By: townjd

townjd — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:13:43 +0000

I can’t imagine that you would be disappointed with the Spade and look forward to an update.
I’m a member of Canberra Ocean Racing Club, which owns the Bavaria 44 ‘Namadgi’. This is a very busy boat, cruising most of the Australian east coast each year and visiting New Caledonia and Vanuatu every second southern winter. She is on her way back to Sydney after competing in the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race and cruising beautiful Tasmanian waters.
One of the smartest things we did was to throw away our unreliable plough anchor (a genuine CQR) and buy a Rocna, a New Zealand designed and made ’spade’ type. In the tests and other data we studied, the Rocna came out at least as good as the Spade. We opted for it as it was cheaper and speedy and certain delivery was assured.
It’s had a lot of use in the last year or so and has never let us down. It hardly touches the bottom when you can feel it bite. It digs straight in and is usually completely buried. It comes out easily with the chain up-and-down. Wonderfully reassuring. It fitted the anchor roller OK although because of the anchor’s roll bar, we had to move the original port and starboard bow lights which are now in a safer and more logical position.
Congratulations on a great website and best wishes for your cruising adventures.
David Townsend (Canberra, Australia)

Comments on: Trying out a Spade anchor

By: townjd