Rocna feedback

Below is a collection of various pieces of feedback on the Rocna. It covers a wide variety of locations worldwide and exploits a huge collective body of experience.

General

"Cruise News" Island Cruising Association newsletter Nov 08 (New Zealand) [page 4]

“	...Anchoring was a problem last year. Our aging plow had seen better days and was starting to rust, a bit unsightly but not damaging. The fact that we dragged three times last year could however have been. We were just lucky. Now dragging your anchor doesn't just have a physical effect, it also has a psychological one. Every time you put it down you are thinking is it going to hold and every time the wind gets up in the middle of the night any chance of a good nights sleep goes out the window. We had talked to a number of cruisers last year about different anchors but we kept coming back to one in particular. Our friends aboard Spontaneous never dragged, even in the same areas we were anchoring in, they had a Rocna. We went and saw Rocna when we got back last year and it turns out the chap that designed it was a kiwi and a cruiser. The drag and set data they showed us was good and with the positive experience we already had we decided to buy one. Best anchoring decision, ever... our choice was a Rocna 33. This year we have anchored in mud, soft sand, hard packed sand, coral, shingle, and rock. We have been anchored in some extreme weather conditions too. We never moved. The anchor, once properly set, held tight in all conditions. Diving on the anchor, which in most instances we did, the anchor had set in less than it's length. We even tried setting it intentionally to windward and letting the boat fall off to lie to the wind (emulating a 180 deg wind shift), even in 30 knots with the boat moving at an alarming pace the anchor simply turned in its set position and dug in deeper. Lyn said the wheel nearly spun out of her hands the set was so sharp.	”
— John & Lyn Martin, Island Cruising Association (New Zealand)

Specific bottom types

Soft bottoms (mud)

Chesapeake, USA

“	My wife and I recently gave our new Rocna 30 its first test and I have to admit it passed admirably. It was the latter part of June and my wife and I had just slipped into a familiar anchorage on the East River of Mobjack Bay. The weather was hot and balmy and the water was glass like in appearance with a slight easterly breeze coming in off the bay. We had slipped past a couple of small thunderstorms earlier in the afternoon and we were looking forward to a quiet evening and another beautiful sunset. However, the gentle conditions did not last throughout the evening. Within an hour or so of dropping our new Rocna anchor for the first time, the rumble of distant thunder began to emanate from somewhere over the western shore. It wasn’t long after that, that thunderheads appeared in the sky to the west of our position. Within a couple of hours we found ourselves being bore down on by a severe Chesapeake Bay thunderstorm. As the approaching storm was bearing down on us, conditions went from calm and peaceful to a full fledged gale within ten to fifteen minutes. The winds changed direction abruptly as the wall cloud raced over our position and things really got wild. As the winds began to race through the rigging at 35 to 40 knots, our vessel immediately swung to port, healed over about 15 degrees and began to rapidly swing from port to starboard. The winds continued to build and to blow at what I estimated to be 45 to 50 knots and our 46 foot vessel was swinging like a kite on the end of a chain. At the end of each swing our vessel would shutter against the wind, heal over in the opposite direction and rapidly swing away downwind again. The rain was pouring by horizontally so hard we couldn't see anything out of the cockpit. The storm raged on for about an hour and all we could do was hang on, monitor our position on the hand-held GPS and hope for the best. It was, without a doubt, the worst storm we had ever been through on the bay. The Rocna, however, worked great throughout the storm and it never budged from its original set position. Later on the VHF we heard that the winds were measured at 60 knots at a nearby marina during the storm. In a couple of days when we pulled anchor, there was two to three inches of mud and a handfull of oysters on top of the roll-bar. Evidently the anchor had performed true to its billing at the website. It had completely buried itself in the soft bottom mud and hung there tightly throughout the storm. Thanks again for your advice and support.	”
— Dan & Debbie Skidmore, SV "About Time" (USA)

