Anchor issue

I know, another anchor thread! Well this one is not about what anchor is necessarily the best but what will fit best on our boat. We bought our boat last year and the anchor it came with is only a 12kg, 25lbs roughly, Bruce anchor. So number one I think it is too light for a 40.5 LOA boat and it also, due to the configuration of the anchor, hits the underside of the bow pulpit when lifted to its full extent. Leaving it down a little stops it from hitting but then it just flops around in sloppy conditions and is likely to do more damage. So the question is, what type of anchor may have the deepest throat (don't go there) that would allow full retrieval and not hit the underside of the bow pulpit. I'm thinking in the 15 to 20kg range as we are inland lakes and rivers mostly, 10 to 20 ft depth and generally very well protected, using 50ft. 5/16 chain and 200 ft 5/8 rode.

Hi Allan,

I currently have that same boat for sale up here in the PNW, It came with a 33lb Bruce that seemed to fit better than what you have, but I put a Manson Boss 35lb and 45lb anchor on that pulpit and both fit well.

I'm sure a Rocna Vulcan or the Mantus M2 would fit as well.

The Manson Boss or the Rocna Vulcan are made exactly for your situation. I have used the Boss and it has very wide "wing" flukes. I like the Vulcan better. It looks like it will punch through deeper into the bottom, whereas the wing flukes on the Boss may impede that.



David

I modified ours (made our slot longer) with a saws all (our pulpit is cast aluminum) and a file so that we could put the bigger Mantus we wanted on our pulpit. I also moved the roller, too.

It's hard to say without a closer examination of your pulpit, but, modifications might be feasible.

That reminds me: I did have to take a file to the outside of the pulpit to get rid of about 0.5" to accommodate the 45lb Boss.

On our new boat I went with the Vulcan and was surprised when my wife arrived when she said the new 88lb Vulcan looked about the same size as the 45lb Boss. She was right. similar sized Fluke area, just more weight with the Vulcan, which might be good or bad depending on what you're anchoring in.

Thanks everyone, I really don’t want to start modifying the bow pulpit or rollers so I think I will have a look at the Rocna Vulcan as the profile looks a little more friendly towards my type of pulpit. Cheers

Check the Sarca Excel design, they have a website with measurements, and agents on Vancouver Isl. Could well fit there.

Here is the 45lb on there.

I think the Vulcan would fit no problem, the Boss is just a little bigger all around. The modification was about 90 seconds with a rasp... just so it didn't catch on the way down.

Thanks Bruce, I’ll have a look at the Sarca as well. 4mo, the Boss anchor has a lot less turn upwards than my Bruce for sure but I definitely don’t need 45lbs. Thanks again.

I wouldn't think the 45lb Boss is oversized at all for your boat.

rslifkin,
From my casual experience w the Boss “it’s bigger than it looks” in a photograph. I think this anchor has tremendous potential to have the greatest surface area per lb of perhaps any anchor. And I’ve heard from very experienced anchor people including anchor designers and manufacturers that fluke surface area is basically proportional to holding power. But like numerous other anchors there hasn’t been much testing of the Boss. But unless Manson dropped the ball on some important detail there is real potential w this anchor for those that lust for holding power. Comprehensive anchor testing has been behind a big tree for some time. But “Old Deckhand” in Sitka (member of TF) has been using a Boss for quite a few years and last I heard he was very happy w it.

BruceK said:

Check the Sarca Excel design, they have a website with measurements, and agents on Vancouver Isl. Could well fit there.

Click to expand...

Yup,
The Excel should “excel” here.

Bomba,
Have you thought of a good bungi pulling back on a chain link a few inches aft of the end of the anchors shank? With constant tension on the anchor it should not move underway .. depending on pulpit design. I use an aluminum quick link and short 3/16” nylon line about 2’ long. No knot to tie just hook it on.

A minor point to consider. Once you get the anchor planted, can you get it unplanted without a shovel?

Nomad Willy said:

Bomba,
Have you thought of a good bungi pulling back on a chain link a few inches aft of the end of the anchors shank? With constant tension on the anchor it should not move underway .. depending on pulpit design. I use an aluminum quick link and short 3/16” nylon line about 2’ long. No knot to tie just hook it on.

