Ask five experienced boaters what the best anchor is and you’re likely to get five different answers. Many carry two different types on board while some even carry three. The reality is, most older anchors aren’t reliable enough to depend on any one design for a variety of seabeds. Some work better in hard sandy bottoms while others work better in mud or weedy seabeds. But what if there were newer designs that were capable of quick and reliable sets in a variety of seabed conditions?
The Rocna with its distinctive Bügel style roll bar was designed by Peter Smith, a New Zealand boat builder and long distance offshore cruiser who wasn’t satisfied with the performance of any anchors on the market in 2000. Peter’s Rocna design incorporates several key elements to help ensure a reliable set and holding power in a variety of seabeds. The roll-bar helps position the anchor on the bottom at an ideal angle for penetration while setting skids on either side help guide the sharp chisel tip into the seabed for quick sets. Concave flukes typically provide great holding power but only if they can penetrate deep enough into the substrate. The Rocna balances the largest possible flukes with 33% of its total mass in the chisel tip, to help bury those large flukes. The combined result is a quick set and excellent holding power.
The roll bar however, prevents a Rocna from easily fitting under the bow of a boat equipped with a bow pulpit. Aware of this drawback Peter more recently developed the Vulcan anchor, with similar rollover capability and holding power of the Rocna, minus the roll bar.
The Vulcan uses unique geometry with a curved shank and a “roll-palm” to self-right on the seabed without the use of a roll-bar. This geometry also allows the Vulcan to self-launch from most bow rollers, so there’s no need to send someone forward to move it off the roller. It’s weighted tip is sharp, designed to penetrate the sea bed while a large concave fluke provides the holding power. In most cases with the correct technique, a Vulcan will be 90% set before it has moved more than its own length!
This segment was featured in an episode of PowerBoat Television.
Go to www.powerboatt... to watch full episodes online.
PBTV 2019 E04
16 апр 2023