Nanaimo Harbor, Vancouver Island, Canada

“	This gave us a better understanding of the holding power of the Rocna. We had previously used our anchor half a dozen times and found it set quickly and seemed to hold fine. We had previously anchored in the mud bottom of Montague Harbor in about 35 knots of wind, and found it took a bit of effort to get the anchor back. Later we happened to be anchored in the rather open roadstead of Nanaimo Harbor during a SE blow. The anchorage S of Newcastle Island was rather crowded, so I pushed to S boundary where a cable marks the S edge of the regulated anchorage to leave room for the float planes to operate. That night I napped in the watch berth and saw 55 knots on the Airmar coming from the SE with about 3 miles of fetch. We had numerous boats anchored astern and I was concerned about dragging. Due to the lack of room, I only had about 200 feet of scope out in 45 feet of water at low tide. The swells built to 3 or 4 feet and lots of trees and lumber were coming down on us from the flats at the south end of the bay. Several times I started the engine and motored to the side while anchored to avoid an oncoming tree! We noticed that several boats had blown up on the beach during the night. Later the next morning the wind had died down some and we decided to move into the marina. I motored up into the wind and retrieved rode while Dona directed me from the bow. With the still gusty conditions, I could get all but 70 ft back, so I tied the rode off to the Samson post and powered ahead to unset the anchor. After many unsuccessful tries, I decided I must have hooked the cable to Protection Island. By this time the wind had backed to the West and was increasing again, so I kept the rode short in hopes that the new wind direction with gusts to 40 knots would free my anchor. No such luck. I located a diver who lived aboard in the anchorage and he arrived as soon as the wind died down a bit. He suited up and went down the rode leaving us with instructions to keep letting out scope after 30 seconds to give him slack to unhook the anchor from the cable. After a while he resurfaced and asked what the heck kind of an anchor that was. All he could see was part of the shank, but he dug down in the mud to the fluke without finding the cable. He then walked around the bottom to see if he could find the cable. It was about 5 feet South of my anchor. He told me to just keep pulling harder. With knowledge that we wouldn’t damage the cable and a lot of powering over the top of the anchor, we were able to unset it. Since I set the anchor to the south and backed down on it to the north, and since the greater part of the storm was from the South, this tells me that the Rocna dug in and stayed put... even with short scope and swells.	”
— Rob Bonner, MV "Maritime" (Canada)

Pacific Islands

“	I bought mine especially because of Fiji. I could not get my Deltas to hook up in the mud you are going to find there. Dragged twice and almost lost the boat, both times in Fiji. Before I went back last year I decided to get a real anchor. Here's the deal on the Rocna... It hooks up every time, resets quickly, and makes me sleep soundly at night. I experimented in setting the anchor all of last year. I'd dump all the chain over it, run forward and drop the hook, even run sideways... it hooked every time and I did no have a single occurrence where I had to reset and drop it again. This is in mud, sand, gravel and the icky stuff in Sola Vanuatu where everybody dragged except me. Really amazing stuff. Still have one Delta but I doubt I'll ever drop it again.	”
— Robert Jackson, SV "Holokai" (USA)

Moderate bottoms (sand / firm mud)

"Thoughts at Anchor", TheMainSail.com (Galaxhidi, Gulf of Corinth, Mediterranean)

“	...The forecast is not good: force 6-7 for the next two days at least. We head back, just in time to see the wind go from southerly force 1 to northwesterly force 6 within two minutes... As the gusts increase we decide to put out our kedge at 45 degrees to the bower to make life more comfortable. By 1800 gusts are to more than 40 knots, several boats have dragged but we feel quite secure. We spend the time comparing the motions of a long-keeled Dutch boat, perhaps sheering 45 degrees, with a Bavaria 42 that must be making 180 degrees. He has dragged several times... With our two anchors (chain plus snubber to the Rocna and Anchorplait to the Fortress) we are doing about the same as the long-keeler, as is another British boat also on two anchors... The Rocna is a revelation. It has been buried throughout the three days but now the floating line and buoy attached to its head only protrude about 8 inches from the bottom. The line is 3 feet long! By 1700 it is again gusting to 40 knots and a French boat astern has dragged four times since 1200, first on a Claw and then on a Brittany...	”
— Vyv Cox, TheMainSail.com

