Vulcan versus Standard Rocna, SS v Galvanized

One more project on my list is to upgrade the anchor, I currently have 300ft of chain and will add some rode to that but my anchor is undersized. (25kg Rocna).
From what I have read the Rocnas are great so thinking about getting a 55 or 70kg one but am curious if the bar around the top of it helps or is it worth getting the Vulcan? Also my guess is stainless is a weaker anchor, etc but looks better. Any reason to get stainless other than the looks? any reason not to?

Thanks for answering my barrage of questions!
Arthur

Try the search function...

Oh for the sake of humanity, I beg you - not another anchor thread - don't do it

Stainless steel is not as strong as "normal" steel and SS costs much more. An anchor is something you may lose someday and it hurts less to loose a $200 galvanized anchor than a $800 stainless steel anchor.


For me, an anchor is a "tool" and functionality is much more important than looks.

Mud ect slides off SS anchors much better than galvanized.

SS anchors may burry deeper from less surface friction due to the smooth surface.

The roll bar (RB) causes drag and that drag may give more holding power but the RB may pitch the anchor up and that could result in less holding power or even breakout. So nobody knows (that I know of) if the RB increases holding power. Perhaps I should use the word "performance". Many RB anchors have very high holding power but there are some that are average too.

The Rocna has been well tested whareas the Vulcan hasn't. If I was to buy one of the two I'd get the Vulcan. This is just a guess but I think the Vulcan will probably have excellent but not outrageous holding power. And it probably will have better holding power at short scope. And it will mount on the bow of most any boat. May be better in rocky bottoms too with it's ballast weight.

Either anchor will work fine on your boat. IMO

Foxtrot and RT if you aren't interested in talking bout anchors what on earth are you doing here?

Nomad Willy said:

Mud ect slides off SS anchors much better than galvanized.

SS anchors may burry deeper from less surface friction due to the smooth surface.

The roll bar (RB) causes drag and that drag may give more holding power but the RB may pitch the anchor up and that could result in less holding power or even breakout. So nobody knows (that I know of) if the RB increases holding power. Perhaps I should use the word "performance". Many RB anchors have very high holding power but there are some that are average too.

The Rocna has been well tested whareas the Vulcan hasn't. If I was to buy one of the two I'd get the Vulcan. This is just a guess but I think the Vulcan will probably have excellent but not outrageous holding power. And it probably will have better holding power at short scope. And it will mount on the bow of most any boat. May be better in rocky bottoms too with it's ballast weight.

Either anchor will work fine on your boat. IMO

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Thanks Eric, very helpful, I looked around and your right it doesn't seem like anyone has put them head to head. The comment on stainless is interesting, I'm also curious if the build quality is different between the two, guessing they are both cast (but ill do some research), not sure I can justify the extra $2,000 but it sure would look nice

When I bought my boat it came with a SS anchor. I immediately traded the anchor for a month at a marina. FYI I have a 75# Rocna with a roll bar and have been very happy with it.

"Foxtrot and RT if you aren't interested in talking bout anchors what on earth are you doing here?
__________________
Eric"

Just having a bit of fun - actually enjoy anchor conversations

Arthurc,
Quality has been a very serious problem in the past with Rocna. They were making their anchor shanks from mild steel. See in our archives.

High price anchors are generally high quality. But a high price dosn't guarantee quality. And you pay more for manufacturing quality than design .. generally speaking. A very good example of a high priced and high quality anchor is a Spade.

My opinion only. I see the advantage of a SS anchor so if I were to get one I would upsize it by one or two sizes and marginalized the fact that it is not as strong as galvanized. I have a Delta SS on my port bow and a galvanized Boss on my starboard, I use the Boss about 95% of the time because it works so well ( it's really big). [emoji16]

Arthurc said:

..................... not sure I can justify the extra $2,000 but it sure would look nice

Click to expand...

Have a canvas shop make you a bag for your galvanized anchor and no one will know. And you'll save a lot of money.

Lmao.

I have a 75 pound Rocna that I'm extremely happy with.

I bought mine from hmason before he owned one. Figure that out.

hmason said:

FYI I have a 75# Rocna with a roll bar and have been very happy with it.

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Ted

"not sure I can justify the extra $2,000 but it sure would look nice "

A rattle can of paint can turn a galvanized lump into a shiny lump in 10 min.

FF said:

"not sure I can justify the extra $2,000 but it sure would look nice "

A rattle can of paint can turn a galvanized lump into a shiny lump in 10 min.

Click to expand...

Excellent point FF. I could smarten up my 13 year old Super Sarca like that, now the galv is looking a bit past it's best, and it would look quite smart.
It still looks pretty ok, though...just a bit light brown in places of max wear.

To the OP. You might want to search the Manson Boss, a spade type rather like the Vulcan Rocna make, and also worth looking at the Sarca Excel, now available in the US, also. This is an anchor loved by those who have them. Your 25kg Rocna was a bit light for a 52 ft boat, but you don't need to go overkill with these new generation anchors. As for going stainless. Unless money no object you will find heaps of other stuff more worthy of your money for mine...

Have you (the OP), checked out this thread...
http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s42/anchor-setting-videos-23378.html

...just say in'...
There are more superior setting and holding anchors out there that do not have quality control concerns and are competively priced that are not being mentioned!

