Rocna Vulcan

[FredB]

Has anyone tried the new Rocna Vulcan anchor and if so, what do you think?
There doesn't seem to be a lot of talk about it out there.

 

[DavidM]

I was a big fan of the original roll bar Rocna and used it for a hundred or so effortless sets one spring and summer on a previous boat.


So I purchased a Manson Boss which is very similar to the Rocna Vulcan for my Mainship Pilot 34 where the roll bar won't fit on the bow sprit.


I have only anchored a few times, but so far it is working as well as the original Rocna: sets easily and holds well. The shape with deeply upward curved flukes makes the roll bar unnecessary. The roll bar did two things I believe: It helped right the anchor if it hit the sea bed upside down. And it added weight to the front of the plow to help it dig in. The tip on the Boss is weighted and the curved flukes help it right itself.


David

 

[HopCar]

I haven't had a chance to try it yet but I bought one to replace my Delta. I've sold a few of them but I haven't heard back from my customers yet. If they didn't work, I'd have heard about it!
If you decide to try one, I'd love the opportunity to quote you on it.

 

[sunchaser]

My 40 kg Vulcan is working quite well. It was my wife's recent Christmas present but she did'nt see it until March.

In a mud bottom it holds tight at 4:1 scope all chain rode in 30 knots. I especially like the variable radius curved shank which eases the anchor onto the bow roller with no fuss, unlike the Bruce (and others) it replaced. It is connected to chain with a rugged great looking Suncor swivel I got from Hopcar.

Cost effective anchor and swivel combination too! As usual with anchors, buy the biggest that will fit your overall system.

 

[caltexflanc]

In pictures, it looks an awful lot like a Spade.

SPADE Anchor - Free Shipping on Select Models

Rocna Vulcan Anchor - Galvanized Steel

Any comparisons in real life?

 

[Nomad Willy]

It looks good to me.

Yup it's much like the Spade and like the Spade it pays the penalty of needing ballast. That of course limits the size of the shank and fluke/s. And that usually limits performance. For most here the holy grail is holding power ... but holding power can't be achieved w/o a good set. But if there's anchors out there that set dependably w/o ballast ... the obvious question is why pay the weight penalty of ballast? Dependability probably. The Spade is very dependable and it shares the ballast feature.
I think the fluke is optimized for holding power. Given enough holding power perhaps some can be sacrificed for setting dependability .. and some ballast. Old deck hand in Sitka has a Boss anchor w no ballast and all his feedback is positive w/o any setting issues. Considerably more fluke area than either the Vulcan or the Spade. But still a big shank. The Vulcan, Boss, Spade and the discontinued Oceane (SP?) all have the same long arcing shank shape ... to self launch off the bow and to roll over w/o the troublesome roll bar. The Spade dos'nt pay quite as dearly for shank weight because of it's knife edge hollow shank. And the Vulcan's "I" beam shank is a bit lighter or stronger?? But a bit more draggy limiting penetration. Every pound saved can be invested into a bigger fluke.

So many variables. I like what I see in the Vulcan but think it will be more like the Spade and other dependable anchors like the Super Sarca than the super high holding power anchors like the Rocna and Supreme. And perhaps the Boss. Haven't seen much of the Boss in anchor tests and nothing at all on the Vulcan. So Vulcan feedback would be nice.

 

[Pau Hana]

I was a big fan of the original roll bar Rocna and used it for a hundred or so effortless sets one spring and summer on a previous boat.


So I purchased a Manson Boss which is very similar to the Rocna Vulcan for my Mainship Pilot 34 where the roll bar won't fit on the bow sprit.


I have only anchored a few times, but so far it is working as well as the original Rocna: sets easily and holds well. The shape with deeply upward curved flukes makes the roll bar unnecessary. The roll bar did two things I believe: It helped right the anchor if it hit the sea bed upside down. And it added weight to the front of the plow to help it dig in. The tip on the Boss is weighted and the curved flukes help it right itself.


David

Same experience here- we went from the Supreme to the Boss because of the rollbar issue. We're just coming off 2 weeks out with a majority of time on the hook- the Boss set quickly and held firmly at all times.

 

[willpep]

I just changed out my Lewmar Claw for a Manson Boss yesterday. On a sandy bottom in Old Black Point in Niantic CT the Boss set quickly and I had to patiently power over it to retrieve. We will see how it performs next week on Block Island and Cuttyhunk next week.

 

[Pgitug]

My 40 kg Vulcan is working quite well. It was my wife's recent Christmas present but she did'nt see it until March.

In a mud bottom it holds tight at 4:1 scope all chain rode in 30 knots. I especially like the variable radius curved shank which eases the anchor onto the bow roller with no fuss, unlike the Bruce (and others) it replaced. It is connected to chain with a rugged great looking Suncor swivel I got from Hopcar.