West Marine Cruising Associate Marc LeBlanc (US East Coast and Bahamas)

“	My name is Marc LeBlanc and I am a West Marine associate in Annapolis, MD. ...I had just purchased a Rocna and would be happy to provide feedback on its performance during my annual cruise, down the US east coast, to the Bahamas. We anchor nearly every night during the winter in a variety of bottom types and conditions. From the soupy mud of the ICW creeks, to the hard coral sand of the Bahamas. My wife, Alison, and I could not have been happier with our choice of the Rocna. I have cruised for many years and have used most of the popular anchor types and none perform as well or as consistently as the Rocna. Alison actually requested the anchor as an anniversary gift this past fall, and has been bragging about it all winter! It was a windy winter in the Bahamas this year and we held firm wherever we put the anchor down. It always set quickly and never pulled out during the wind shifts that accompanied the numerous cold fronts. As a marine products retailer, I have seen lots of new products come and go, and I am not easily impressed with many of them. I will have no trouble selling your anchor, as it is a product I have faith in and can enthusiastically endorse. The Rocna is, quite simply, the best anchor I have ever used. Congratulations on a superior product.	”
— Marc LeBlanc, SV "Angel" (USA)

New Jersey USA

“	We planned to anchor at Atlantic Highlands near Sandy Hook, NJ, which is just south of NY harbor. We enjoyed a nice ride down the East River, past the Statue of Liberty and under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. When we arrived at the anchorage, it was filled with boats of all description, all waiting for the same weather window to travel south the next day in the Atlantic Ocean off the NJ coast. Not finding any room in this spot, we selected another anchorage close by called Horseshoe Cove. Through the afternoon we listened to the radio forecast, as the weather was deteriorating a bit and we could tell that we may be in for a thunderstorm or two. We let out more anchor chain for safety and made sure that everything was secured properly on the boat. The forecast called for rain beginning around 9:30 pm, but at 8:30 all hell broke loose! Within a matter of 30 seconds we were experiencing steady 40 knot winds with gusts over 60 knots (near 70 mph!), and blinding rain. The wind was pushing water into our cove and creating waves of 4-5 ft., and the sky was ablaze with huge streaks of lightning, creating a surreal visual spectacle. I immediately started the engine (to ensure that, if needed, it would be ready), and we donned our life jackets. We watched the radar closely, keeping an eye on our position at all times. In all my years of boating I have never seen anything quite like it. About three-quarters of an hour later the winds started to abate and the rain slackened enough for us to be able to see the bow from the pilothouse windows. The lightning continued to streak all around us until midnight as the storms moved away to the Northeast. During and after the storms we heard lots of chatter on the VHF radio about other boats dragging and bumping in various area anchorages. Throughout it all we never moved an inch, as the Rocna anchor did its job and held us securely. (When we first bought the boat, the very first item we invested in was a much larger, higher quality anchor (the Rocna). On this night, it paid for itself 100 times over.)	”
— "An Eventful Night", MV "Limerick" (USA)

Santa Barbara California USA

Bent Samson post

“	For years I used a 33 lb Bruce on my 31 foot sailboat. Late last year we changed to a 32 foot 15000 pound trawler. With my Bruce I had at times to set and re-set in order to get a good hold. As a result, I got into habit of powering back to set the anchor to have set quickly or not. The trawler came with the knock off version of the Bruce. I dumped the knock off plow as I did not care for its construction. I then bought a Rocna 33. Recently at an anchorage, I followed my old habit of power backing down. This time I did it with my new Rocna 33. The anchor set and held so quickly in a sandy clay bottom that it caught me off guard. Check out my (bow bitt) Samson Post. Additionally, due to deteriorating weather/sea conditions we veered as much 150 degrees all through the night. The anchor never lost its set. I always match my anchor alarm distance with the length of my all chain rode and the alarm never went off. I was not happy about my damaged Samson Post but I am genuinely impressed with your anchor.	”
— Robert, Santa Barbara (USA)

Hard bottoms (packed sand / clay)

