Rocna Vulcan 20kg/44lb. Anchor Test Video # 131

[@roberthorsford4266]

Steve, We’ve been anchored these last two nights in strong winds. 25kg Vulcan (60lbs?) on G70 8mm chain, 5x depth, 14ton monohull sailing yacht. Mud over rock seabed in Scotland. Very impressive performance indeed. Sustained wind speed > 35kts, gusting > 45kts. No dragging, not an inch. Impressed. Robert

[@rinodambrosio8896]

Hello I'm planning to renovate my anchoring set up. I would like to move from a 10mm G30 to a 8mm G70 and from a CQR 25kg to a Vulcan 30 kg. My question for you is: what swivel are you using to connect a 8mm G70 chain to a 25kg Vulacn? Thank you in advance for your kind reply.

[@sjurpehrson7362]

This video settled me on the Vulcan 15kg some months ago. Has'nt let me down yet. Thanks

[@sambodi5283]

I just brought a vulcan 20 based on your testing. Good to have unbiased review rather than listening to the manufacturer pat themselves on the back. By far the best anchorman out there.

[@tralaralaaaa1]

How's your experience been so far? What's the LOA / displacement of your boat?

[@taylorconditi5661]

Agreed

[@danchase3012]

nice video! we just got a 55lb Vulcan for our Shannon 43, 13 ton sailboat. We're using it as the primary anchor from the bowsprit along with a back-up danforth up there as well. Can't wait to test it out. We found the same issue with the anchor moving around too much hanging from the bow roller so we're welding a short steel tube through the shank so we can insert a quick-release 1/2" diameter pin through the tube and holes on the side of the stainless bow roller to keep it from shaking. Hopefully that'll work! thx

[@Marcelll88]

Thanks for testing and sharing all your knowledge!

[@inuendo0003]

Been looking at the moment for my 40 ft cat, I was going to get a rocna but opted for the vulcan as it can be used with boats where the ancor roller is positioned under the bow . The rocknas bar over the top does not fit under my bow. now after watching this i am definatly choosing iy . thank you for all the work you put in so we can sit here and make informed desissions . Cheers Kai

[@mikenagy938]

Steve you may have covered this in previous videos, but 5 to 1 scope isn't what i normally run. I usually go right out to 7 to 1, and if the wind is really strong 25+ knots i let out ten to one. Secondly, the weight of your chain is very important in keeping you in one place, I found three eights chain to be the best for my 32 foot Nicholson.

[@dude999642]

The comparative charts are the best part of your videos. Good work.

[@ryder6070]

you are simple

[@sailingsegundo4644]

Great job as usual Steve and you Have the volcan ranked in its proper place. I have bowsprit On my boat and add a hard rubber under the sprit and on the Side with a safety line attached It holds the volcan snug. But with any anchor I would remove it On any long ocean passage

[@fishhunt9874]

I had to add a rubber pad to where my Vulcan hits the upper arc of my anchor roller guide (if that makes sense). I also made a tension strap to secure the anchor chain tightly to a cleat. The anchor is very secure now and does not move even in rough conditions or trailering.

[@captainrehab2047]

It might be useful to show the 20kg vs 25kg test results to show how size & weight impact holding for one anchor type. I use a 25kg Vulcan on my 44 foot catamaran

[@dude999642]

Adding another "anchor" test video to your channel will increase the value of your channel by, say, maybe 3%, I'm guessing.....but adding another video that you do entitled "Everything I know about proper ANCHORING", would increase the value of your channel way more than that! You have the ability to make one of the most viewed "anchoring" (vs. "anchors") videos on all of youtube - because you are seen as the #1 expert on "anchors" themselves. See what I mean? I'd watch it!!!! A 55-minute video by you on "proper anchoring techniques", because of your ultra-thorough/in-depth/scientific approach, could be the gold-standard on "how to anchor" on KZbin. You deserve a million-hit video, and THAT could be it. No one is even CLOSE to you in "anchor" testing.

