Prime ground-tackle

I stopped by the Suncoast Boat Show (Sarasota, FL) the other day, and saw the example of what a serious anchor system should look like.

I was dazzled by the mirror finish SS everything. The trouble was, there was so much reflection that it was difficult to pick out the anchors from the reflection of the anchors, not just in the photo, but standing right in front of the Ocean Reef bow. One thing for sure, ...there wasn't a scratch on either of 'em.

Surely a candidate for Eric's Anchorman of the Year! Trophy!
I've included another photo with the anchors outlined in red. Two identical spades.

healhustler said:

I stopped by the Suncoast Boat Show (Sarasota, FL) the other day, and saw the example of what a serious anchor system should look like.

I was dazzled by the mirror finish SS everything. The trouble was, there was so much reflection that it was difficult to pick out the anchors from the reflection of the anchors, not just in the photo, but standing right in front of the Ocean Reef bow. One thing for sure, ...there wasn't a scratch on either of 'em.

Surely a candidate for Eric's Anchorman of the Year! Trophy!
I've included another photo with the anchors outlined in red. Two identical spades.

Click to expand...

Too bad they wasted all the metal and polishing on a CQR !



HOLLYWOOD

"Too bad they wasted all the metal and polishing on a CQR !"

That looks like a Chinese copy of a CQR , a high risk venture , polished or not.

FF, doesn't matter where they were made, they'll never get wet.

FF said:

That looks like a Chinese copy of a CQR , a high risk venture , polished or not.

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Fred: We wouldn't expect this tone of comment from such a proponent of polished nautical dock candy. Here's another shot from farther away. I'm telling ya.....if it weren't for ones logical deduction that it's location on the boat must make it an anchor system, it would have been difficult to pick out exactly what it was.

healhustler said:

I've included another photo with the anchors outlined in red. Two identical spades.

Click to expand...

Those are Spades? Wouldn't have guessed that...

Might have guessed Ultras... maybe...

-Chris

There we go again bash'in old anchors.
When I spent the night in the worst gale I've ever been in with two other boats one was a sailboat about 45' and he was hang'in on a CQR anchor. Before the worst part of the storm the sailboat reanchored as did we and as far as we could tell the sailboat didn't drag. A 100% performance in the worst of conditions. We saw him anchor the second time and he didn't seem to have any trouble setting the CQR either. I'll bet he thinks his CQR is just fine.

However if I had named this thread I'd have just called it "Dazzling anchors". The anchor being only part of the ground tackle. Unless he had chrome chain as well. But dazzle me anytime Larry. Pretty anchors are candy to me.

If you actually anchor your boat from time to time, there's a reasonable chance that you will eventually lose an anchor. Paying extra for a stainless steel anchor just doesn't make much sense.


I look at an anchor as a tool. Tools don't have to be pretty, they have to work.

WesK said:

I look at an anchor as a tool. Tools don't have to be pretty, they have to work.

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+1

Besides unless you are on Bay Pelican underway or visit her in the boat yard you will not see her anchor.

ranger42c said:

Those are Spades? Wouldn't have guessed that...
Might have guessed Ultras... maybe...-Chris

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You were correct to correct me, Chris. On closer inspection, they look like Deltas, not that it matters. The point is that they remind us what is really important about boat ownership!:lol: I tried them out on lots of boats but the only place they looked appropriate was on this full dress Willy, contrasting nicely with the dark green hull stripe.

They are not Deltas. The blades are not flat like a Delta. And Deltas don't have a pivot point.

Knock off CQR style.

OK, like FF noted and Bill confirmed, a CQR. Although it is only a reflection in the roller bracket, it surely does look like a knuckle on either side. Your eyes are better than mine.

Maybe the CQR digs in better when it's all shiny and slick like that! I'm sure that's why they polished them all up. Guess I should have kept mine and polished it. Lol.

?

A CQR is a forging , that can stand high loads.

A knock off is probably a sand casting with unknown materials and qualities.

If you have a knock off ,,an X ray before heavy use might be in order.

With a Danforth aluminum knock off , just inspect the bolts.

I assume they are stainless or chrome to stop the seagull crap sticking on ?
Can't see any other reason.

"Can't see any other reason."

EGO

WesK said:

If you actually anchor your boat from time to time, there's a reasonable chance that you will eventually lose an anchor. Paying extra for a stainless steel anchor just doesn't make much sense.


I look at an anchor as a tool. Tools don't have to be pretty, they have to work.

Click to expand...

Why do anchors get lost? I fess up, lost two at Lake Powell when they slithered into an underwater slot canyon. But in the open water and an all chain rode - maybe a swivel met its match, hooked onto a logging cable, windlass crapped out so cut the tether line?

I looked at having the eagle anchor chromed to make them look prettier. Bring a dock queen I view anchors more of a bow ornaments. Old school was to have two different anchors usually a danfoth and QCR for different types of bottoms, not one anchor.

Don't be fooled by looks when it comes to anchors, unless you don't want to actually use them.

I had two pretty flash 60kg stainless anchors until one completely separated from its shank leaving the flukes behind on the bottom of Lady Musgrave lagoon in Queensland Australia.

Look at the pictures the shank was very lightly and poorly welded to the pivot on the cqr Chinies look alike , on retrieval no more flukes!!

We were lucky, it had blown 30knots for three days,, be warned, dollars spent are no guarantee, look count for nothing.

We now have one big gal Manson Boss and have the remaining pretty ss number as a spare.

" be warned, dollars spent are no guarantee, looks count for nothing."

Which is why a really good sized PROVEN anchor is far better than pretty.

Happily many good CQR , Danforth ,Northill that have stood the test of decades are readily found used.

Lots less heart break when the trip line parts and you cut loose a great $100 or $200 friend.

sunchaser said:

Why do anchors get lost? I fess up, lost two at Lake Powell when they slithered into an underwater slot canyon. But in the open water and an all chain rode - maybe a swivel met its match, hooked onto a logging cable, windlass crapped out so cut the tether line?

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The anchor gets caught on an underwater obstruction or cable and the boater has to cut the rode to move on. This happened to a friend of mine but he is not the first or the last this has happened to.

WesK said:

The anchor gets caught on an underwater obstruction or cable and the boater has to cut the rode to move on. This happened to a friend of mine but he is not the first or the last this has happened to.

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This reminds me of our second time to charter in the Bahamas. We were trying to anchor close to a little beach we found on the charts the charter company gave us, but as I was trying to get my wits about me and get ready to anchor, a sailing cat swooped in pretty close to me and anchored up (quickly-- he knew what he was doing). I gut a little flustered and moved away from the spot and tried to anchor at another spot. Struggled to get the anchor to bite, but it finally did. I dove down to check it out, and almost sucked in water when I saw we were anchored on a big cable.

It was a rental boat and I didn't want to lose the anchor. We were only in about 8-10' of water but I'm not a good diver and my ears were hurting every time I dove down. I finally got a line tied to the anchor and tried to dislodge it from the cable by pulling it the opposite way with the dingy. That didn't work. Wife was in the dingy. Son was on the charter boat. I was floating around trying to give instructions. FUBAR. About then a group of Bahamians cruised up and said I shouldn't anchor were I was because the main electrical cable for the out islands ran through here. I told them thanks and they motored off. Now I was really freaking out-- I was hoping it wasn't an electrical cable but with that verified I was unsure what to do. It was nearing dusk so I finally just dove down (took three separate times IIRC) and jerked the anchor off the cable by hand, all the time thinking I was going to get electrocuted.

Not sure this was proper anchor dislodging protocol, but that's what I did.