Hobart Australia

“	The performance of the Rocna has been faultless and I am glad to pass on my experiences when asked... We have just completed our sail to Hobart as a participant in the inaugural CYCA Cruise and I am writing to tell you how happy I am with the performance of my new Rocna 15. First time wet was in the hard sand of East Boyd Bay. We had 30+ knots for a couple of hours and the anchor held firm while CQRs on a couple of neighbouring boats were giving all sorts of problems. Again in a bay on the west side of Maria Is we had well over 30 knots, this time with a steep chop and the anchor did fine. In addition to performance, the Rocna is so much easier to move around the boat than my old CQR, it is a joy.	”
— David Champtaloup, CYCA Cruising Division Commodore

Greece and Turkey

“	I thought I would just drop you a note to let you know I got the 33 kg through your Greek agent, CYS, who were extremely helpful. I spent three months last season around Greece and Turkey and am delighted to say it never dragged once, once it was set. That included a foul-up on a town quay in a heavy cross-wind where we ended up with the next door 60 footer and a third boat dragging onto us all being held by the one anchor! It has transformed our lives after the experiences of the Delta dragging all over the place previously. The seabeds were mostly hard packed sand/grit with one or two muddy bits.	”
— Bill Fraser, Mediterranean

Grass, weed, and kelp

Grass in the Bahamas

“	When we were in the Bahamas, I took a number of pictures of the anchor set... It didn't matter if it was grass, partial grass, or just sand. It always set. On top of that, you better not be going back too quickly when you are setting the anchor in reverse or you will get whiplash. It sets great and then you can run the reverse up to whatever you want, slowly, to finish the set. We typically go up to 2,000 rpm and then have our anchor wine. We watch people drag all the time right past our position and have to say, the Rocna decision was wonderful.	”
— Jim Faughn, SV "Freedom" (USA)

Thick grass

“	My new Rocna has been a flawless performer so far... My CQR could never penetrate eel grass and this thing just burrows into it like a hot knife through butter... Heck I even tested my Rocna on my very thick, dense, and healthy lawn with my car... It set and buried in 3.5 feet.	”
— Rodd Collins, Maine USA

Western Mediterranean weed/grass

“	We have had for a long time a 65 lb CQR and a 45 lb CQR on the bow, and a large Fortress on the stern. For five years in the UK, Atlantic Spain, Portugal, and Morocco this was great... Once we got to the weed and grass of southern France things looked very different. The CQR really struggled to bite in that grass and we were hoiking up lots of it in repetitive attempts to anchor. (Yes, we back down, yes we dive, and if we aren't comfortable, we pull it up and start again.) We tried with the 45 lb and the Fortress and neither of them were good either. So we took a deep breath and bought the 55 lb Rocna [25], which we've only used for about a month and so far strongest winds are 35 knots. However, we've been very pleased with it as it sets really well, including in thick weed, and stays there.	”
— Sarah & Pip, SV "Roaring Girl"

Heavy kelp and weed

“	The Rocna has worked well for us in thin sand over coral in the S Pacific, heavy weed in the Bahamas, alluvial rock fans in Alaska and Greenland, and heavy kelp in Greenland and Labrador. No weaknesses that we have seen... We were initially concerned with the roll bar possibly being prone to fouling, but this has not been a problem. The one feature we prefer on the Rocna to the other similar hooks is the very pointy end. This looks good for rock and getting through weed. We often anchor on 2-1 scope in tight locations with good results – but then we have a big (in scale) anchor.	”
— Steve Dashew, MV "Wind Horse" (USA)

Kelp in Chilean Patagonia

“	I am a retired Australian ship's master and have been sailing Westerly Serenade in southern Chile since February 2004. I have now logged in excess of 11,000 miles in these waters and have anchored in some 150 different Chilean anchorages. ...I had been experiencing difficulty with my old CQR in the anchorages in the Canales del Sur de Patagonia, spending some time and effort at the end of each day trying to get it to set in many of the anchorages which have varying bottoms but often involve a lot of kelp. Since fitting the Rocna on my 39 foot Westerly Sealord I have used it in over sixty anchorages between Puerto Montt and Puerto Williams/ Punta Arenas [Chile] and it has set hard first time on every occasion.	”
— Frank Holden, SV "Westerly Serenade"

