Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 05-28-2012, 03:31 PM   #1
Scraping Paint
 
City: -
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 13,745
Bruce anchor puts 40-plus foot cruiser on the rocks

Thought that would get your attention.. Anyway, the cruiser I mentioned in the "Binoculars" thread that dragged up onto the rocks floated free last night on the high tide. At least we assume it floated free and didn't slip off and sink. It wasn't there when we left the island this morning and ran around to check. Whether it was able to leave under its own power or had to be towed we don't know.

If they were able to leave under their own power on one or both engines they were very, very lucky to "land" on the reef just right and then not tip over as the tide went out. I'll try to remember to post a photo tonight when we get home.

Meanwhile we're sitting here on the boat listening to call after call on the VHF for assistance-- out of fuel, broke down, or aground. Ain't boating grand?
Marin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-28-2012, 05:31 PM   #2
TF Site Team
 
Larry M's Avatar
 
City: Jacksonville
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 11,683
I like the title of this thread. But really, they dragged in winds that gusted to 25 knots and it's the anchors fault?
Larry M is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-28-2012, 06:05 PM   #3
Guru
 
Nomad Willy's Avatar
 
City: Concrete Washington State
Vessel Name: Willy
Vessel Model: Willard Nomad 30'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 18,743
Yea Larry ..........you got it right.

But Marin in you're post of Bruce bashing you probably should have used the word Claw. You're snoopy binoculars most likely could'nt make out what it said on the shank.

It's amazing how many boats go on a big rock on a falling tide and are sticking up on a small point of the rock looking like if a Seagull landed on one end the whole thing should tip over. Seen many many pictures like that.

If that happens to me I'll throw my roll bar anchor over the side and claim that's what I was using. Haha

I went back to read his "binoculars" post and he tells the tale pretty much objectively there and somebody even ASKED him what anchor the guy was using. Did'nt mention that it could be the first Rocna drag he'd seen. In all honesty that prolly didn't occur to him. Didn't occur to me for awhile either.
Nomad Willy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-28-2012, 06:40 PM   #4
Scraping Paint
 
City: -
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 13,745
You're right, they could have been Claws or Bruces or Bruce knock-offs on the boats that dragged in our bay. They all look the same from a distance at night through binoculars. I was told the anchor on the boat that dragged onto the rocks was a Bruce.
Marin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-28-2012, 08:16 PM   #5
Guru
 
Nomad Willy's Avatar
 
City: Concrete Washington State
Vessel Name: Willy
Vessel Model: Willard Nomad 30'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 18,743
Faithful reporting Marin except that the thread header suggests the "Bruce" anchor picked the boat up and dashed it upon the rocks. By the way I thought that bay was a mud bay.

Have you been gone recently? Haven't seen much of you lately. Sure like that Navimatics app. It's so fast w the touch control screen. I'm still waiting for the cigarette lighter plug in charger. Wo'nt last long w/o it.

Still no Rocna anchors up here on fish boats or any boat. If the roll bar anchor had no roll bar and managed to set I wonder how it would or wouldn't work holding a boat? It would probably stay set but I don't think it would have much holding power and I'm talking about the Supreme and the Rocna only. What think you?
Nomad Willy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-28-2012, 10:58 PM   #6
TF Site Team
 
City: Ex-Brisbane, (Australia), now Bribie Island, Qld
Vessel Name: Now boatless - sold 6/2018
Vessel Model: Had a Clipper (CHB) 34
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,101
Hi Guys, had a coffee with Rex Francis at the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show on Friday, and he tells me he is working hard to get a shipment of Sarcas over your way quite soon, so watch the space, so to speak. Eric, they now have a special alloy version of the Excel, which sets and holds really well, but would allow one to have a larger size for more fluke area but not weigh too much at the same time. The design is such it is not so dependent for weight to work like the Claw/Bruce, whatevers, so it could be your perfect answer...so don't go buying too many more for now I suggest, or you won't have room for one when they become available.
Cheers, Pete
Peter B is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-29-2012, 12:06 AM   #7
Scraping Paint
 
City: -
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 13,745
As promised here are some photos. The bay is Shallow Bay on Sucia Island in the San Juans. The boat is from BC. Don't know the make-- there are a bazillion kinds of boats out there with the same basic lines and they all look the same to me.

From the tight shot it appears that the running gear survived okay--- like our GB the keel extends down considerably lower than the rudders and props. So it's very likely that when it refloated they simply drove away. Last night the winds were light to non-existant so they would not have had much if anything trying to push them around on the reef as the tide came up around midnight or later. If my guess is correct, a very, very lucky escape.
Attached Thumbnails
Drag 3.jpg   Drag 2.jpg   Drag 1.jpg  
Marin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2012, 07:52 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
honeybadger's Avatar
 
City: Hampstead,NC
Vessel Name: HoneyBadger
Vessel Model: 1990 Harkers Island Trawler Typical wooden hull with a Carolina flare and no deadrise at the stern
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 194
Sweet Hey skipper this was a 3 hour cruise right ??
honeybadger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2012, 06:29 PM   #9
Veteran Member
 
CamanoFolks's Avatar
 
City: Bellingham, WA
Vessel Name: Whimsy
Vessel Model: Camano 31
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 71
Sad sight, but I have to say our 21 ton Krogen has hung on a 66# genuine Bruce through several gales, tide changes (direction reversals), soft, hard, deep, shallow, windy places and we're still afloat. Guess it's just what works for you. For sure, if the wind hits 60 that 3 to 1 scope you used will be a problem. Be careful out there.
CamanoFolks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2012, 06:39 PM   #10
TF Site Team
 
Larry M's Avatar
 
City: Jacksonville
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 11,683
Marin: Shallow Bay wasn't the only place in the area that had issues that night.