[@flygoodwin]

Dale, I am afraid that "proper anchoring technique" will be vastly different depending on the physical situation as well as the value systems of the persons involved. I could certainly make a video describing my preferences, but these will be vastly different than many other perfectly good techniques. Anchoring can be a very contentious subject with certain people becoming very defensive of their choices and beliefs. Therefore, I have chosen to remain as neutral as possible and just present data that I collect. I do appreciate the confidence you have in my testing. I will give your idea of a anchoring "how to" video some more thought. Perhaps a clear vision of what to present will appear to me, in the future. Steve

[@dude999642]

@@flygoodwin Good reply. You could have the tone of the video be "look, this is just what *I* do, you guys can do it anyway you want - just like with my anchor tests themselves I just present the data that I have, and I don't take sides on any anchor, or anchoring technique", etc. I'm 100% sure in 50 minutes of video you'd introduce 99% of the viewers to a technique or idea that they'd never thought of. You're awesome no matter what you decide.

[@joakimharlin9030]

I like this idea. Perhaps link it to some tips on different anchor types and sub-strata and setting characteristics.

[@ylemoine1]

Your, “gun to head” comment is not insignificant in a rough sea state. I’ve been aboard a boat in 40 knot winds and 3.4 meter seas and the anchor literally launched itself from the roller back onto the deck and right through it lodging itself firm. The line that secured it had chafed right through. This was a 20kg delta. The good news it that it landed securely and not continuing to flail holing the hull at the waterline. I would think that a double roller would control that with the Vulcan…thoughts? Love your reviews. I have a Rocna 25 and love it, despite your relatively low scores for the 20. I had a severely under weight delta previously provided as “adequate” from the dealer that couldn’t hold the boat in knots. Very happy with the Rocna.

[@flygoodwin]

Yves, I believe a double roller would help stabilize the Vulcan. Especially if the two rollers were mounted to a common "carriage" that is allowed to pivot, thus ensuring that both rollers remain in contact with the anchor. Also, a roller(s) that has grooves, can help.

[@lausagne4764]

I love you videos about the anchors, great stuff, thanks for your work!

[@Vanuska1980]

Best anchor I ever had. Has never let me down not even once.

[@frankdeprinse4520]

Steve There is nobody out there Who does What you do,superb job. If you dig in to your memory, did the 55 vulcan had the same behavoir as the 44. Difference max holding in soft mud? Lots of sticky mud in Holland. They both fit ,44 a bit better. Vulcans are also very smooth, no injuries when on the roller. I own a Kobra 2 (new test?)55 pound and is razor sharp. Contest 36s high freeboard and approx 22.000 pounds Safe seas... Frank

[@flygoodwin]

Frank, Unfortunately, my 55lb. Vulcan testing in the Soft Mud was brief and with a different protocol than the 44 pounder: 55lb. anchor was just a straight pull, no veer, no reset. 500lb. Holding. 3.5 to 1 scope. 45lb. Anchor was 5 to 1 scope. With 790lb hold measured AFTER the 180 veer (holding after the veer was always greater than pre-veer). Apples to Oranges.

[@chrism4158]

Thanks for all your helpful anchor work, Steve! And I just made a donation, too :) Ref the Vulcan: seems to me Peter Smith's video on the Rocna site suggests the shank buries itself just under the surface... and then the Vulcan drags along at that depth ever after. Apparently the tip is not ballasted, like a SPADE? If true, I'd have thought a ballasted tip would have been better, but Smith says he wanted to "avoid the blunt instrument of huge amounts of (dedicated) tip weight." Can't imagine why, unless there are fabrication issues... OTOH, if the fluke is a casting, I'd have guessed it'd be more work to create a hollow tip than it would have been to cast it solid. Also, I'd have thought a "droop snoot cutting toe" (Morgan Cloud's term for the Excel fluke tip) could have turned the Vulcan into more of a diving anchor. I guess I'm imagining a one-piece SPADE with fully encapsulated tip ballast and a diving tip... BTW, from comments I've read elsewhere, I', beginning to suspect your "soft mud" test area maybe isn't the same as the soup/slime/ooze we have in some places here on the Chesapeake Bay. Imagine being waist deep in mud, can't touch "bottom," and you have to "swim" to get out of it.