Thick weed in Georgian Bay, Ontario

“	We purchased a 20 kg Rocna this season to replace our Delta and couldn't be happier. Our primary reason for purchasing was: Efficient one piece design with chisel point Shank shape and dimensions similar to Delta - primary reason over choosing the Manson version Reputation and knowledge of anchoring conditions Cost was competitive to other similar designs. The Rocna is our primary, but we still augment with our Delta, and genuine hi-tensile Danforth. We cruise Georgian Bay and the North channel and must often anchor in thick weeds or silty mud on top of solid rock. The Rocna has been great for penetrating thick weed/grass beds and staying dug in. I use almost no chain and do not rely on any catenary effect. In most situations I set the anchor at 7:1 and use a scope of 4 or 3:1 So far, we've only experienced 40 knots gale and 1 metre waves as our worst overnight conditions, but the Rocna has held fine (at 5:1 scope). I'm very impressed with it's veering capabilities which so far have proven to be about 160 degrees before it would reset itself. This compares favourably to our Delta which is about 120 degrees before it pops out and must reset.	”
— Kelvin Magoon & Heather Connell, Canada

Rock and coral

Rocky & mixed bottoms, Britain

“	I have also used a Rocna anchor throughout this year. At the end of last season I replaced the old 35 lb CQR anchor on my Seahawk with a 15 kg Rocna... I made the change as I was sick and tired of re-laying the old CQR which never wanted to attach itself to any type of seabed! The decision was accelerated following one particular incident whereby we were anchoring in a sandy bay off Anglesey, North Wales in an offshore breeze (F3) in good weather. It took 6 attempts to lay the CQR as it just would not dig in, and we slowly slid backwards out of the bay 5 times! During the 5th attempt, I somehow managed to badly twist my ankle going forward but still managed to get the anchor over the side, only to see the boat sliding backwards again! The sixth attempt was semi-successful but only because the wind died to nothing, and I let out loads of chain which probably held the boat rather than the anchor digging in! The difference this year has been quite amazing. I have set the Rocna in sand, mud, weedy bottoms, and rocky bottoms and have never had to re-lay the anchor as it has set first time, every time, all year. Its first test was a little nail-biting though, following a passage from Holyhead to Port Dinllaen (about 25 miles) in a F4/5 'thrash to windward' in a lumpy sea. Upon arrival, the engine failed to start due to an air bubble which had found its way into the fuel line, so after a quick dash for the spanners and bleed-through of the fuel system which failed to remove the air, we decided to anchor under sail. We tacked our way into the bay, rolled away the genoa and continued with full main in the now dying breeze as we moved closer to the shore. We dropped the Rocna in 4 meters and let the wind slowly blow us backwards while I paid-out the chain then cleated it off, and held our breath, as a couple of hundred meters astern was a rocky peninsular waiting to catch us! However, no need to worry at all as the chain tensioned, the bow of the boat gave a little dip downwards and we were set fast. After taking a transit, we didn't move an inch all night and confidence in the anchor suddenly grew. Our next stop was in a bay with a weedy bottom, where we had previously dragged the CQR but again, in first time and set fast. As the week progressed, we started to become relaxed about the anchor and were throwing it in at varying depths and seabed types without a hitch, and so it continued all season. ...Most of my sailing has been weekends but the results to date for the Rocna have been excellent and well worth the investment for a great piece of safety equipment.	”
— Mark Pearson, United Kingdom

Comparisons to other anchor types

Old generation types

CQR, Delta, Bruce, Danforth

“	I now have at last found a decent anchor. It is a 25 kg Rocna and is so much better than anything else I have ever used. I have tried the CQR, Delta, Bruce and Danforth, none are much good! The Rocna sets immediately and, with its large fluke area and shape, holds in all conditions.	”
— Alasdair Musselwhite @ Ebbtide Owners Group, SV "Kamita"