Cost effective anchor and swivel combination too! As usual with anchors, buy the biggest that will fit your overall system.

You bought your wife an anchor for her Christmas present??
You romantic devil. ?

 

[Panacea]

I'm sitting here at anchor in Staniel Cay, Exumas on my Rocna Vulcan 55 (110lb). I absolutely *love* my Vulcan.

I went with the Vulcan because my roller/pulpit wouldn't allow a roll bar. The video propaganda and testing on Rocna's website was very effective. After using the Vulcan quite a bit now I can honestly say the curved shank of the Vulcan makes it perform as well as the Rocna with a roll bar.

We anchor our a lot. Mud/grass/sand in the Keys and South Florida, and sand in the Bahamas. I bought the Vulcan about 6 months ago to replace my old Lewmar 176lb Claw. To be fair, we've seen 50+ knot blows with the old claw, and so far only 30 knot with the Rocna. I'm confident my 110lb Vulcan will severely outperform and hold better than the old 176lb claw.

1.) The Vulcan sets FAST... like immediately. I had an old CQR 75lb before the Claw (still keep it aboard) and that thing would plow the seafloor for what seemed like a mile until finding something to hold onto. The Vulcan sets in one anchor length every time and even sea grass is no problem.

2.) The Vulcan sets DEEP and holds strong. My old 176lb claw would never fully set the entire fluke. It would end up laying on it's side with only a side fluke digging in. Right now, my Vulcan is set so well I can barely see any of the shank. I ain't goin' nowhere!

So yeah, anchors are like religion and I don't want to get into arguments about what "the best anchor" is. Is the Vulcan the best anchor? There is no such thing as the best anchor. But I'm impressed and very, very, very happy with my Vulcan.

 

[Bigsfish]

Fred. I just wrote my impression of the Boss which I think is about the same in design. I would feel fine using either.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Bigsfish,
So you wrote your impression of the Boss .. where is it?
The Boss and Vulcan are quite different. One has a weighted fluke tip (Vulcan) and the Boss essentially doesn't. For a given weight the Boss will have more fluke area so if the Boss sets dependably it's probably the higher performing anchor. The shanks are indeed very similar. And the Vulcan appears stronger.
Our member Old Deckhand in Sitka AK has had a Boss for some time. Don't remember exactly what he said but I do remember it was all positive.
I thought the Boss was rather flimsy looking at one at a boat show but in several years have not heard anything to confirm that. Manson Supreme has been praised for it's high quality steel and the Boss is almost certainly made of good strong stuff too. Either anchor is probably a good choice. Neither one has been in a significant anchor test that I know of. So information on both is rather speculative and subjective.

 

[Peter B]

Manson Supreme has been praised for it's high quality steel and the Boss is almost certainly made of good strong stuff too. Either anchor is probably a good choice. Neither one has been in a significant anchor test that I know of. So information on both is rather speculative and subjective.

Ok, well...we need a Boss and a Vulcan got to Steve on Panope somehow, now don't we..?

 

[Bigsfish]

Hi Eric

I love the Boss and would but it again if I list it by some means. Been boating for many years and the newer anchors are by far better than the older ones. I'm not scientific enough to compare the differences of the anchors but my impressive was that they appear to look similar. Unfortunately the Boss and the Ultra are on the bow of my boat and people love the look of the Ultra and make fun of the Boss which looks like a giant smashed and dished tin can. LOL. But it works.

Please see the post (just tonight) in the anchor section.

Thanks.

 

[ktdtx]

I put a Rocna Vulcan 40 kg on a 52' boat the end of April 2016.
300' of chain.

Since then, heading north to Alaska and now in Ketchikan on the way back it has performed flawlessly. Sets quickly and stays set. Occasionally as little as 3:1 rode (maybe even less) and no problems.

We have probably split the time 50-50% at anchor or tied to a float/dock. The conditions have NOT been challenging but sets quickly every time and my position has not changed while using it.

I like it.

 

[Nomad Willy]

ktdtx,
50-50 anchoring in towns in SE is my favorite way of travling in this area. Spending time in towns like Wrangell, Craig, Petersburg and smaller places like Point Baker, Pelican and Kake. Anchorages are beautiful and fun but the real flavor of SE is in the small towns or villages.

I'm hoping to see more Boss experiences.

 

[eyschulman]

If anybody considering a spade type anchor and wants bigger holing area but is against the idea of more weight you can use the larger aluminum spade. I have been using this type anchor since I sent to Tunisia to buy it almost 20 years ago works like a charm. Now that I have a new pretty boat I replaced the original aluminum Spade with a heavier but not bigger SS knock off made in Turkey called a Ultra which also works well but its shinny bling fits the overall aura of the boat. The Spade is now my secondary anchor and its light weight and fast set and good holding is great for a second set from the dinghy.

