Comment of the Month
posted by John & Phyllis Web Site
[We received this email from an obviously very experienced sailor and are publishing it below since we think his thoughts have value, particularly his final conclusion, which we have printed in bold. Colin also corresponded with us about and is engaged in a search in Europe for good quality high tensile anchor chain for his new Ovni. We will be publishing his findings in a later post.]
I've been reading through your excellent site, especially in regards to things that work, and those that don't.
I have worked as a commercial yacht charter skipper and wildlife researcher in the UK since the early nineties, skippering a variety of craft from a traditional sailing trawler down to our current Frers 39 cutter. Most of that time has been spent in the western isles of Scotland, a magnificent but wild cruising ground.
During that time I've used most types of anchor - CQR, Bruce, Danforth, Fisherman etc, all of which, in my view, have their good and bad points. But like yourself, I was most frustrated with the CQR, even though ours was oversize for the boat. In the hard, fine sand of the Isles of Scilly I came the closest I have ever come to losing a boat, when our CQR dragged in 60 knot gusts. Many, many times I cursed the thing when trying to get it to bite in any anchorage where there was weed present.
So when the new generation of anchors came along I was ready to give one a try, and plumped for the Rocna (having seen the video). As there was at that time no importer in the UK, I imported it direct from NZ at great expense, and I have to say it has proved (over the last two seasons) worth every penny. Not only does it set instantly like a car's handbrake and hold like a rock, but, remarkably it does so in such a wide variety of substrates. It really is the best piece of kit I've bought in recent years.
British yachties are very conservative - most of them will not hear a word against the good old CQR. When I wrote a piece on a forum reporting how I found the Rocna, one worthy dismissed me as a plant of the manufacturer - oh dear. But you are absolutely right that most people who sail "outside the box" a little wouldn't have a CQR as a main anchor these days, any more than they would want to fly across the Atlantic in a biplane. I am convinced of one thing - anyone who ever tries one of the new generation of anchors - Spade, Rocna, Manson - will not be going back to their old CQR in a hurry.
Colin
Labels: Anchoring
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