Delta, Danforth, Bruce

“	I used this anchor extensively this past season and have come to the conclusion that it's absolutely the best anchor on the market. I've used Deltas, Danforth, Bruce, and other types but the holding power of the Rocna far surpasses these for all bottom conditions. I tested the anchor laying properties by laying the chain over the anchor (not allowing the boat to drift back, just dumping it all in a heap), over running the anchor, swinging side to side while laying, etc. I used the anchor in sand, mud, coral, and shale. It never dragged and never failed to set in a single instance. Everything I could think of to make the anchor fail, either in laying or holding, resulted in the anchor performing perfectly each time. It's a terrific anchor and you should feel very proud of its design.	”
— Spike Jackson, S/V Holokai

Delta, Claw (Bruce copy), Fortress

“	We're on the Rocna right now, in Price Creek SC. When we dropped the hook the wind was howling at about 25-30 kt, the current rips through here at about 2 kts. The Rocna sets quickly, and securely. Best $1400 of insurance I ever bought! Maerin was equipped with a Delta Quickset 45 as primary, and a Claw 33 kg when we purchased her, along with a Fortress FX-37... The Delta's name belies its capability, although it may set quick, it's very easy to drag it around in a blow. My experience is that it's difficult to set, doesn't stay set. The Claw was worse yet. It's gone, now on some sailboat. I had a CQR on the Carver we owned prior, great in sand, in mud it was nearly useless, very difficult to get set, would easily break out with directional changes. The Rocna is a 40 kg... We've been cruising since Aug, and have used the Rocna extensively, we anchor more than we are dockside. It has performed superbly. We anchored in Brigantine off Absecon Inlet, NJ in a 35 kt blow, we never moved... I really love the Rocna, it's improved our rest on board, and had really improved our confidence in anchoring. I can recommend it without reservation!	”
— Steve Sipe, MV "Maerin" USA

Delta: US Southeast

“	I just switched from a 45 lb Delta anchor to a 55 lb Rocna [25] and want to report my observations. For the past 4-5 months I have been full time cruising on a sailing catamaran and have anchored at least 50 times. The Delta has a lot of holding power but it has one significant flaw – it does not set easily in soft silty bottoms. It can be made to set but it takes time and patience to slowly work it in. So I usually don't bother, figuring that it will set if it needs to in a blow. Well, this strategy didn't work so well in Oriental, NC where the anchorage off of Town Dock has about a foot of silt before you get into anything solid. I dropped the Delta and set it at low engine RPMs – about 1000, knowing that any more would drag it through the silt unless I waited. Later the wind came up and the Delta dragged, and it dragged again the next day. This was in 30 kts of wind and I had at least 7:1 scope out. So I decided to bite the bullet and I bought a 55 lb Rocna. I have deployed it about a dozen times since then and the difference is amazing. In exactly the same spot in Oriental where the Delta dragged, the Rocna grabbed instantly. I could back down with both engines running at 1500 rpm immediately after dropping it and the Rocna held. Now 1500 rpm will motor me forward in maybe 40 knots of wind, so I figure that's a pretty good set. Perhaps I should note that this is an Island Packet sailing catamaran with a huge amount of windage for its 35' length, maybe two or three times a similar monohull. And it is absolutely amazing how much of the bottom comes up with the Rocna, easily twice the volume of stuff as the Delta set similarly. The Rocna's flukes are entirely covered with stuff and even the circular bar is covered which seems to indicate it really buried itself. So, I am a very satisfied customer.	”
— David Marchand, USA

