# Opinions on Rocna Anchors requested



## bkseawolf (Jul 19, 2010)

Hello all,
I am thinking of going to a new generation style anchor and was interested in the Ronca 20 for my Columbia 29.
If there is anyone out there that has used the Ronca? I would appreciate your feed back. 
It seems to get good results in the published testing that I have read.
My anchoring will be in all types of bottoms found in the Channel Islands of Southern California, and hopefully to other horizons in the future.
Thanks.
Bob
Columbia 29 "Volador"
Dana Point, Ca


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

bkseawolf said:


> Hello all,
> I am thinking of going to a new generation style anchor and was interested in the Ronca 20 for my Columbia 29.
> If there is anyone out there that has used the Ronca? I would appreciate your feed back.
> It seems to get good results in the published testing that I have read.
> ...


Rocna 20 ? For a 29'er ? You'll snap the bow off her, sink the poor little thing. You'll need to convert your f'ward cabin into an anchor locker. 

Seriously, do you mean Rocna Size 20 or Rocna 22lb ?

The Womboat is 34', 6.5t.....we have just bought a Rocna 15 and I'm worried that is overkill. The thing is flucking HUGE !!

I cannot believe that a Columbia 29 weighs more than what ? 4.5t ?

You want a Rocna 10 (22lb) not a twenty.

Smithy will undoubtedly chime in here at some stage. He'll confirm the size you need I'm sure but unless I'm talking through my backside (and I confess it has been known to happen) R20 is way to big.


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## Craig Smith (Jun 21, 2006)

We rate the Rocna 10 [kg] (22 lb) for a 30' yacht up to 5 tons. This is very conservative sizing already - consult the overview of sizing recommendations here: Rocna sizing recommendations (Rocna Knowledge Base)


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

bkseawolf said:


> If there is anyone out there that has used the Ronca? I would appreciate your feed back.


I have been using a Rocna 25 (55#) on my 22,000# HR40 for four years. A couple of years ago while choosing a second anchor I decided to get a second Rocna 25. I continue to be happy with that decision.

I have personal experience (on a variety of boats) with CQR, Danforth, Bruce, Fortress, Delta, Spade, and Rocna anchors predominantly along the US East Coast, the Bahamas, and the various Virgin Islands. I anchor in mud or sand and occasionally grass. In hundreds of anchoring evolutions I have only twice had an issue with the Rocna - once when the anchor landed on a trash bag in Baltimore Harbor and once when it took a while to settle and dig into heavy grass in the Abacos.

While I do not intend to disparage the older anchor designs as inadequate (they are .. well .. adequate) there is no question whatsoever in my mind that the newer anchors such as Rocna and Spade are absolutely head and shoulders above the older designs in setting and holding performance.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

I currently own all these anchors, they owe me nothing and are not for sale. I have owned a Delta and numerous Danforth's. I can choose ANY of those anchors to place on my bow as the primary and the one I choose is the Rocna..









Pretty simple, it performs significantly better for me in my cruising waters than every one of the pictured anchors, and the Delta. The only one it has not performed any better than for me is the Manson Supreme which has also performed extremely well. I do feel the Rocna is better built and a Rocna 15 is now less money at some retailers than the Manson Supreme.

Until a better mouse trap comes along the Rocna is the insurance policy I choose, and I have a pile of them to choose from..


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## bkseawolf (Jul 19, 2010)

Thanks to all who replied. It looks as Ronca gets pretty high marks, as I thought it would.
TDW,
You are correct. It was the Ronca 10 (22LB-10kg) that I was thinking of.
got the kilos and lbs mixed up.
Fair winds to all.
Bob


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

Maine Sail said:


> I currently own all these anchors, they owe me nothing and are not for sale.


I've seen a couple of pretty nice mailbox posts made from old CQRs ...


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

bkseawolf said:


> Thanks to all who replied. It looks as Ronca gets pretty high marks, as I thought it would.
> TDW,
> You are correct. It was the Ronca 10 (22LB-10kg) that I was thinking of.
> got the kilos and lbs mixed up.
> ...


Bob, I figured it was nowt but a slip of the finger.

Just to keep this thread alive for the time being and given that we have our new Rocna ready to ship this weekend I'm figuring that its also time to renew our rode.

Currently we carry 35m of 5/16" gal chain plus about 50m of line. This with a 27lb CQR that has only ever let us down in loose sand where it did not want to hold one little bit.

Based on the Rocna guides it seems that my best bet would be 6mm-1/4" High Tensile, and from reading elsewhere short link is better for the windlass. Again I guess I'd go 30-40m of chain and 50 odd metres of polyester line. The HT chain should make up for the extra weight of the anchor and should be plenty strong enough.

Make sense ?


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

Nylon, not polyester. You want some stretch.


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## josrulz (Oct 15, 2006)

We have a Rocna 15 for our 11,700# Sabre 34, and love it. I have personal experience with mostly CQRs and Danforths, and a little with Deltas. When we purchased our boat a year and a half ago, we needed a second anchor (the boat only had one, Fortress). So we made the Fortress our secondary and bought the Rocna for the bow. It's been fantastic so far, holding solid in some pretty strong blows, even with 180 degree windshifts. No anchor is perfect, but we're very happy with the Rocna and we sleep better at night. Just my two cents.

