Plow or Bruce?

[SIBERNUT]

I have a 30ft Lien Hwa, do not intend to extensively cruise nor fish the Hudson Canyon. The anchor on my pulpit is a Danforth style. I have acquired a plow and a relatively massive Bruce.
Which do I keep? If both are sufficient, which can I sell for the most ? Note I have no windlass and approaching 78......
Yes, I am well schooled in retrieving an anchor

 

[Delta Riverat]

How is the present anchor working and what size?

 

[DavidM]

The Bruce sets quickly and has decent holding. The plow doesn’t set as easily but after setting it holds better than the Bruce. So if the Bruce is “massive”, it is probably the better choice.

David

 

[Old Sea Dog]

If you are on the Chesapeake, think the Bruce would be better than the Delta (plow).
I did pick up a Delta to supplement my Danforth and SuperMax.
The Bruce does not have the fluke surface area of a SuperMax but is similar.
My SuperMax is a beast.

 

[High Wire]

Of those two I would pick the delta to keep. Never used a Bruce.

 

[O C Diver]

Just say no to farm implements.

Ted

 

[psneeld]

Bruce plus danforth is not a bad combo.

 

[SIBERNUT]

Have no idea because I've been resurrecting Phelps (because it took a swim) for 6 months. Plenty of experience with Danforth type & boats bigger

 

[ranger58sb]

Delta not wonderful if you happen to find some Chesapeake slime.

Steel Danforth works pretty well, assuming decent weight and assuming it's been set well enough to deal with tide changes. (Doesn't take much to address that.) A larger (but maybe lighter) Fortress, ditto.

Yep, SuperMAX works great, here.

No experience here with a Bruce.

-Chris

 

[SIBERNUT]

Yeah, nothing holds in stillpond w the logs
Tks

 

[mvweebles]

SV Panope comparison chart for 45-lb anchors. Bruce and Delta are both near the bottom, with Bruce getting a slight nod. I seem to recall from other Panope videos that there is a meaningful difference between a genuine Bruce and a Lewmar Claw knock-off- the Bruce is forged with sharpe flukes that more easily penetrate a seabed compared to the Claw's blunt castings.

Peter

 

[SIBERNUT]

Tks, stamped Bruce. Guess it's for sale now.

 

[Shrew]

I'd choose Option "C".

Danforth's are good as a 2nd Stern anchor.

The plow and Bruce are 'old school' technology. The CQR is better than both and still only at the top of the 'old school' category.

I'd sell or scrap both and look at any of the following:

Spade
Rocna Rollbar*
Manson Supreme*
Rocna Vulcan*
Mantus*
Lewmar Epsilon
Ultra Marine

* Denotes anchors I have had extensive experience with.

 

[FWT]

I'd choose Option "C".

Danforth's are good as a 2nd Stern anchor.

The plow and Bruce are 'old school' technology. The CQR is better than both and still only at the top of the 'old school' category.

I'd sell or scrap both and look at any of the following:

Spade
Rocna Rollbar*
Manson Supreme*
Rocna Vulcan*
Mantus*
Lewmar Epsilon
Ultra Marine

* Denotes anchors I have had extensive experience with.

That's a lot of first-hand knowledge. If you had to pick just one for mud, which would it be?

 

[ranger58sb]

That's a lot of first-hand knowledge. If you had to pick just one for mud, which would it be?

Rewording your question... because our "mud" is often liquid...

If you had to pick just one for ooze, slime, muck... which would it be?

(So far, our best experiences on previous boats have been with Fortress and pivoting SuperMAX. We put a Vulcan 40 on this boat, but it hasn't found any ooze yet...)

-Chris

 

[SIBERNUT]

The Bruce is a #10, looking for a new home.

 

[Nomad Willy]

I’d buy a new Austrailian Super SARCA.
Check Panhope’s test results.
Top feature is setting ability IMO.

 

[Mako]

Strange how so many comment that the CQR is preferred over the (I assume) genuine Bruce. I whole heartedly disagree, but that's only my own experience. If his budget was zero, then I'd keep the Danforth for mud and the Bruce for general, but grind both leading edges sharp.

 

[psneeld]

Strange how so many comment that the CQR is preferred over the (I assume) genuine Bruce. I whole heartedly disagree, but that's only my own experience. If his budget was zero, then I'd keep the Danforth for mud and the Bruce for general, but grind both leading edges sharp.

Exactly my thoughts.

The Bruce (can't vouch for a knockoff though) if a size or two bigger than suggested makes up for it's less than spectacular holding power....but that's where the Danforth shines.