CQR: About.com » The New Rocna Anchor vs the Classic CQR

“	It’s probably time to get rid of your old CQR or plow anchor and upgrade to the new-generation Rocna anchor. Tests show it has better holding power in different bottom conditions, meaning you’ll be safer almost anywhere you anchor. And now that Rocna is distributed around the world and sold in big box marine stores in the US, this better anchor is actually even cheaper. ...The CQR was not perfect and sometimes pulled out (dragged) or refused to dig in (set). It might lie on its side and skip over the bottom instead of setting when the boat pulled back. If the direction of pull changed considerably, it might break free entirely at the worst moment... Then along came the Rocna anchor in the early 2000s, developed by respected New Zealand cruiser and boatbuilder Peter Smith... The Rocna combines features of the newer spade anchor (concave rather than convex fluke) with the roll-bar of a German design. The roll-bar and skids at the top corners of the fluke ensure the point is always ready to dig in after the anchor hits the bottom. There is no hinge or other moving parts to jam or foul. And if the boat swings and changes the angle of the anchor rode, the Rocna is continually self-resetting... If you already have your boat but need an anchor, the Rocna wins in almost every category... In 2006 West Marine tested the setting ability and holding power of the 14 most common types and makes of cruising anchors of comparable size. The Rocna anchor never failed to set; the CQR did, sometimes. Once set, the Rocna had the greatest holding power of all the anchors (measured in maximum lbs of pull before releasing); the CQR had a respectable middle range of holding power. In a serious storm, the CQR is more likely to drag. Given the expense of a new anchor, it’s really a question of your priorities. For those who must buy an anchor, the Rocna (and other newer designs like the Spade and Delta) have knocked the classic CQR out of the running...	”
— Tom Lochhaas, About.com: Sailing (USA)

CQR: Follow the Boat » Rocna Anchor Test On Oyster 435

“	...We are documenting our personal experience of a Rocna and comparing it with our old anchor, a CQR... An anchor, then, is all about holding power. We were down the coast when the 70+ knot winds whipped through Marmaris and we were seeing gusts of up to 60 knots in Fethiye... ...The recommendation is to drop back slowly rather than whacking the boat into astern at 2,000rpm. Do all this gently and there is no need to twang the boat around the anchorage, ripping the windlass out the bow as your crew run round sighting transits. I have to say I was amazed how quickly this thing bites. We took Craig’s advice and barely went beyond tick-over (enough to get some steerage in astern). With Liz at the helm, dropping the boat back into neutral I could see the chain had straightened very quickly and the boat was traveling forwards, indicating that the anchor had successfully bitten. “I love this anchor!”, Liz shouted across the deck... I should make it clear how much easier it is to set the Rocna compared to our previous CQR. The latter is not called a plough for nothing as it furrows some way before it bites. I check my anchor most times by diving down to it with snorkel and mask and the CQR was often preceded by a 10m gash of sand, which would explain why the boat continued to travel backwards after our required scope had been deployed. Not any more. That Rocna hits the seabed, sets immediately and the whole thing is over before the skipper can holler “get the beers”. Initially we are very impressed and encouraged by the Rocna. The fact we’ve been hanging off our Rocna for months on end is encouraging. The bay in which we currently reside sees afternoon gusts of around 15-20 knots and we no longer bother with the second anchor. We’re sitting pretty on 45m chain in 10m of water and that Rocna hasn’t budged... Very impressed. If there is one standard by which to measure a good anchor then it must surely be the question ‘can I sleep tonight as all hell breaks loose around me’? The Rocna, so far, has certainly ticked that box. ...It was only 18 months ago that I was caught up in a debate, describing how happy I was with my CQR. Someone responded “The CQR may work for you but don’t think anchor technology hasn’t moved on. These new generation anchors are designed differently for a reason: they work better”. As a liveaboard on a budget there are many things I can compromise on. I can live with our 20 year old sails whilst monitoring the wind on 15 year old instruments, but I couldn’t settle for anything other than the best anchor. We went out and bought the best we could afford and that meant moving from the 80 year old design of the CQR to a new generation Rocna. Somehow I don’t think we’ll be looking back.	”
— Jamie & Liz Cleere, Follow the Boat (Mediterranean)

CQR: US Southeast

“	...After a year, I still love my Rocna 15 kg anchor! My 35 lb CQR used to drag all over the place. I have used the Rocna with 100 feet of chain in dozens of places without dragging a single inch as far as my GPS could tell. Two nights ago I sat through a nasty thunderstorm with 55 knot gusts north of Savannah, Georgia USA. The winds reversed every few minutes for over an hour but the boat did not move. The only "issue" I had was the time it took to get the anchor unburied the next morning. I love it! It is nice to wake up in the same place I went to bed. I am living and traveling on my boat. I bought the anchor in Tampa Bay. The anchorages I have used go from soft, silty slime through hard sand, loose sand, hard shell, loose shell etc, but so far no rocks or coral. There have been reversing tidal currents of up to 4 knots for hours at a time with major thunderstorm winds and waves added. The anchor never moved. I would have been having nightmares with the old CQR.	”
— Russ Morgan, USA

