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Author Topic:   CQR anchors...worth the price?

Buckda posted 08-21-2002 07:24 PM ET (US)
Looking for anchors for my new boat. I know it's overkill, but looking at a CQR (hey, you never know what kind of storm will blow in!)...anyway, even if I had a much larger boat, do these things really work as advertised? Anybody used them? Testimonials?
Jay A posted 08-21-2002 10:36 PM ET (US)
You got that right...overkill! If your boat is over 32',maybe it's the right anchor for you. A Danforth style anchor with similar holding power will cost you about half of what a CQR will cost. Since 1970 I've had many types of anchors and found that a traditional Danforth style anchor works just fine. In my 13'Whaler I have had as many as 5 vessels "rafted" to my boat and all we had was my 4 lb anchor! In my 21' Seapro (2972lbs) I have a 9 lb Danforth and as a back-up a 6 lb Hooker Quick set anchor. Here in New England we have all types of bottom,sand,mud and rocky and both anchors have worked superbly. Good safety tip: Always carry at least two anchors!
whalerron posted 08-21-2002 11:09 PM ET (US)
If you are in conditions that require the CQR, you shouldn't be anchored. You should have the boat on dry land or you should be moving. A power boat is much more stable when underway. Anchoring in a bad storm can be bad news for the boat.
jimh posted 08-22-2002 01:17 AM ET (US)
A CQR Plow is a difficult anchor to handle unless you have a bow sprit option and plan to leave the anchor rigged on it.
Among power boats, the "lightweight" or Danforth style anchor is almost universal.
A real CQR anchor is rather expensive, too.
Monnas Rock posted 08-22-2002 11:54 AM ET (US)
I've had CQR anchors and they do everything they are supposed to and more. But... on a Whaler? Unless you have a 34' Defiance, using a CQR would be like putting air brakes and thrust reversers on your Volkswagon.
Go with a Danforth style anchor, preferably a Fortress or Guardian. They are very light weight and very strong. What will keep you in place, in a blow, is a section of 1/4" proof coil chain, equal to the length of your boat, attached between the anchor and rode.
dgp posted 08-22-2002 12:17 PM ET (US)
I have a 4 kg (8.8 lb.) Delta anchor from Simpson-Lawrence Engineering (now called Lewmar, www.lewmar.com ). It's very compact, stows well in the Montauk bow locker and works well in the muddy bottoms I have to contend with.
kingfish posted 08-22-2002 12:43 PM ET (US)
Generally concur about the Danforth-style anchor---A Fortress aluminum anchor (8# I think-comparible to a 14# Danforth)) came with my Outrage 22 when I bought it from it's original owner and I found it to work fine until I was in a situation where I wanted to anchor among some other boats in a river with a healthy current in a little over 20 feet of water. I had room to develop the rode I needed, but I needed the anchor to drop right where I was so I could back off downstream to an open spot and snub off the anchor line when I got to where I wanted to be. I *could not* get the aluminum anchor to drop straight down against the current, in fact could not even get it to set no matter what I did. It was apparently "sailing" in the current.
So I now have a 14# Danforth that has worked perfectly in all conditions, including strong current and I keep the Fortress to run out astern if I don't want to swing.
The Danforth works so well that I got it hung up on a wreck off of Tybee Island GA a couple of springs ago in about 50 feet of water. I was fishing in about a 4' or 5' swell and finally after trying unsuccessfully to motor off the set in all directions of the compass, I got right up on the bow and took a strain on the anchor line until I was directly over the anchor, then kept snubbing the line tighter and tighter as the bow dropped in the swell so I could use the Outrage's bouyancy to pull it free.
It eventually did pop free that way on a big wave, but bent the shaft of the anchor almost 45 degrees and left two permanent scarf grooves in my rubrail. I had a local sheet metal shop heat up the shaft and bend it back straight, and it is still working fine.
kingfish
Buckda posted 08-22-2002 03:01 PM ET (US)
Thanks for the responses...I just want to have the correct anchor - one that will hold under rough/emergency conditions should the need arise.

