many raceboats or performance boats. A
Fortress or Guardian anchor is a suitable and
sensible selection for such craft.
PLOW-TYPEANCHORS(CQR, DELTA) The
CQR in “CQR plow anchor” stands for
“secure”... clever. This first plow-type
anchor was invented by Sir Geoffrey Taylor
in 1933 and so predates the Danforth. Taylor
was a physicist who, among other things,
worked on the original nuclear bomb project
at Los Alamos. The plow-type anchor was
revolutionary in its day. The idea was that the
anchor’s plow shape would enable it to, well,
plow its way down into the sea bottom. The
original CQR plow has a hinged connection
from the shank to the plow’s flukes, and has
lead ballast at the plow’s tip to ensure it takes
the right angle and digs in. Simpson-Lawrenceoriginally offered the CQR, which was later
purchased by Lewmar. After the Danforth,
the CQR plow is currently probably the most
common “modern” anchor.
Most tests today indicate that the CQR is
only average in holding power, not as good as
more recent anchor designs. Modern variants
of the plow and spade hold more tenaciously
in many bottoms. Nevertheless, the CQR has
been a reliable performer for many decades
and does have the advantage of holding mod-
erately well in nearly every type of seabed.
This makes it an excellent all-around anchor.
Still, it would no longer be my first choice.
These days, I would more likely spec the
Delta or a spade type.
DELTA(FIXED-SHANK) PLOWANCHORS The
more modern version of the plow anchor is
the Delta anchor (and some other similar
plow anchors without a pivot on the shank).
The Delta has the additional advantage of
being balanced to self-launch from an
anchor roller. Deltas in most anchor tests
consistently rate with good to very good
holding power in most bottoms. Because of
its self-launching ability and its good holding
power, the Delta happens to be one of my
personal picks for a cruising-boat anchor.
I’ve specced it for most of my cruising
designs and have yet to hear of a dragging
problem or to experience one myself. Of
course—as we’ll see—I usually spec rather
heavy anchors, which is one of the keys to
good holding power.
CLAWANCHORS(BRUCE, CLAW) Originally
developed for use on fishing vessels, the
Bruce anchor is the original claw-type an-
chor. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, the
Bruce (Figure 22-16) became popular—in
huge sizes—for anchoring heavy equipment
in the offshore oil industry, including entire
oil rigs, particularly in the North Sea where
Shell UK made extensive use of it.
The Bruce or claw anchor was a new
concept for yachts and boats in the 1980s, but
with its track record of commercial use in the
North Sea, it was soon widely accepted.
Many tests indicate that the Bruce is one of
the best anchor types for setting and setting
quickly. In fact, on some rocky bottoms, it
has been the only pattern of anchor to set
nearly 100 percent of the time, according to
various trials. Though the Bruce or clawPART SEVEN: ANCHORING SYSTEMS
Figure 22-12.
Fortress anchor