New generation types

All new generation: Adrift at Sea » Ground Tackle

“	...There are really seven next generation anchors that I considered. The Bulwagga was out, due to its very odd three-fluke design and the fact that the pivot point for the anchor shaft is a weak point in my opinion. The XYZ was out due to the excessively large fluke that makes using it on a bow roller almost impossible... The Hydrobubble I dropped, mainly because I see it as a gimmick... The Spade I eliminated since it is a two-piece anchor... The Buegel has a flat fluke. It has less surface area than an equivalent weight Rocna or Manson Supreme. So the Buegel was out, leaving just the Manson Supreme and Rocna anchors. These are both rollbar-equipped, concave-blade anchors. They are fairly close in surface area, given the slight weight advantage to the Manson Supreme, the Rocna actually has a bit more surface area. The main thing that decided it for me was talking and e-mailing the users of both anchors. The Rocna users replied very openly and at least one had previously used the Manson Supreme, and switched. The other thing was the construction techniques used in building the Rocna, compared to the Manson Supreme... How well does the Rocna 15 work in the real world? It is an excellent anchor. It sets very quickly on the first try. The main difficulty with the anchor is the fact that whenever you weigh anchor, it comes up to the boat with 20-30 lbs. of mud and sand on it. That isn’t a big problem in my book, since it is clearly doing its job... One interesting thing I found after all the research I did was the testing that SAIL magazine went and did... The Rocna is clearly the best anchor of those tested, with a release point strain 30% higher than the second best anchor...	”
— Daniel Kim, Adrift at Sea (USA)

Manson Supreme: Klutch-Kargo.com "Projects"

“	I tried to get out on the cheap by buying a Manson Supreme anchor, as opposed to a Rocna, for my main anchor. Both anchors have very good ratings and basically look the same. Over the last few months I have not been able to get the Manson to really set well once. Not once! So after using only the Rocna during my month in the Bahamas on Vick's 55' cat, I sold my Manson and got the Rocna. I can't believe it! The anchors look the same, but the Rocna has set first time every time so far (just like on Vick's). I've even anchored in the same places that the Manson dragged. The Rocna bites instantly. There's no discernible boat movement as you pull the anchor into the bottom. In fact, don't back down too quickly or you might rip the front of the boat off! Diving on the anchor (not a pleasure in murky NC waters) has shown that it's completely buried with only the chain leading back to the boat. Who would have thought that two so very similar looking anchors would perform so very differently. Late addition: (Some person sent me a message on Fat Chances page saying that I must have used too little scope or not enough chain with the Manson because the anchor worked for them. (Before I go into my diatribe... even if I had anchored wrong with both anchors, the fact that the Rocna always stopped the boat as if the chain were wrapped around a tree and the Manson just slid along the bottom would be an even better recommendation for the Rocna! Now for the diatribe...) Please... I've been anchoring properly for over 25 years all up and down the Eastern seaboard and I always I use a minimum of 7:1 scope with at least 100' of chain and actually, usually over 7:1 scope 'cause I anchor in very shallow water and have the room to put out all of my chain. And yes, I include my bow height above the water in the scope calculations. Furthermore, with the Manson and the Rocna, I anchored not only the same way, but the same places as well. As I said above, the Rocna grabbed like nothing I've ever seen before (it always tries to rip the bow of the boat off if you're backing too quickly) where the Manson dragged every time, bar none. If your results differ and you like the Manson I'm happy for you, just like I'm happy for all of the CQR lovers out there. Whatever works for you is what you should use. The bottom is different in different locations. I'm merely posting my results for the locations that I anchored in as honestly and concisely as possible. As per, I wouldn't buy a Manson to save my life and I ended up selling it for a few hundred dollar loss only months after I bought it).	”
— SV "Felix", Klutch-Kargo.com (USA)