You will no longer be able to say “of all the anchors, I got the one that doesn’t hold” after reading this test on anchor holding on sandy bottom. Thanks to an investigation by the French Voile Magazine that compared sixteen anchors, the grip on sandy bottoms of all the major models on the market is finally revealed.
Anchors, here are the best 8
1. LEWMAR DTX
It is produced only in precious 316 stainless steel, which justifies the price. But it is also the test winner with nearly 2,000 kg of traction before it starts plowing on the bottom.
- WEIGHT (KG): 16
- RESIST. TRACTION (kg): 1,970
- TYPE: VOMERE
- PRICE: €1,170
2. SPADE
It gathers 50 percent of its weight on the toe, which allows it to burrow into the ground with great speed and effectiveness. It is produced in galvanized (price listed), aluminum and stainless steel.
- WEIGHT (KG): 15
- RESIST. TRACTION (kg):1860 TYPE: VOMERE
- PRICE EURO 560
3. ROCNA
The New Zealand manufacturer took inspiration from a mix of the Delta and the Spade by making an anchor that has consistent tensile strength behavior. The semicircular ring ensures that tipping is impossible.
- WEIGHT (KG): 15
- RESIST. TRACTION (kg): 1730
- TYPE: VOMERE
- PRICE: 470 EUROS
4. FOB ROCK
Good performance relative to price for this FOB anchor, which has the special feature of having two side fins that increase the ability to immobilize on the bottom in the right position.
- WEIGHT (KG): 16
- RESIST. TRACTION (kg): 1,595
- TYPE: VOMERE
- PRICE: EURO 320
5. FORTRESS
The queen of detachable anchors for a its as a respect anchor or second anchor. Just have the foresight to lower it slowly, then when it catches it is formidable: Guaranteed for life with a handy bag.
- WEIGHT (KG): 7.1
- RESIST. TRACTION (kg): 1,545
- TYPE: 2ND ANCHOR
- PRICE: 610 EUROS
6. ROCNA VULCAN
Designed to fit the snouts of all boats by climbing into the right position. With most of the weight in the right position on the ground it exposes a large surface area.
- WEIGHT (KG): 15
- RESIST. TRACTION (kg)1,440
- TYPE: VOMERE
- PRICE: 700 EUROS
7. LEWMAR DELTA
The best-selling anchor for decades holds up well even when compared with new generation anchors such as Rocna. Its endurance before it plows corresponds to 50-knot winds with a 12-meter!
- WEIGHT (KG): 15
- RESIST. TRACTION (kg): 1,360
- TYPE: VOMERE
- PRICE: 280 EUROS
8. DC ANCHOR
Developed and made by Plastimo, it resembles the famous Delta. It has a (diAmante’s) ballasted bottom that lowers the center of gravity. It sinks well and quickly.
- WEIGHT (KG): 16
- RESIST. TRACTION (kg): 1,275
- TYPE: VOMERE
- PRICE: 200 EUROS
Boat anchors: debunking false myths
The results are surprising. The first myth that is debunked by the test is that weight is not critical in ensuring anchor holding. Modern plowshare anchors (the best known is the Delta) provide grip on the bottom by virtue of the design and geometry of the plowshare and the weight, which is concentrated mainly on the tip. In practice, the weight is no longer distributed over the entire surface of the anchor as on traditional, so-called flat anchors (the best known is the Danforth). Another finding from the test is that of the effectiveness of the respect anchors, normally used as the second anchor to be combined with the primary anchor in a strong wind anchorage. The legendary Fortress, despite weighing 7.1 kg instead of the 15/16 kg of the primary anchors, placed sixth in the ranking with a tensile strength of more than 1,500 kg.
Anchors: but so what are the best ones?
The 16 kg Lewmar DTX took the top step of the podium with a tensile strength before breaking away from the sandy bottom of 1,970 kg. It is equivalent for a 12-meter boat to drop anchor and then to roam freely around a bay in winds greater than 50 knots. Who would dare to anchor today in a wind of this intensity? To understand what the tensile strength is in relation to the size of the boat, we developed a table below. Take a good look at it, comparing it with the anchor holding ranking. You will realize that the anchors at the top of the rankings are all very high-efficiency anchors that provide safe anchorages.
Returning to the rankings, the winner Lewmar DTX is also clearly the most expensive. There is a justification, it is the only anchor among those analyzed that is produced only with the expensive 316 stainless steel. Very beautiful to look at, polished like a mirror but precisely expensive. All other anchors analyzed are made of galvanized iron (except for some 2nd anchors), which costs much less, is equally durable, but lacks the refined aesthetics of a stainless model. In second place was the 15 kg Spade with 1,860 kg of tensile strength and an approximate cost of 560 euros. Third is New Zealand’s Rocna, with 1,730 kg of strength and a cost of 470 euros.
Anchors, the success of the plowshare
Since Lewmar launched the Delta anchor in the early 1990s, the world of anchors changed. The revolution was an anchor that consisted of a single piece with no moving parts, which when pulled up would go to position itself, automatically, in the right direction on the bow nose. But then, most importantly, it had an exceptional tightness and would go into the sandy and seagrass bottom always in the right position so that it would sink deep into the ground. Since then all manufacturers have taken inspiration from this revolution, retiring flat anchors.