Steve Bedford

I have used both the Standard ROCNA and the ROCNA VULCAN on my current boat. The main difference I see is: look carefully at your bow roller configuration. The Standard ROCNA (with rollbar) is best suited to an "open" type bow roller. If your boat has an aperture in the pulpit containing the roller (as my GB36 does) the rollbar will hit the end of the pulpit when anchor is fully raised. ROCNA brought out the Vulcan in part, to deal with this problem. I switched as soon as it came out and it has been a reliable anchor - indistinguishable for me anyway from the rollbar version. Go to the ROCNA website where they have downloadable dimensions of both anchors so you can make mock up to see what fits best. I'll leave the SS question to others with metallurgical background. SS makes a statement, just not a good one imo!

I think the new generation of anchors are vastly superior to the ones I've used in the past. I currently have a Boss which has never failed me so I love it (sleep well at night) but haven't used the others so I really can't compare but I don't believe any anchor can do better.

Just my SSO.

Arthurc said:

One more project on my list is to upgrade the anchor, I currently have 300ft of chain and will add some rode to that but my anchor is undersized.

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Do you mean you will add rope to your chain, to create a combination rope/chain rode?

Steve Bedford said:

...just say in'...
There are more superior setting and holding anchors out there that do not have quality control concerns and are competively priced that are not being mentioned!

Click to expand...

Arthur, as RT mentioned, there are boatloads of threads about the various anchor brands/styles (maybe 6 or 7 other credible brands/models in addition to Rocna), both here and on cruisersforum.com (sister site), so if you haven't reviewed all those yet you would likely find it useful to hear pros and cons in depth. And then there are also the two focused threads, one about on-going anchor testing (Panope) and the other pics of "bedded" anchors (Noelex), some of which are on cruisersforum but not here, I think.

And then it's important to match your anchor to your expected sea bed/bottom substrate. And maybe whatever dead weight you can (are willing to) lift if your electric windlass crap out (assuming you have one)... relative to whatever will fit your pulpit/roller system.

FWIW, we've been using adjustable "pivoting" SuperMAX anchors here in the Chesapeake (usually mud of various consistencies) for about the last 12-15 years or so, easily set, never a failure. Haven't even ever had to adjust them. Yet.

We've found Fortress anchors very useful, although now mostly as back-up and potential kedge since they dismantle and stow so easily.

-Chris

Thanks for posting Chris. Fortress is an excellent anchor. Lots of others as well to choose from that will serve the owner well.

SuperMAX Anchors have been supplying anchors to new Kadey Krogen yachts since 2005-2006. Many are also on older KK's based upon the recommendations stemming from one owner's experience/recommendation a few number of years ago. Other KK owners followed that recommendation.

The smoother surface of SS versus galvanized sheds bottom material better and offers two advantages:

1. Comes up clean(er).
2. May reset more reliably.

Bigsfish said:

I think the new generation of anchors are vastly superior to the ones I've used in the past. I currently have a Boss which has never failed me so I love it (sleep well at night) but haven't used the others so I really can't compare but I don't believe any anchor can do better.

Just my SSO.

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My thought is that if your current anchor works for your boat and boating conditions, there is little point in spending several hundred dollars on a "better" anchor.

You can't really improve on a product that has worked perfectly for you for several years.

Cottontop said:

The smoother surface of SS versus galvanized sheds bottom material better and offers two advantages:

1. Comes up clean(er).
2. May reset more reliably.

Click to expand...

#2 is just a guess. It might and it might not. If you set your anchor well at first, resetting is not a concern.

#1 may be true but your chain may still need to be rinsed. To me, that's more trouble than mud on the anchor.

WesK said:

#2 is just a guess. It might and it might not. If you set your anchor well at first, resetting is not a concern.

#1 may be true but your chain may still need to be rinsed. To me, that's more trouble than mud on the anchor.

Click to expand...

Resetting is always a concern in shifting winds/currents. See Panope's anchor setting thread on the sister site. Will SS's superior shedding help in resetting? As you say, maybe, maybe not. But if SS is no better than galv in this regard, Oh well. If it is better, Thank goodness.

"Chain may still need to be rinsed." Consider SS chain, as well.

I looked into SS chain and found to get the same strength I would need to go up a size or two with a big increase in weight.

Bigsfish said:

I looked into SS chain and found to get the same strength I would need to go up a size or two with a big increase in weight.

Click to expand...

Yup, like everything in boating, there are always tradeoffs.

I've owned a traditional Rocna as well as a Manson Supreme with the roll-bar. I currently own a Rocna Vulcan.

To me, the difference is really dictated by the bow pulpit.

Rocna standard (Roll Bar): If bow roller sends the anchor shank over the TOP of the bow pulpit.

Rocna Vulcan (no roll bar): If the bow roller sends the anchor shank THROUGH the bow pulpit.

Both work effectively the same, in that they're designed to rollover and drive the tip into the seabed. In the vulcan the tip is weighted to get the rolling action. Obviously in the standard the rollbar provides the rolling action.

The answer is obvious get one of each. When you want to anchor use the plain steel when you want to impress use the SS. I f you are anchored in a blow use both. What about an Ultra or the granddaddy of the type a spade?

The roll bar does not work on my pulpit so I have a Vulcan. additionally the Vulcan shank shape is smoother deploying and retrieving. My 2 cents.