Athena 38 - Rocna 20 or 25

[Boatfreak]

Hi All

I need to buy a new anchor and have tentatively decided on a Rocna 20 or 25. Does anyone have any experience of these anchors on a Fountaine Pajot Athena 38. Do they fit? Unfortunately the boat is in Italy and I am in the UK so taking it back if it doesn't is not an option. There is the Rocna Vulcan without the roll bar but it's twice the price !

I am going to post this on the Multihull forum as well.

[rslifkin]

Rocna has pretty good dimensions as well as printable templates on their site. So some measuring and maybe some printing, cutting, and taping will give you a good idea of what will and won't fit.

[Olorin]

I have an Island Spirit 400, which is approximately the same size as your boat. I have a original style Rocna 33 kg with which we have been very happy.

Our anchor is stowed well back of the bows underneath the center walkway between the trampolines 3/4 of the way to the mast. I think we could fit almost any size Rocna under there.

Good luck.

[Boatfreak]

Rslifkin

Thanks for the reply but the problem is not knowing the dimensions of the anchor but those of the boat which is 2000 miles away. OK I can make a model from the dimensions on the website and try it when I next get to boat but then I will loose sailing time whilst waiting for it to arrive. Of the two hundred or so of these French cats built, not many are in the UK and I would have to track down a friendly owner in order to try it out.

[barnakiel]

38 has quite some superstructure.


I would go with the heavier anchor that your winch can comfortably manage.


Why do you need to order and wait? There is no local chandlery?



b.

[Boatfreak]

Olorin

Thanks for the reply. Interesting that you think almost any size Rocna would fit your boat. Your 33kg Rocna must be well oversized for your boat, are you happy with your choice or do you feel in hindsight that smaller would have been OK. I suppose unless it drags you will never know, and if it does you know it's too small.

On the Athena there is no central walkway or strut, i.e. it is a single trampoline. The anchor shank passes through a hole in the front end of the bridgedeck beneath the trampoline so the issues are

a) Is the shank short enough to fit between the hole in the bridgedeck and the windlass ?
b) Is the hole in the bridgedeck large enough to accomodate the shank ?
c) Does the angle of the flukes allow enough of the shank to enter the hole to ensure the anchor is stable in its final resting place ?
d) Does the roll bar interfere with any of the above or the trampoline ?

As is the way with these matters there are probably other issues I haven't thought of.

[Boatfreak]

Barnakiel

This is southern Italy ( Sicily to be precise) a simple letter can take six weeks to arrive. An Italian made propeller took four weeks, in Greece it was three days.The best way to get anything is to order from Northern Europe and ensure that it is sent via courier not the postal system. I bought solar panels and paid a substantial amount to guaratee delivery within 12 days. On day 12 they deigned to dispatch them !

[Olorin]

Hi,

Before buying the 33 I emailed the Rocna president in Vancouver. He said that for my boat, by displacement, Rocna recommended the 20 kg but because it was a Catamaran they bumped it up to a 25 kg. I went with the 33 kg version because the extra 6 kg or 13 lbs is negligible from a weight perspective for the boat but a 32% increase in weight of the anchor is substantial. We were planning to cross the Pacific Ocean, and did, and were carrying 180' of chain (~ 200 lbs) so again the additional weight on the rode was negligible.

Also, the windlass has no problem lifting the rode and anchor combined. I've done it manually as well but can't say that I enjoyed the experience.

They all fit. With the anchor suspended on rollers holding the shank and the way that the shank is canted down half way down the length, clearance is provided for the roll bar. I printed out the mock-up provided by Rocna and test fit it before I bought it.

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by Boatfreak

Barnakiel

This is southern Italy ( Sicily to be precise) a simple letter can take six weeks to arrive. An Italian made propeller took four weeks, in Greece it was three days.The best way to get anything is to order from Northern Europe and ensure that it is sent via courier not the postal system. I bought solar panels and paid a substantial amount to guaratee delivery within 12 days. On day 12 they deigned to dispatch them !

This is how I find it in most places. You often get people on the forums that sail in North America, so don't realise how difficult it can be to get certain materials, and even items delivered in other areas. Northern Europe, probably amongst the best postal services in the world, with items available next day if you want.
Spain is good. Italy is a joke.

Anyway, as to the anchor issue. I fit a Rocana 25kg on my Snowgoose 35. The boat is only 4,500kg, the anchor instills great confidence. Your athena is a little larger. If you spend most of your boating life at anchor, It's worth getting the 25kg or up, even if you have to modify the bowsprit.

[kas_1611]

I have a Vulcan 33kg hanging on the bow of our 40ft mono, which is oversized I know but "go big or go home" is my attitude to bow anchors. A friend fitted a 25kg to his 38ft mono and was very impressed. I know of people who swear by the rollbar Rocna so either of the styles is a great anchor to go for.

If it helps our 33kg Vulcan fits our bow roller better than the original 16kg Delta as the shank from shackle to blade is slightly shorter than the Delta. The lack of roll bar does make a wee bit of a difference to us but not much and if the 25kg rollbar Rocna had fit the bow roller (it's a longer shank than the Vulcan) I'd have gone with that.

[SV__Grace]

I prefer the point of view that your primary bower should also be your storm anchor, so for your boat seems like the 33 would be a better choice for almost all conditions.

If you can fit the roll bar Rocna, that would be best. The Vulcan is great for bowsprits that can't accommodate roll bars, but it is a very different anchor that behaves differently and is not as easy to set as the roll bar version.

I've had both on different boats and the original Rocna with the roll bar became my standard that I apply to all anchors for ease/reliability of setting, strong holding, etc.

Both Rocnas are scoop anchors though, and the latest tests from experts I trust show that they're prone to problems resetting when the scoop gets fouled with sticky mud or debris.

So applying my high standards to find the "perfect" anchor for my needs I finally found the Sarca Excel, made in Australia by Anchor Right and imported to US and Canada by Groundtackle.com. I ended up selling my Vulcan and finally have the ease/reliability of setting and resetting that the original Rocna spoiled me for.