[@flygoodwin]

Chris, I consider a fluke to be "ballasted" anytime there is "extra" material present near the toe. The Vulcan certainly qualifies, even though the material is just extra cast steel (not lead - like a Spade). Semantics. No doubt that my "soft mud" is not as soft as some Chesapeake mud. My gut feeling is that the "droop snouts" affect the initial set but then have little influence in how far the anchor penetrates. I really appreciate your generous donation. Thank you very much.

[@highnotesailing5843]

I have a Vulcan 73 lb anchor on a Baltic 51. Very solid performance. It does like to swing in the roller and needs securing. It will self launch to an almost dangerous degree.

[@larsaslund3817]

Intresting, im about to replace may old CQR on my Baltic 43, i have been looking at Ultra Marine, the vulcan seems to be very good aswell

[@fishhunt9874]

I agree with you regarding the self launch ability of the Vulcan. I have a trailered boat and accidentally self launched my brand new never been in the water 9kg Vulcan onto my cement driveway 🥴

[@azbcrew]

Excellent reviews mate

[@MiQBohlin]

It is indeed impressive, the Vulcan!

[@briandbird6339]

Good stuff. One point. The price/weight comparison looks to be very dodgy, at least for some markets. In the UK an Epsilon (scored 2) is just a little over half the price of a Vulcan (scored at 4). You could almost buy three Delta anchors (5) for the price of one Vulcan (4) - See Jimmy Green Marine.

[@flygoodwin]

Note that the Epsilon that I tested is a Stainless Steel model, not the galvanized version that is indeed very inexpensive.

[@raireva4689]

Have 45lbs Vulcan. No complaints

[@arturoaortiz]

Excellent review. I love your thorough tests and the objectiveness of your statements. My sailboat is a Bavaria 320 from '92 (32 ft and 5 t) Which anchor would you recommend for that boat? I was thinking of a Rocna Vulcan 12 kg. Thanks for your help. And please do keep on sharing that fantastic info

[@gladysvazquez8693]

I have a similar boat, I went up to the 20kg just to be on the safe side

[@edward6027]

Hi Steve, Might you have added to your data the surface area of the blade? It appears (without measuring, just looking) that the anchors that hold heavier straight pulls are of possible lighter construction. Thus a larger blade area can be manufactured for the same mass. There seems to be a lot of comparison based on anchor mass, however I can not see any comparison on substrate displaced mass which I'd estimated be mostly proportional to surface area of blade. The Mantus seems to have awesome performance, but seems weak in construction compared to say the Vulcan. However the Mantus appears to have more surface area per kg. Is this true? It seems the more solidly constructed anchors have smaller surface areas. I do not have the range of anchors in front of me as you do and thus can not measure anything. The manufacturers do not appear to give this specification. As a separate question, could you please test a Manson Boss as it appears to be Mansons equivalent to the Vulcan?

[@flygoodwin]

While I agree that mass is not an accurate predictor of holding power, neither is fluke surface area. I believe "depth of bury" to be the dominant factor to holding power. I can point out numerous cases where dimensionally smaller anchors out perform much larger ones. Also, it would be impossible to make apples to apples comparisons of fluke surface area between "flat" type anchors such as the Mantus and "folded" type anchors like the Excel.

[@flygoodwin]

I would love to test a Manson Boss, and will do so as soon as one comes my way. Unfortunately, I cannot justify the expense of making an outright purchase.

[@edward6027]

@@flygoodwin I just emailed Manson asking if they'd send you one. Hopefully they do.

[@edward6027]

@@flygoodwin A friend whom has many years experience with anchors ranked depth of bury as a big one also. He is concerned about the roll bar on anchors stopping the depth of bury. I like the spade and Vulcan for this reason. However with so many issues with products manufactured in certain countries (which I won't mention) of the recent 20 years or so, I think I'd stay with slightly lesser estimated performance for the likeliness of true to design manufacturing in N.Z. and probably higher spec steels. For it doesn't matter how good the original designer is, if the manufacturing country / culture is likely to skimp on materials and methods as soon as the quality control person looks away for 2 seconds, then that kills my choice. I like Smiths Vulcan, but only if he makes it in N.Z. with welders and suppliers there.