I personally Got rid of my Bruce, Delta, and Danforths and settled with an oversized Manson Supreme (one anchor that does a lot well, particularly for emergency drops) and a Fortress for backup and extra storm holding (never got it wet in 20,000 miles of ACIW cruising).

 

[Shrew]

The Super Sarca is basically a remodel of the Bugel. Then again, most of the new age anchors are a variation of the Bugel or Spade anyway.

I had a Bruce for my skiff. I anchored in very shallow water like beaches for swimming and clamming. I could see how the Bruce set and, at least in sand, and I was not at all impressed.

The Bruce rarely rotated in, it usually laid on its side and only hooked one side of the anchor. I could push the skiff and force the anchor to roll in, but then it would just drag through the sand if I kept pushing on it. Not something I'd trust in a heavy wind.

I don't have loose silty mud in my area, so I can't comment about how anything would perform in that. The one time I did anchor in loose silty mud was with a Fortress. When I backed down on it, it didn't seem to set well. Then when I tried to retrieve, I almost couldn't get it free. What it did was 'down-pane' into the mud until it was several feet in. Once the chain was vertical, the large surface area of the flukes couldn't be lifted vertically through the mud.

 

[ranger58sb]

The one time I did anchor in loose silty mud was with a Fortress. When I backed down on it, it didn't seem to set well. Then when I tried to retrieve, I almost couldn't get it free. What it did was 'down-pane' into the mud until it was several feet in. Once the chain was vertical, the large surface area of the flukes couldn't be lifted vertically through the mud.

Yep, not atypical...

-Chris

 

[BYNW]

Strange how so many comment that the CQR is preferred over the (I assume) genuine Bruce. I whole heartedly disagree, but that's only my own experience. If his budget was zero, then I'd keep the Danforth for mud and the Bruce for general, but grind both leading edges sharp.

I spent about a half a decade skippering charters in the BVI. Most of the boats had a bruce and a CQR. I never had an issue with the Bruce design. Not fond of the hinge in the CQR.

 

[Brooksie]

Keep your Danforth, make sure it is a High-Tinsel model, if not, sell all 3 and get a properly sized High-Tinsel Danforth.

 

[Nepidae]

Plow or Bruce

Sell both of the older anchors and use the proceeds to buy a Rocna.

You will have a peaceful night sleeping.

We were on the Mississippi on our Loop, the river in action stage moving at 8mph. We anchored in a crossover and initially were a little concerned. Next morning in retrieving the anchor, the bow dipped about 6" before the anchor broke loose.

Regardless of how you may feel about anchoring even if you do it once, you don't want your boat to break loose so invest in a windlass as well. About all you'll be able to retrieve by hand is a 20-25# anchor and you will be kept up for the period you are anchored, worrying. That weight anchor is a lunch hook.

Good luck.

 

[Nomad Willy]

The Bruce sets quickly and has decent holding. The plow doesn’t set as easily but after setting it holds better than the Bruce. So if the Bruce is “massive”, it is probably the better choice.

David

A lot of commercial fishermen use Claws (mostly Bruce) but they will always pick the Forfjord anchor if they can find one they can afford. I had a 25# Forfjord and wouldn’t recommend it. I don’t know this but I suspect one fluke dives in preventing the other fluke from setting.
Another anchor many fishermen use in SE Ak is the Dreadnought … looking a bit to much like a Navy anchor. I had one but gave it to the guy that bought Willy (my old Willard).

 

[Wxx3]

Had a 40 lb Bruce with bent shaft and actually worked very well on the east coast.
Then got 55 lb Delta and that anchor dragged only once in the 8 years I had it.
I stopped using any achor alarm after the first year of use of the Delta.

In our last two years in Alaska, we were anchored in places with 50+ kt winds and with 170 feet of chain out, when the wind gusted ALL of the catenary was out of the chain, in fact I could see it come out of the water (in 30 feet). the DELTA never dragged.

I went back to sleep, while the wife poked me every ten minutes to tell me the wind was blowing.

Best $300 I ever spent. Thanks Hop Car

 

[Darlin]

I have a 50# Danforth and 45# CQR on my 44ft trawler in the Sea of Cortez. I bought the Danforth because my CQR did not hold well in sand. It works well in rocky areas but most anchorages are sandy here.

 

[SeaGator]

Neither. You will find better holding with a scoop type anchor such as the Mantus, Rocna or Manson Supreme.

 

[SIBERNUT]

Thank you for all the input. The objective here is to spend $0 yet choose the best 2 of the 3. Here in the Chesapeake the depth only exceeds 50 ft in a few places

 

[Mako]

I don’t think either of those two anchors will outperform a Danforth in mud. If yours is too small then buy a big one on eBay or Craigslist for pennies on the dollar