This pissed me off, some very good points, and in the “Yep, stupid” department…
Getting ready to get out of Dodge and I have to make some decisions about anchors. Seriously, it keeps me up at night.
Our main anchor is a 44# Mantus. It works despite being anchored in two Cat 5 hurricanes (Irma and Maria).
We also have a couple of Britany anchors (14kg & 20kg) that have been with us for years and were our main anchors for ages before we got the Mantus. We never dragged with either.
Another anchor, a cheap fisherman we used in a tandem deployment for storms. Later replaced with a stainless folding Northill used in the same manner. It held so well that it is out there somewhere. I really need to try and find it as it is an awesome anchor.
I do have a Danforth Hi-tensile that’s used for kedging and, as an anchor/chain/rode kit in a bag, I can dinghy over with it to help folks who need a hand.
Recently, I became the owner of a few Danforths. I’m considering keeping one because it has great holding power for its weight. Since it doesn’t take up much room, I can stow it in a cockpit locker.
With the exception of the Mantus, all of the above anchors are cheap, if not free. The Mantus is currently selling for $569 but we snagged ours on sale for about half that. It’s a good anchor but I doubt I’d pay full price for it.
Since I’ve had a lot of questions regarding the Rocna anchor, I’ll just say this…
It’s too fucking expensive.
Really. West has the 44# Rocna for $1,435.99. While it may be a good anchor, why would I even consider it when I’ve never dragged with a 44# Britany or my 45# Mantus? Sadly, for me at least, the Rocna’s price is more about fashion than function and I’ve yet to see a convincing reason to pay that kind of money for a hunk of iron.