Danforth with a slotted shank

...or something like that. The shank is made of a loop of round rod, but it would have the same effect. Anyway, this style was new to me.

I have seen those before but that to me is more of a fishing anchor( I'm not aware of them being available in a trawler size). The problem with the slot for overnight anchoring is the anchor can be pulled out by a wind or current reversal.

Ken

West Marine has them.
"slip ring fluke anchor".
In their regular anchor section. Even on the first page probably because it's the fishing season.

It's a Benson's Anchor. I think they quit making them in the 70's but plenty of others have copied it. Danforth came out with their slotted shank anchor to compete with it. If I recall correctly the flukes were cast instead of cut from extrusion or plate. I remember them from the fifties.

I had a small knockoff brand version of this. I kept it in a 17' aluminum canoe. I don't think that thing ever held once. Mine was absolute junk.

I have an 8 pounder like that. It was intended to be a dinghy anchor. I use mine for a yard decoration. It doubles as a door stop for my shed.

I see a lot of fisherman setup a similar rig. The affix the rode to the bottom of the anchor and zip tie the chain to the normal attachment point. Their hope is if the anchor gets fouled, the pulling for will break the zip ties and pull the anchor from the back in order to free it. For long term, you are really relying on that resetting properly.


Danforth's don't reset well. I wouldn't use this type of anchor for a cruising boat.

Benson anchor-no longer made. Used one on a 24 cc in mud worked very well. No so good in shells

Greetings,
We have a small (8lb) Benson, probably a copy as it isn't quite the same. Won't set worth sh'....Probably wouldn't prop open a door either.

I have a little one like that we use as the beach (stern) anchor for the dinghy (13' Whaler); bought it about 3 years ago brand new, don't recall the make. Slot makes it easier to pull the little bugger out when buried deep in wet sand; I've grown rather fond of it.

ddalme,
The anchor is availible as per my post #3. Don't know if it's a Benson or not kinda like a Bruce or a Claw.

It's interesting how the stock does not go all the way through like other Danforth anchors. The hinge point is therefore offset probably for some reason not apparent to me. Any guesses?

Had one of these years ago, it was suppost to reset in a tide/wind change better than a Danforth. Problem was it was hard to set in the first place. Not the genuine article.

Shrew said:

Danforth's don't reset well. I wouldn't use this type of anchor for a cruising boat.

Click to expand...

I swear by my main Danforth. I never really had that problem in 25 years cruising LI Sound.
But I digress.

Wayfarer said:

I had a small knockoff brand version of this. I kept it in a 17' aluminum canoe. I don't think that thing ever held once. Mine was absolute junk.

Click to expand...

Like you, Dave, I had a small knock-off version for my bay boat. I usually only anchor when water is over 10 ft as I have a power-pole for shallower areas. This summer I could not get that thing to take a set and hold while dropping it in 3ft of water and letting out about 40+ ft of rode (first 8 being light chain). BTW, an adjacent boat had a Danforth (real one) that was set on a 4:1 scope without a hiccup. Maybe it was operator error...most of my anchoring experience is in much larger craft and much larger combination rodes in depths up to 300 ft...but I don't think so.

IIRC the purported purpose if this design was to have an anchor that you could pull 'back' on and the shackle would slide to the base end and pull the anchor free of an obstruction (no more fouled anchor loss). But they didn't work well on wind/tide shifts and resetting on their own. I think the only anchor worth less than this design in the stainless collapsible 'fortress' anchor.

P.S. Hope you left it at the yard sale where you found it!