Conrad wrote:If we decide to head north to Alaska, or go around Vancouver Island, we'd rethink the anchor, but then we'd probably also rethink the entire boat.
*I wouldn't get too wrapped around the axle on this issue, Conrad.* There are two different issues here.* One is the whole bit about misleading specifications claimed by Peter Smith (I assume), the original Rocna company, and the subsequent purchaser, Holdfast and the manufacturing situation in China where, for whatever reason, the steel used was not the steel that was claimed to be used.
The other issue is whether the anchor you have is strong enough for the job. If you were taking your boat to the southwestern Pacific, where the design of the Rocna originated as an attempt to create an anchor that would set and hold more reliably in the open, windy, rough*anchorages that are common down there, you might have cause to rethink your anchor.
But for boating in the PNW, I don't think you have anything to worry about IF... your anchor is sized right for your boat.* It's easy to get all focused on one grade of steel vs another one and totally lose sight of what is really needed to hold your boat in place.* I have seen-- and you probably have too--- boats with really sorry-ass anchors on them.* Old, even slightly bent Danforth knock-offs, ancient CQRs, home-made*weld-ups*and--- more common than one might think--- anchors*very much undersized for the boat.* And we have seen these on boats which we have learned from the owners have gone up and down the Inside Passage any number of times, or to Desolation Sound, or to the west*coast of Vancouver Island.
Our boat came with a big Danforth knock-off of questionable*quality*with a slightly bent shank.* The boat had spent its whole life in SFO bay and the previous owners, at least, had anchored all the time up the rivers and in the delta and wherever people go in SFO bay.* So far as we could find out, they never had a problem with this truly pathetic anchor.
This is not a way of excusing what the Rocna/Holdfast organization did with regards to their product advertising and claims and denial of manufacturing problems in China.* Hopefully Canadian Metals will turn this around if they continue with the anchor.* But given some of the absolute crap anchors*I've seen on boats that are used and used a lot, I doubt your Rocna, regardless of whether it's 420 or 620 or 800 or whatever will do just fine for you up here.
It's been my observation-- and it's a big generalization with exceptions for sure---*that the boats that get used a lot by their owners often have the bare minimum that's needed to do the job for cost reasons.* They'd rather spend the money on actual boating than on the latest gee-whiz things, be it a plotter or anchor.* And they seem to have no problems at all.* The big fancy*status*hardware tends to be on the showroom boats*that never or hardly ever leave the slip.* Or if they do it's to go to another dock in another marina.
So my guess is that just about any*production*anchor you could pick--- including Rocna--- if it's sized right for your boat and you have the best type of rode for your anchoring conditions and windlass (if you have one)* will do the job just fine for you, particularly up here where protected anchorages are all over the place and never far away and the weather forecasting is actually very good.
I know of a 38' Island Gypsy tri-cabin*(I think it's 38') with a 20 pound Bruce on a combination rode.* This guy has been back and forth to SE Alaska more times than he can remember.* I think he's nuts with regard to his anchor type, size, and rode, but so far as I know he's never had a problem staying put.* Not something I'd ever try but it's worked fine for him.
So I don't think you should lose too much sleep or have nightmares about 420 vs 620 vs 800 vs ?.
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