Howling winds take toll on boaters in Fossil Bay - Journal of the San Juan Islands
Larry M is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2012, 06:51 PM   #11
Veteran Member
 
CamanoFolks's Avatar
 
City: Bellingham, WA
Vessel Name: Whimsy
Vessel Model: Camano 31
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 71
You got that right Larry! We were in Bowman Bay bouncing up and down from 2000 hrs to 0400 hrs, not a night for rest. Watched several boats chew through dock lines on failing bull rails. Wish the state had the funds to fix things instead of this no money for nada time we're suffering through.

Hope you guys are enjoying your adventure & wish we we're with you.
Tom
CamanoFolks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2012, 09:35 PM   #12
Scraping Paint
 
City: -
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 13,745
Quote:
Originally Posted by Larry M View Post
Marin: Shallow Bay wasn't the only place in the area that had issues that night.

Howling winds take toll on boaters in Fossil Bay - Journal of the San Juan Islands
I know. We were in Fossil that night with Carey and his wife. The two boats that had the worst problems with dragging had Bruce anchors, too. Or at least claw-types. Couldn't read the brand names from a distance and in silhouette against all the flashlights and searchlights.
Marin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2014, 10:08 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
City: Long Beach Ca
Vessel Name: Freebird
Vessel Model: 1997 Mainship 350
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 467
Did the anchor fail or was it not set properly? Most cases it is not the anchor. My Bruce failed miserably once. Or should I say that I failed miserably in setting my anchor That night.
jclays is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2014, 11:16 PM   #14
Scraping Paint
 
City: -
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 13,745
Quote:
Originally Posted by jclays View Post
Did the anchor fail or was it not set properly? Most cases it is not the anchor. My Bruce failed miserably once. Or should I say that I failed miserably in setting my anchor That night.
I have no idea.

We had enough trouble with our Bruce holding over the years we had it that we finally gave up on it and got something else. This was with all-chain rode and a scope of between 5:1 and 7:1.

As I recall, we only had a problem once with the Bruce setting. Other than that, it set fairly quickly in all the bottoms we used it in which was consistent with its reputation. And as long as no real strain was put on the rode it did fine. But when the wind and waves kicked up, that's when we, and other people we boat with, had problems with it not staying set.

Which I guess was to be expected given that the Bruce is consistently at or near the bottom in terms of holding power in most of the anchor tests we've read. We put it on the boat the day after we got the boat up to Bellingham because a) it seemed to be the most popular anchor in this area among powerboaters so we figured there must be a good reason for this, and b) we probably never really expected it to have to hold under higher winds and stuff. After all, this is the calm, protected, inside-waters PNW, right, not the exposed southwestern Pacific.
Marin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2014, 07:13 AM   #15
Guru
 
Sailor of Fortune's Avatar
 
City: St Augustine,Fl
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,799
What a crock of poop! Blame the anchor not his seamanship, right. The fact of the matter is that Bruce anchors ( and others) have held boats of all types in many wx situations. Is there no Captain accountability in this situation?
He probably blames his car when it runs out of gas because it doesn't get enough MPG!
Sailor of Fortune is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2014, 08:52 AM   #16
Guru
 
hollywood8118's Avatar
 
City: Port Townsend Washington
Vessel Name: " OTTER "
Vessel Model: Ocean Alexander Europa 40
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,378
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sailor of Fortune View Post
What a crock of poop! Blame the anchor not his seamanship, right. The fact of the matter is that Bruce anchors ( and others) have held boats of all types in many wx situations. Is there no Captain accountability in this situation?
He probably blames his car when it runs out of gas because it doesn't get enough MPG!

This is America...
Nobody has to take responsibility for their own actions anymore.

HOLLYWOOD
hollywood8118 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2014, 09:02 AM   #17
Guru
 
siestakey's Avatar
 
City: Sarasota,FL/Thomasville,GA
Vessel Name: Steppin Stone IV
Vessel Model: Marine Trader Kelly Trawler 46
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,815
Blame it on the device
siestakey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2014, 10:14 AM   #18
Enigma
 
RT Firefly's Avatar
 
City: Slicker?
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 16,567
Greetings,
A poor workhorse always blames his shoes.
__________________
RTF
RT Firefly is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2014, 10:34 AM   #19
Guru
 
siestakey's Avatar
 
City: Sarasota,FL/Thomasville,GA
Vessel Name: Steppin Stone IV
Vessel Model: Marine Trader Kelly Trawler 46
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,815
RT I like that one
siestakey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2014, 11:24 AM   #20
Dauntless Award
 
Wxx3's Avatar
 
City: Wrangell, Alaska
Vessel Name: Dauntless
Vessel Model: Kadey Krogen 42 - 148
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 2,820
Quote:
Originally Posted by jclays View Post
Did the anchor fail or was it not set properly? Most cases it is not the anchor. My Bruce failed miserably once. Or should I say that I failed miserably in setting my anchor That night.
Actually looking at the picture, that happened to me last year in Maine.

It's possible it has nothing to do with anchor or dragging or scope or who the hell knows.

Maybe just too much anchor kool-aide
__________________
Richard on Dauntless,
New York

a Kadey Krogen 42 currently: https://share.garmin.com/dauntless
Blog:
https://dauntlessatsea.com
Wxx3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:26 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012