Tomcat anchor

[Discovery]

Jay, Did you change the bow roller in order to use the Manson Boss 25#? I can't remember what you said about it? Is there a cheaper place than Defender for the Manson boss 25#?

The Boss 25# is a $10 more than the Supreme 35#. Which would you recommend?

Anyone else have experience with these anchors? Do they self launch, or even fit on the TomCat bow roller?

[Hunkydory]

Brent, I had to change the bow roller when I first switched to a Manson Supreme 15# anchor from the 22# claw type. The shank on the Manson Supreme 15# was much deeper than the claw. When I ordered the Manson Boss 25 I was not certain, that it would fit my then new bow roller, which fortunately it did & both the 15# Supreme & 25# Boss will self launch from it. This is the roller I purchased. http://www.sea-dog.com/groups/2190-medium-anchor-bow-roller I'm doubtful it would fit either the Supreme or Boss 35# anchors. If there is a cheaper place than Defender for the Boss 25# anchor I couldn't find it, so purchased it there.

For me it's pretty much a flip of the coin on a choice between the Manson Boss 25# & the Supreme 35#. Which ever might fit your present bow roller perhaps would be the best choice. I know Bob seems very pleased with the 10# Manson Boss on his 22CD, so it seems to me a 25# Boss should work well for you.

Jay

[thataway]

Brent--I would go with the 25# Boss. The area is comparable to the Manson Supreme in 35#. (We used a 25# Manson Supreme in AK on the 25 and never drug. But, the conditions you mention--kelp, sea grass, coral sand over hard pack are always difficult). In the Cal 46 we used a 60 lb CQR and only drug once--not counting trees, cables etc which we drug up from the bottom!.

I agree that it is always good to have several types of anchor. When I get back home, I'll go into the most recent Fortress tests--which of course favored the fortress, in the 45 degree mud position. The Boss also set to a degree in the mud--but it was not given enough time to get down and penetrate the underlying sea bed. I always had a Fisherman, as well as Danforth/(Fortress in today's world). The large cruising boats are going with huge anchors--50 footers with 120 lb Ronca or Manson's.

We are very happy with the Manson Boss during our trip at Powell--I went with the 10 #, to keep weight and cost to a minim. It has replaced the Delta 14#, which has drug at Powell--the Manson Boss did not drag--and set rapidly. Even the 10 lb is a huge anchor. It works on the standard 22 roller, and usually self launches and deploys.

[Discovery]

Thanks, Jay and Dr. Bob.

I think I'll order the 25# Manson Boss, then determine if I'll need to change the bow roller. I have 65' of 1/4" chain and 300' of 3 strand rode.

[Chester]

The existing bail on the bow roller is easily replaced with 1" X 1/8" aluminum flat bar. That is what I did when I needed one bigger than the one that came with the boat.
I have not used our 15# Manson Boss in anything over 15 knots so's all I can say is it sets quickly.

[cmetzenberg]

has anyone added backing plates to the roller, cleat and windless? The stock washers that they use look kind of weak to me.

[Sea Wolf]

[Sunbeam]

I have added backing plates to many things on my boat. That said, sometimes I don't think they are actually super necessary, when you think of the physics of certain items (windlass, for example, which doesn't really pull up), especially if you have epoxy annuli in place (I think that's the most important, on a cored boat, and have added them to just about every penetration on my boat).

That said, I have still added a number of backing plates (cleats, anchor roller). And I will put a small one on the windlass as well, "just because." In many cases I do think the function is very useful (cleats, for example, which take "snatching" loads in a bunch of directions). But also, there were places on my boat where the underside of the deck was not perfectly flat (say, where the 'midships cleats are, and there is lots of tabbing and etc. on the underside). In those places the washers were sort of cattywampus and putting uneven stresses on the fiberglass. Adding a fiberglass backing plate set in place in a bed of thickened epoxy allowed me to make them nice and flat, so the washers sit correctly and there is nothing trying to "dig in" to the under-deck at an angle. And of course they distribute loads as well. I like fiberglass-board backing plates as they are non-corroding, strong, and can easily be affixed to the underside of the deck with thickened epoxy (eliminating any hard spots that you could get with a rigid backing plate just pushed up against the deck).

I used mostly 1/4" fiberglass and thickened epoxy.

But I do think that even more important is the core protection -- both against moisture and crushing -- provided by epoxy annuli. That would always be my first step (often, but not always, concurrent with installing backing plates)

[Discovery]

I received the Manson Boss 25# anchor today. To work it required some modifications to the bow roller- removing the top roller. Also I had to modify the ladder on the trailer by putting in spacers and longer bolts, to move the ladder further away from the anchor. You can see the spacer in the top picture. While only 2.5 lb. heaver than the Bruce 10 kg. The Mansion Boss is much higher and wider.

[Hunkydory]

Brent, that anchor even looks big on a Tomcat. It's good to see you didn't have to replace the roller. I think we'er both going to be pleased with the Boss anchor & it's going to be interesting seeing how they compare on this coming summers trip to Alaska with the Bruce style 22 pounds, we both had before.

Jay

[GxK]

Bob and others--

In poking around this forum for advice on anchors, I see there is a definite preference for the Manson Supreme or Manson Boss.

To replace the Fortress on my TomCat, I've been looking at Rocna, specifically the 22-lb Rocna 10. West Marine currently prices the Rocna at less than the Manson:

—Manson Supreme Galvanized Anchor, 25lb., 25' to 35' Boat Length, $314.99
—Rocna 22lb. Galvanized Anchor, 23'--36' Boat Length, $254.99

The designer of the Rocna has written a critique of the Manson which he essentially describes as a rip-off: http://www.petersmith.net.nz/boat-anchors/manson-supreme-anchor.php

Any strong feelings about why I should switch my plans to Manson from Rocna?

--Georgs

[NewMoon]

Hi Georgs,

No personal experience with the Manson anchors, so I can't compare them. But 4 years ago I switched from a 7.5kg genuine Bruce to a 10kg Rocna, and I'm mighty pleased with its performance in SE Alaska, BC, and also Lake Powell, on our heavy 26' boat. Many hundreds of nights at anchor with the Bruce, in winds to 45 knots, and by now a couple hundred with the Rocna. The Rocna sets amazingly fast and easily, and holds like crazy, in the coves of the Inside Passage. I have a hard time imagining an anchor that would work any better, at least where I have been cruising.

Backup/anternate/stern anchors are the old Bruce, and a Fortress.

[Sunbeam]

I don't know what the current state of the Rocna anchor or the company is. I think some of us were turned off a few years ago for a couple of reasons. One is that one of the Rocna owners would come on many of the boating forums whenever Rocna was mentioned and do some very strong talking. Two is that after years of bashing the "ripoff" anchors for things like having (supposedly) inferior metal, it appeared to many to turn out that (some of?) the Rocnas made in China had a problem with the metal. At least this is my recollection. I could be wrong.

For me, even if it was the world's best anchor, I just couldn't buy a product that had the type of "marketing" I had waded through on many of my favorite boating (sailing) forums. Which is too bad because I think they have a great design, and I don't have any particular fondness for the rock slot on the Manson Supreme (which, ironically, I ended up buying due to the above situations).

Maybe that has all changed, I haven't been on that scene in awhile. And I think they've always had a good design.

[NewMoon]

They did have metallurgy problems with some anchors after they moved manufacturing to China. Resolved years ago, by the new owners, Canada Metal (Pacific) Ltd.

[GxK]