If You Could Choose Only One Anchor for Cruising Round the World

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by markpierce

Five anchors? Are you a collector?

No, I have two sailboats.

One came with a 22 lb. hi-tensile Danforth and a yachtsman's, and I bought a 33 lb. Bruce for it. The other came with a 45 lb. CQR and a 33 lb. CQR, and I recently acquired a 15 lb. Fortress that can work as primary on my 33 foot sloop or as lunch hook/stern anchor on my 41 foot pilothouse cutter.

It's not nearly as extreme as it sounds. I'm only currently carrying the small Danforth and the Fortress aboard the sloop, which is the only boat in the water.

[barnakiel]

Bruce. Because we used a Bruce (copy) on our RTW 2003-2008.

But I would take some of the newer designs along to try out - a Spade, Rocna or Mason. I like the idea of having a similarly sized anchor that delivers more holding power.

b.

[S/V Alchemy]

Did you find any situations in which the Bruce didn't serve, and what did you do then? Tandem anchor? Stern anchor?

[Butler]

Originally Posted by zeehag

havent found force to double up--- etc

That would mean you have not had the pleasure of anchoring at King Harbor.
I always like an anchor thread myself... and I agree w Zee that there is never a need to pay full monty for most anchors (or so many boaty things).

[ardoin]

Big original Bruce. Also have a big original CQR but have never had to use it cause the Bruce sets instantly and stays set. Danford as a spare in the locker.

[ardoin]

Big is usually better when it comes to anchors.

[Victory49]

I like my CQR. Never has slipped, but the first one I had (about 30 years old) held through a bad storm here and twisted a rip in one of the flukes. Got a free new one, even though the old one came with the boat. Lifetime means lifetime.
I'm sure some of the new anchors are great, but in my mind the CQR is a good solid choice as a primary, just go all chain and get one Size up from what you "need" Get a fortress as a seconday and a yachtsman for hurricanes and you'll be good for decades.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

Did you find any situations in which the Bruce didn't serve, and what did you do then? Tandem anchor? Stern anchor?

Bruce was a bad choice for thick/hard seaweed. We simply went to places where there was no such weed. (This happened twice: off Whangarei, NZ, and in Spaanse Water, NLA).

The other challenge for Bruce (I bet for any other anchor too) is when there is a reef shelf under (too) thin a coat of sand or mud / pebbles. Lacking the pointed tip, Bruce will not bite into the bed.

In normal bottoms: sand, mud, rock, our undersized Bruce (copy) held great.

We also had onboard:
a CQR copy (good copy, but crap anchor),
a Danforth copy (excellent),
a grapnel,
a rock pick.

As for anchoring techniques, we nearly always anchored with two hooks of the bow or bow-and-stern, depending on the location and weather.

b.