[@vancekeith5642]

Hello, I will be anchoring in the Channel Islands (mostly Catalina) and people mention its “hard sand” does this change your opinion on the Vulcan? Many sailing forums in the SoCal area recommend Danforth style anchors. Any advice would be appreciated,

[@JourneyofaFisherman]

Hey mate, love your videos and the time you put into good honest helpful reviews and advise. Have you made a video about pros and con’s of using swivels or even reviews on them? What would you recommend for the Vulcan if any, we are looking at the 40kg model. Thanks in advance

[@flygoodwin]

I am probably not the right person to conduct a swivel review because I have no experience using them. I do have concerns about the strength of some swivels, especially when side loaded. Generally speaking, I try to have things as simple and with as few failure points as possible. My recommendation is to always start off with no swivel and only fit one later if there is a problem that cannot be solved by other means.

[@JourneyofaFisherman]

@@flygoodwin thanks for taking the time to reply, I have the same thoughts as well and as you say try it first with out one. Cheers

[@kimhaugerohde8212]

Thanks for great videos. Maybe my question is already answered somewhere else. When the anchor has a short shank, like the Vulcan, will this be harder to retrieve than the ones with the longer shank?

[@flygoodwin]

Kim, in theory, what you say should be correct. However, I do not notice a significant difference in retrieval (breakout) effort between anchors.

[@kimhaugerohde8212]

@@flygoodwin okay, thanks. That opens up for more choices on which anchor to replace our Delta with.

[@vernonlyter3112]

I have a 57' boat that weighs 50,000 lbs. The Rocna Vulcan chart recommends a 55lb anchor. Seems a little light to me.

[@flygoodwin]

I agree. Just three days ago, I spent a sleepless night hanging to a 55lb anchor in soft mud with 35 kts gust to 40. Anchor moved a total of 30 feet during the night. But, Panope weighs only 15,000lbs. Also, the anchor that I was using (Mantus M1) has higher holding power in that seabed than a Vulcan. So yes, if your roller windlass, and other gear can handle bigger, go for it.

[@mckenziekeith7434]

Do you have a recommendation or opinion about swivels? With an all-chain rode, is a swivel necessary?

[@flygoodwin]

For 40 years, I have been using all chain rodes without a swivel - never a problem. Other people swear by them. My recommendation is to add a swivel only if necessary as this will be adding another point of failure/maintenance item. Some poorly engineered or poorly installed swivels will fail at loads that are less than breaking strength of the chain. In other words, a weak link.

[@giorgiotravaini623]

Very good work . but is the weight 44 or 47 ??

[@flygoodwin]

The makers of the anchor claim a weight of 44 pounds. On my scale, the anchor weighs 47 pounds.

[@pedropapas4596]

Your Vulcan looks like a modified ( welded) Spade anchor?

[@pauljamison3340]

I can’t make head nor tail out of the Rocna sizing chart!! My yacht is 35ft and 11 tons, what size anchor would you recommend????

[@braithmiller]

Personally finding many of the manufacturers charts to be undersized for a cruiser having to anchor out rather than marina hopping. Finding larger upsize by one than length and tons(loaded) or the largest your equipment can fit and handle. Similar range at 36’ on deck, net 8, the better choices seem always what is the ‘storm anchor’ sizing. What are other’s thoughts?