 

[Bigsfish]

I have a SS Ultra (60lbs) for a secondary too, I used it once to make sure it worked and it did but I like my Boss better (60 lbs). Have complete confidence in the Ulta but it's too pretty to use. LOL

 

[Steve Bedford]

Eric wrote: "For most here the holy grail is holding power ... but holding power can't be achieved w/o a good set."

Well said Eric and a fact lost in many discussions of anchoring. The "best holding anchor in the world" will not work work as expected if not properly set.

 

[rwidman]

I think all anchor comparisons are "subjective", not "objective. Unless you take several brands of anchors and subject them to identical conditions, your results are not scientific. Some anchor manufacturers have done side by side tests but since their anchors always win, these tests may be skewed.


My current anchor has never failed me (yet) so I'll just wait until it does and then consider a newer design.

 

[Bigsfish]

Steve

It could also be said the finest set won't be worth a damn if the anchor doesn't dig in and hold. Most any anchor will work some times and some won't work most of the time. It's a crap shoot but the more positive varribles you can line up on your side the better you will be. I firmly believe in this new generation of anchors, an oversized anchor, a good set and luck.

 

[Steve Bedford]

" It could also be said the finest set won't be worth a damn if the anchor doesn't dig in and hold. Most any anchor will work some times and some won't work most of the time. It's a crap shoot but the more positive varribles you can line up on your side the better you will be. I firmly believe in this new generation of anchors, an oversized anchor, a good set and luck."

I agree with much of what you state. However not the statement that "the finest set won't be worth a damn if the anchor doesn't dig in and hold." I would say the set was not the finest if the anchor doesn't dig in and hold. I promote the qualities of our anchor but there are many great anchors out there that are both from the older generation and the newer generation. There are documented reports from satisfied users on just about any anchor on the market. Those endorsements are the result of successful use.

Most anchors work better in certain bottom substrates than other seabeds. As a result, it may take a slightly different setting process to get an excellent hold in different seabeds. One has to know the strengths of his/her anchor and ground tackle as well as its challenges.

I believe that excellent execution is more important than luck. Luck comes into play when factors beyond one's control appear to not negatively impact what is within one's control. The more one can minimize the potential impact of factors out of your control by better controlling or managing those under one's control, the better. Using a quality properly sized anchor with appropriate ground tackle components, set correctly in the seabed, with appropriate scope for the weather and tidal conditions is the skill we all strive for.

Steve

 

[rwidman]

Anchoring a boat is a skill that takes learning. It's not just "throwing out the anchor" as I see so many do on smaller boats.

I won't try to describe how to anchor here, the information is available in books and on the Internet.

You are much more likely to wake up in the same place as when you went to sleep if you study and learn how to anchor a boat, regardless of the anchor used.

 

[Steve Bedford]

"You are much more likely to wake up in the same place as when you went to sleep if you study and learn how to anchor a boat, regardless of the anchor used."

Well said.

 

[Bigsfish]

Hi Steve

I can't disagree with what your wrote except for the luck part. One night anchored in the Bahamas a Bahamian sailing vessel in a 40 knot wind got too close and picked up nylon rode and drug me about 50 yards. My yelling stopped him but by the time I could start the engines and pick up the anchor I was aground. Luckily I was able to get off buy my white rode remained black from tar until I sold the boat. Yes luck did play a role, I reanchored and spent the rest of the night but didn't sleep very well.

 

[Bigsfish]

I should add that you can do everything right and still have a bad outcome. Buy good equipment, oversize your anchor and ground tackle, check it often and develope good anchoring techniques .... then pray for good luck.

 

[Steve Bedford]

I actually think we might saying the same thing about luck with your example. It appears that what happened to you was out of your control with the other boat but fortunately after all was said and done, you were lucky that nothing more was damaged or passengers injured.

I suspect your skill and abilities had a lot to do with counteracting that situation.

 

[Bigsfish]

Hi Steve

My skill and abilities would have killed me, but luck was smiling on me. LMAO. Somehow I have survived boating for 60 years with luck and the gods of boating smiling down on me. ��


Yes I believe we make our own luck most of the time but sometimes, just sometimes we need the fickle finger of luck to touch us.

 

[Nomad Willy]

You guys are ignoring the biggest variable in anchoring .. the bottom.

 

[High Wire]

We bought a 20 kg Vulcan this fall. Very limited experience so far but has immediately stuck like glue each time dropped. Hope this continues.