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Author	Topic: CQR anchors...worth the price?
Buckda	posted 08-21-2002 07:24 PM ET (US) Looking for anchors for my new boat. I know it's overkill, but looking at a CQR (hey, you never know what kind of storm will blow in!)...anyway, even if I had a much larger boat, do these things really work as advertised? Anybody used them? Testimonials?
Jay A	posted 08-21-2002 10:36 PM ET (US) You got that right...overkill! If your boat is over 32',maybe it's the right anchor for you. A Danforth style anchor with similar holding power will cost you about half of what a CQR will cost. Since 1970 I've had many types of anchors and found that a traditional Danforth style anchor works just fine. In my 13'Whaler I have had as many as 5 vessels "rafted" to my boat and all we had was my 4 lb anchor! In my 21' Seapro (2972lbs) I have a 9 lb Danforth and as a back-up a 6 lb Hooker Quick set anchor. Here in New England we have all types of bottom,sand,mud and rocky and both anchors have worked superbly. Good safety tip: Always carry at least two anchors!
whalerron	posted 08-21-2002 11:09 PM ET (US) If you are in conditions that require the CQR, you shouldn't be anchored. You should have the boat on dry land or you should be moving. A power boat is much more stable when underway. Anchoring in a bad storm can be bad news for the boat.
jimh	posted 08-22-2002 01:17 AM ET (US) A CQR Plow is a difficult anchor to handle unless you have a bow sprit option and plan to leave the anchor rigged on it. Among power boats, the "lightweight" or Danforth style anchor is almost universal. A real CQR anchor is rather expensive, too.
Monnas Rock	posted 08-22-2002 11:54 AM ET (US) I've had CQR anchors and they do everything they are supposed to and more. But... on a Whaler? Unless you have a 34' Defiance, using a CQR would be like putting air brakes and thrust reversers on your Volkswagon. Go with a Danforth style anchor, preferably a Fortress or Guardian. They are very light weight and very strong. What will keep you in place, in a blow, is a section of 1/4" proof coil chain, equal to the length of your boat, attached between the anchor and rode.
dgp	posted 08-22-2002 12:17 PM ET (US) I have a 4 kg (8.8 lb.) Delta anchor from Simpson-Lawrence Engineering (now called Lewmar, www.lewmar.com ). It's very compact, stows well in the Montauk bow locker and works well in the muddy bottoms I have to contend with.
kingfish	posted 08-22-2002 12:43 PM ET (US) Generally concur about the Danforth-style anchor---A Fortress aluminum anchor (8# I think-comparible to a 14# Danforth)) came with my Outrage 22 when I bought it from it's original owner and I found it to work fine until I was in a situation where I wanted to anchor among some other boats in a river with a healthy current in a little over 20 feet of water. I had room to develop the rode I needed, but I needed the anchor to drop right where I was so I could back off downstream to an open spot and snub off the anchor line when I got to where I wanted to be. I could not get the aluminum anchor to drop straight down against the current, in fact could not even get it to set no matter what I did. It was apparently "sailing" in the current. So I now have a 14# Danforth that has worked perfectly in all conditions, including strong current and I keep the Fortress to run out astern if I don't want to swing. The Danforth works so well that I got it hung up on a wreck off of Tybee Island GA a couple of springs ago in about 50 feet of water. I was fishing in about a 4' or 5' swell and finally after trying unsuccessfully to motor off the set in all directions of the compass, I got right up on the bow and took a strain on the anchor line until I was directly over the anchor, then kept snubbing the line tighter and tighter as the bow dropped in the swell so I could use the Outrage's bouyancy to pull it free. It eventually did pop free that way on a big wave, but bent the shaft of the anchor almost 45 degrees and left two permanent scarf grooves in my rubrail. I had a local sheet metal shop heat up the shaft and bend it back straight, and it is still working fine. kingfish
Buckda	posted 08-22-2002 03:01 PM ET (US) Thanks for the responses...I just want to have the correct anchor - one that will hold under rough/emergency conditions should the need arise.