Click to expand...

Well the Sarca excel is hard to find in this neck of the woods and for what I do and where I go, 45lbs is overkill. NW, the bungee would hold it up where it normally wants to be with the points digging in to the underside of the pulpit. Need the flatter profile of the Rocna Vulcan or Manson Boss I think but in the 15kg territory. Good thoughts though.

We switched from a 20Kg Bruce to a No.5 Excel 22Kg anchor, you can see by the attached photos how the different anchors ride. The Excel anchor is available in Canada from Ground Tackle Marine send a email to Chris and see what the shipping charges would be. We love our Excel!...

Whoops here are the photos

Friends of ours have a very similar bow roller set up as yours, and they use a Vulcan. They love it and we love ours too. However, if I were you, for your size and boat profile, I would use at least a 20 kg, and better yet a 25 kg. (assuming it will fit)

LaBomba said:

Thanks Bruce, I’ll have a look at the Sarca as well. 4mo, the Boss anchor has a lot less turn upwards than my Bruce for sure but I definitely don’t need 45lbs. Thanks again.

Click to expand...

Allan, I have to agree with several others, who felt 45lbs (22kg), would be about right for your size vessel. In fact I used a 22kg S-Sarca on my CHB 34, and felt it was not overkill, and the peace of mind at night was good.

Ok guys, I asked for advise and I got the message. Just moved up from 15kg to 20 kg. I wish there was a shoe store for anchors where you could just go try a few on. Unfortunately here anything this size has to be ordered so I have to get this right. Gots some calls to make. Thank you all!

LaBomba said:

Ok guys, I asked for advise and I got the message. Just moved up from 15kg to 20 kg. I wish there was a shoe store for anchors where you could just go try a few on. Unfortunately here anything this size has to be ordered so I have to get this right. Gots some calls to make. Thank you all!

Click to expand...

Fogh marine had 20 kg vulcans in stock at the boat show in Toronto, go down Sunday, you might get a good deal if the don’t have to transport it back to their retail outlet.

James

LaBomba said:

Thanks Bruce, I’ll have a look at the Sarca as well. 4mo, the Boss anchor has a lot less turn upwards than my Bruce for sure but I definitely don’t need 45lbs. Thanks again.

Click to expand...

I know Eric and I, well some others too, bang on about Sarca, but reason I mentioned it was there is no upraised ironmongery to foul on the bowsprit. I`ve got a Super Sarca which does well, positives about the Excel come from others.

The Vulcan was designed for this type of pulpit where the Rocna roll bar doesn’t fit. Go to their website & print off the profile- glue to cardboard or plywood & u can see how it will fit

LaBomba said:

So number one I think it is too light for a 40.5 LOA boat and it also, due to the configuration of the anchor, hits the underside of the bow pulpit when lifted to its full extent. Leaving it down a little stops it from hitting but then it just flops around in sloppy conditions and is likely to do more damage. So the question is, what type of anchor may have the deepest throat (don't go there) that would allow full retrieval and not hit the underside of the bow pulpit.

Click to expand...

Our pulpit is similar to yours. The boat came with an undersized (useless) Delta, but the correct size would have fitted in ours just fine. (Happens the Delta just isn't always perfect for our Chesapeake mud; works better elsewhere.)

Instead, we mounted an adjustable SuperMAX. The "fluke" looks like the bucket on a backhoe, and the tips don't curl up as much as the Bruce in your pic. Just fits. There are two "discs" (?) of white stuff (HDPE, starboard, something like that) under our pulpit apparently installed there by the boat manufacturer to protect the underside of the pulpit fiberglass. Just happens the SuperMAX fluke ends snug up against those nicely.

Looks like a Spade would fit yours well.

Other options might include a Rocna Vulcan, Manson something, Mantus something, SARCA something, and Ultra.

-Chris

Well thanks to the Toronto Boat Show I now have a new Rocna Vulcan 20KG, 44LBS on order and saved about $80 off normal pricing after searching online. Should be here and ready to install as soon as all this white stuff up here melts. Thanks again everyone for your input, I think we got it right