Oh, and I agree you don't need the Rocna 20. 
-J


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

mitiempo said:


> Nylon, not polyester. You want some stretch.


I was under the impression that nylon has too much stretch and that polyester was now the preferred choice. Not sure. Need to read up on this.


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## klem (Oct 16, 2009)

As posted above, no anchor is perfect but I strongly believe that the Rocna is the best currently on the market. I have a 15kg on a 30' 10,000lb boat and it has worked very well although I haven't used it in sustained winds over 45 knots. To me, the best feature is the setting and veering abilities of the anchor.


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## billsull (Jul 8, 2007)

> Oh, and I agree you don't need the Rocna 20.


I should have asked you folks before I went and strapped a Rocna 20 to my bow! At 30 ft. LOA, 6 tons Disp., I probably could have gone with the 15, but then I listened to the little voice in my head that said:

"If big is good, bigger must be better!"

At least I'm getting good exercise when I weigh anchor now...


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

I'm planning to relegate my 25lb CQR to backup and add a Rocna 15 on a 27' boat that weighs less than 7000 lbs. 

Bill - you should sleep well.


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## downeast450 (Jan 16, 2008)

I have a Rocna 15 that I have yet to take aboard. I plan to. I am wishing there was another place to launch and store it than the bow. I like the look of TD's bow (Islander-28) with no anchor roller there at all. I do feel swayed to give in for all the practical reasons but since we will be on the hard this season with TD, I am still considering options. 

Any suggestions? It won't take much at this point for me to decide on a bow roller. Wouldn't it be nice if there were a convenient way to store and launch from the stern, still using a roller at the bow for setting and hauling but not to store the "CLAW"? Having that beautifully engineered hook sticking out of the bow of my beautifully engineered boat is not the ideal. Is it a necessary trade off or just a convenient one?

Down


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

I'd install a bow roller suited for the Rocna. The only time I would ever set it from the cockpit is on a boat small enough for the weight to be an issue on the bow. 
Having a Rocna 15 on the bow says you are prepared.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

mitiempo said:


> I'm planning to relegate my 25lb CQR to backup and add a Rocna 15 on a 27' boat that weighs less than 7000 lbs.
> 
> Bill - you should sleep well.


Bill should sleep well, yes. He's going to need all his reserves of energy when it comes time to pull the thing up.

Yes I like to be safe and secure but there comes a point where overkill does come into it.

Of interest I do wonder why Rocna don't do anything between the 10 and the 15. My guess would be that for us a 27-28lber would have done the trick, smaller, lighter and easier to handle than our now new 33lber the sheer size of which does concern me somewhat. My logic there of course being that a Rocna 27lber should be an all round better anchor than a 27lb CQR.

I'm thinking actually that if the physical size of the R15 gets me down then we might just get an R10 for normal conditions with the R15 as a backup. Thats how we work now with the CQRs...we use the 27lber under normal circumstances but have a 33lber as a backup. Of course the obvious rejoinder to that is how on earth can you predict that you are going to be caught out ?


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## bkseawolf (Jul 19, 2010)

tdw,
You are probably arlready aware, but make sure shackles used will have the same working load as the chain. Sometimes on the smaller size HT chain the proper size shackle pin may not fit through the links. If this is the case I have heard of some vendors that will ship with one oversize link on both ends of the chain, so you can end for end in the future.
Fairwinds.
Bob


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## Craig Smith (Jun 21, 2006)

tdw said:


> I was under the impression that nylon has too much stretch and that polyester was now the preferred choice. Not sure. Need to read up on this.


Square or 8-plait polyester generally makes superior anchor rode in long lengths and particularly for larger/heavier boats, as nylon can provide you with more of a bungee than a shock absorber, and is more prone to self destruction in extreme conditions. 3-strand the worst. But it depends on the length and usage.
www.rocna.com/kb/Rope



billsull said:


> I should have asked you folks before I went and strapped a Rocna 20 to my bow! At 30 ft. LOA, 6 tons Disp., I probably could have gone with the 15, but then I listened to the little voice in my head that said:
> 
> "If big is good, bigger must be better!"


Big's always good but the key issue is that the anchor is not the only component of your anchoring system; if you double the size of your anchor at the same time as switching from a CQR, you now need something like four times the capacity in the rest of the tackle, and the windlass will struggle, in order to match. Retrieval of seriously over-sized anchors could become a real problem. But if it helps you sleep...

Bill would you donate that picture (and any others?) to an Allied Seawind 30 entry on the Rocna Knowledge Base bow compatibility section? E-mail me.


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

tdw
Yes a Rocna between the 10 and the 15 would make sense. I am replacing a 25lb CQR and certainly wouldn't go lighter. The 15 is probably just about max without a windlass but I will not have more that 35' or so of chain. If anchored in 20' the weight will be anchor plus 20' of chain so I think it is workable.

