according to Panope is the Viking which looks very similar to a Manson Supreme. I wish I could tell the difference and do a bit of surgery with my grinder to make my Supreme more similar.

No Bugel's or Ultra's in the comparison.

Yep he's done an Ultra: ?si=qcWbg2gQnZP_Uc_E

I must admit I'm not a fan of this blokes videos. All my anchoring is done on hard sand. Offshore and in the river. There is a top layer of about 50mm of soft sand but from there down it's very hard. In the video of the Ultra as he lowers the anchor it sits upright in the mud! the chain weight is not enough to place it in the normal 3 point position. The hollow shaft gives this anchor a 35% bias to the point [my replica is a lot more as I have a lot more lead}. But the chain should be enough to place the anchor in the start position.

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Trek said..
Looks like Rocna or Spade.

Actual real tests here:

www.petersmith.net.nz/boat-anchors/independent-performance-testing.php

I just did a video about Peter Smith. Offshore Sailing legend and Rocna inventor Peter Smith.


Rocna anchors are pretty great, I've had them on my last 2 boats and am now an ambassador for the brand. The company who owns Rocna also makes top of the line chain. If you would buy direct I could get you a pretty good discount. Hit me up if you're interested. Info@vernondeck.com

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Dexport said..

Trek said..
Looks like Rocna or Spade.

Actual real tests here:

www.petersmith.net.nz/boat-anchors/independent-performance-testing.php

I just did a video about Peter Smith. Offshore Sailing legend and Rocna inventor Peter Smith.

Rocna anchors are pretty great, I've had them on my last 2 boats and am now an ambassador for the brand. The company who owns Rocna also makes top of the line chain. If you would buy direct I could get you a pretty good discount. Hit me up if you're interested. Info@vernondeck.com

Good video. I liked the start with the bit of humour, "Peter is a humble man"! That mark 2 looks the goods and if I was to buy new it would be my choice. I also agree with his comments on the other anchors.