[@flygoodwin]

Choosing the correct size anchor involves a list of variables that no "chart" can possibly address. Some of the variables include: -Types of seabeds likely to be encountered. -Strength of winds in cruising area (some places do not have hurricanes or T-storms). -Skill of the skipper. -Risk tolerance of the skipper. -Consequences of potential anchor drag (boat on a harmless sandbar vs. boat destroyed on rocks with dead crew). -Quality of insurance policy. -How much weight can the vessel/crew handle? -How large an anchor will physically fit the vessel? -Will a large anchor (that will fit/function properly) appear "ridiculous" ? (looks are important!) -What other "specialty" anchors will be aboard the vessel? That said, if my boat was 35ft and 11 tons, I would be looking for at least a 55 pound anchor. As it is, Panope is 34ft and 7 tons. I feel good using 45 pounders. Steve

[@akusa3894]

Have you heard or read anything on the Lone-Star Mud Magnet MMX anchor?

[@flygoodwin]

I've only seen pictures. Looks interesting.

[@akusa3894]

@@flygoodwin which anchor do you think it would compare to the most the Excel? It doesn’t appear to have a revolutionary new design.

[@flygoodwin]

@@akusa3894I think it is very difficult to predict anchor performance based on the general concept of an anchor design. I feel that small details are just as important as the general shape. The only reliable way to know the performance is to observe the anchor while in use or during a test.

[@boondog8504]

Makes me laugh how Peter Smith vilified Manson for copying Rocna, but happily copies Spade.

[@kenkindrick4227]

Which chain size is best for Vulcan 20 ?

[@flygoodwin]

Chain size (or strength) is somewhat dependent on the size (weight) of the vessel. My boat weighs 7 tons and I feel comfortable using 3/8" BBB or 5/16" G4. A heavier vessel might benefit from even stronger chain. If someone attempts to size the chain based solely on the theoretical max holding of a particular anchor (anchor drags before chain breaks), consider what would happen if the anchor becomes lodged into a boulder or other immobile object during a storm or hurricane.

[@dimitrismelitas2566]

keep coing steeve. than u happy new year

[@pete8859]

Amazing work Steve! You are the absolute king of anchors. Really helpful information. With regards to the Vulcan I’m a bit confused how the 44lb Vulcan has scored so much higher than the previous 55lb did. I guess the scores are adjusted to reflect weight but does this suggest some weights perform better than others, relatively? Also do you think drilling a 12mm hole in the shank to push a drop nose pin through to secure the anchor to the cheeks of the roller would be ok?

[@flygoodwin]

Peter, Re. the 55lb Vulcan scoring lower than the 45lb'er: The difference comes from there being 5 new test protocols that have been added since the 55 was removed. Re. Pin through hole in shank to secure. While this is a common technique that will keep the anchor in place, it does have some potential drawbacks: -Depending on location, the hole will weaken the shank. -If the pin/holes have very close tolerances, then fitting the pin can be difficult unless the anchor stows in exactly the same location, every time (more of a problem for large anchors). -If the pin/holes have loose tolerances, the pin will be easier to fit, but the anchor may "clunk" back and forth, thus requiring a lashing or some other means of keeping the anchor "quite" - thus negating the simplicity of the pin. -If the stowed/pinned anchor receives a high load (collision with other boat, dock, etc), the pin may bend and become impossible to remove without tools.

[@pete8859]

@@flygoodwin Thanks for the reply, makes sense. Noted about the hole, I'll give it some more thought before committing. Thanks again for all the useful videos!

[@dustman96]

Question for you. Lets say I have a 13 lb Mantus M1 with all chain rode, then a 17 lb with all rope rode. Which one will set and hold better?

[@flygoodwin]

It depends on how deep the water is, how much scope is used, and the seabed's holding potential. Generally: -At scopes less than about 3:1, anchors with "rope only" rodes have trouble setting at all. -The holding power benefit of "all chain" is reduced as the water becomes more shallow (easier to remove catenary). -At scopes above about 8:1, the holding power benefit of "all chain" is negligible because there is very little to be gained by further decreasing the angle of pull at the anchor (the exception would be when a ridiculously long rode will place so much chain on the bottom, that the friction of the chain itself will add a significant amount of holding). -In seabeds with very low holding power, "all chain" rodes will have a greater advantage because a larger catenary will remain.

[@dustman96]

@@flygoodwin Thank you for the thoughtful response. To my thinking the weight of the chain rode increases effective scope.