You can't always predict. I always use my heavy anchor for overnight stops. To quote Steve Dashew "when they laugh at the size of your anchor you're close to getting it right".


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

bkseawolf said:


> tdw,
> You are probably arlready aware, but make sure shackles used will have the same working load as the chain. Sometimes on the smaller size HT chain the proper size shackle pin may not fit through the links. If this is the case I have heard of some vendors that will ship with one oversize link on both ends of the chain, so you can end for end in the future.
> Fairwinds.
> Bob


Yeah well you live in the land of service. I live in Australia. I am constantly amazed by the service you guys get from vendors large and small.

Oversized links at each end ? Sheoot....I'm having trouble just finding somebody who will sell me 35m of the chain. The closest I have found thus far wants to sell me a minimum of 100m and I have to go and collect, they don't deliver, which means a two hour drive.  Even our two largest marine retailers (Whitworths and Bias) can't help cos they don't sell HT chain.


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## kwaltersmi (Aug 14, 2006)

mitiempo said:


> The 15 is probably just about max without a windlass but I will not have more that 35' or so of chain. If anchored in 20' the weight will be anchor plus 20' of chain so I think it is workable.


I concur. I've been using a 33lbs (15kg) Lewmar Claw all summer with 20' of chain and no windlass. I've reached the perfect medium between holding power and ability to get the honker back on deck for my 28 footer. My back and biceps are stronger this year than any other...thank you Lewmar!


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

I have to say that in the Rocna / Manson battle, I have yet to read a post here, or anywhere else, from Manson. That support will influence my future buying decision.

Craig, thank you for adding to the ongoing discussion, and your support through these forums.


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## Craig Smith (Jun 21, 2006)

billsull said:


> I should have asked you folks before I went and strapped a Rocna 20 to my bow! At 30 ft. LOA, 6 tons Disp., I probably could have gone with the 15, but then I listened to the little voice in my head that said:
> 
> "If big is good, bigger must be better!"
> 
> At least I'm getting good exercise when I weigh anchor now...


Thanks for the pics:
http://www.rocna.com/kb/Allied_Seawind_30


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## Sequitur (Feb 13, 2007)

*Even Boobies Love the Rocna*

Smart boaters aren't the only ones who love the Rocna; we've seen that boobies also love it. Here's a shot of three brown boobies riding on our Rocna 40 and a fourth booby attempting to land as we crossed the doldrums approaching The Galapagos in May.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Add me as another vote for the Rocna. I looked at a lot of anchors, and used quite a few as a member of the OPBYC, and decided on the Rocna 15 for my boat. While my boat is only 28' LOA and 4500 lbs or so, it does have considerably more windage than most monohulls, with a beam of 18'.

I have a Danforth as a kedge anchor, but the primary anchor is my Rocna 15 with 60'' of chain and 200' of 5/8" octo-plait nylon.
*
I'd also recommend that you use a crosby-type load-rated shackle and if you MUST use a swivel, that you put a short section of chain between the swivel and the anchor.* This is very important, since swivels generally fail at well below their rated breaking strength if they are loaded laterally.


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## Topsea (Aug 31, 2010)

The Rocna is the best anchor I've ever used by a country mile. The build quality is superior to other anchors, built to last.

I purchased one of the first built (even though I couldn't really afford it at the time) and have used it extensively to hold our 13 ton yacht in a huge variety of bottom types. It has never once dragged or let go.

Although it is more than eight years old, I have never had to re-galvanize it, even on the tip where the harsh Vanuatu coral had a go at the surface coating, there is no rust. Such is the quality of the steel used.

When I was employed by the New Zealand Navy as the Sailing Master we did some tests on the beach before purchasing the Rocna for the three 40ft yachts we used for sail/adventure training. We had a disbeliever in our team. He was driving the tow van giving the clutch a serious workout to try and disprove the Rocna. Eventually the 20mm tow line snapped, saving the van clutch from certain burn-out.

Some forum members have suggested the Rocna be discounted in price to compete with the Manson copy (that's what Manson do "copy"). I don't agree, you get what you pay for. The high tensile steel in the Rocna is superior and has proven to last as a serious anchor should. The difference in price from other inferior anchors will pay for itself over and over and is probably less than the annual cost of most insurance policies.

I couldn't afford offshore insurance but I found the best insurance for me was the one off cost of upgrading my whole anchor system complete with the Rocna. Be sure the gear you use to attach the Rocna to your boat is up to the task because once you have used the Rocna you''ll not want to loose it.

When it comes to anchoring I believe you should buy the best. Why would you want to stress unnecessarily when your out trying to relax at anchor. Plus a good anchor system gives you more options where you choose to anchor.

If you are serious about anchoring with piece of mind pay the extra few dollars for a Rocna, you'll save in the long run and what dollar figure do you put on enjoying your adventures as apposed to being stressed about if the anchor will hold.

Check out my You tube site if you like: YouTube - ToSeeTheSea's Channel


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## Boatsmith (May 3, 2009)

I also love my Rocna, best anchor I've ever used. Grabs quick, only drug once after holding 3 weeks in pure weed.


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