Updated May 29, 2021
There are times when currents, tides, winds, or storms demand the use of an anchor for safety and security. Otherwise, you may want to stop at a good fishing hole or just take a break to go ashore or get a bite to eat. You need an anchor that can successfully meet the challenge. If it doesn’t hold it means more work, lost time and effort, and potential danger to people and/or the vessel.
There are a great number of types and sizes of anchors available to meet the needs of the range of watercraft from smaller kayaks and canoes all the way up to the largest yachts and charter vessels. To help you in the selection of an anchor that suits your needs, top representatives of the major types have been chosen as an introduction. They are reviewed starting with a comparison table, followed by key features, pros and cons, and photos, and finishing with a basic buying guide and a video.
If you have any questions or concerns, please use the comments section at the bottom. I’d love to know your thoughts.
For more reviews of canoes, kayaks, boats, and accessories, please check out these popular posts:
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Best Boat Anchor Review
- Lewmar Claw Anchor
- Seachoice Deluxe Anchor
- Lewmar Galvanized Delta Anchor
- Norestar Galvanized Steel CQR/Plow Anchor
- Slide Anchor Box Anchor
- Rocna Galvanized Anchor
- Rocna Vulcan Galvanized Anchor
- M1 Mantus Galvanized Anchor
- Spade Galvanized Steel Anchor
- Camco PVC Coated River Anchor
- Danielson Mushroom Anchor
- OceanMotion Grapnel Kayak Anchor Kit
Boat Anchor Comparison Table
| Picture | Anchor | Type | Weight | Rough Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
  | Lewmar Claw Anchor | Bruce/Claw | 11, 16.5, 22, 33, or 44 lbs | $50-300 |
  | Seachoice Deluxe Anchor | Danforth/Fluke | 8, or 13.5 lbs | $20-40 |
  | Lewmar Galvanized Delta Anchor | Delta/Wing | 14, 22, or 35 lbs | $140-400 |
  | Norestar Galvanized Steel CQR/Plow Anchor | CQR/Plow | 26, 35, 48, or 59 lbs | $150-300 |
  | Slide Anchor Box Anchor | Box | 19, or 25 lbs | $100-300 |
  | Rocna Galvanized Anchor | Rocna | 33, or 73 lbs | $350-1,050 |
  | Rocna Vulcan Galvanized Anchor | Rocna Vulcan | 9, 20, 33, 88, or 121 lbs | $160-1,950 |
  | M1 Mantus Galvanized Anchor | Mantus | 13, 17, 35, 55, 65, 85, 105, 125, 155, or 175 lbs | $230-2,350 |
  | Spade Galvanized Steel Anchor | Spade | 12, 21, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 99, 121, 165, or 243 lbs | $270-5,700 |
  | Camco PVC Coated River Anchor | River | 8 lbs | $18 |
  | Danielson Mushroom Anchor | Mushroom | 8, or 10 lbs | $25-41 |
  | OceanMotion Grapnel Kayak Anchor Kit | Grapnel | 3.5 lbs | $30 |
| Picture | Anchor | Type | Weight | Rough Price |
Type: Bruce/Claw- Available Weights: 11, 16.5, 22, 33, or 44 pounds
- Material: high-grade galvanized steel
- Primary Use: fishing, diving, and recreational boats
- Bow Roller: yes
- Bottom Types: works best on sand, dirt, gravel, mud, grass, and soft bottoms, okay on rocks and coral, the point may not hold as well on harder bottoms like clay or hard dirt
- Pricing: between approximately $50-300 for this range of sizes
- Pros: no moving parts to break, works well on most bottom types
- Cons: low holding power, inconvenient to store
Type: Bruce/Claw- Type: Danforth/Fluke
- Available Weights: 8 or 13.5 pounds
- Material: galvanized steel
- Primary Use: boats under 30 feet
- Bow Roller: yes
- Bottom Types: works best on sand, mud, and soft bottoms
- Pricing: between approximately $20-40 for these 2 sizes
- Pros: low cost, lays flat for easy storage
- Cons: not durable for long-term use, has a large surface area that can drift on the descent
Type: Danforth/FlukeLewmar Galvanized Delta Anchor
- Type: Delta/Wing
- Available Weights: 14, 22, or 35 pounds
- Material: high-grade manganese steel
- Primary Use: boats over 20 feet and sailboats
- Bow Roller: yes
- Bottom Types: works best on sand and grass, and better on hard clay and hard mud than a claw anchor
- Pricing: between approximately $140-400 for these 3 sizes
- Pros: works well on bow rollers, high holding power
- Cons: difficult to store, doesn’t hold well on a rocky bottom
Type: Delta/WingNorestar Galvanized Steel CQR/Plow Anchor
- Type: CQR/Plow (design similar to the Delta/Wing but has a hinge between the arm and scoop for easier setting and recovery)
- Available Weights: 26, 35, 48, or 59 pounds
- Material: hot-dipped galvanized steel
- Primary Use: sailboats
- Bow Roller: yes
- Bottom Types: works well on most bottom types including sand, mud, rock, and coral
- Pricing: between approximately $150-300 for these 4 sizes
- Pros: hinge design makes for easier setting and recovery than Delta/Wing anchors
- Cons: may find it harder to set on rocky bottoms
Type: CQR/Plow (design similar to the Delta/Wing but has a hinge between the arm and scoop for easier setting and recovery)- Type: Box (low scope, requires no chain)
- Available Weights: 14, 21, 26, or 40 pounds
- Material: galvanized steel
- Primary Use: jet skis and boats up to 40 feet depending on the size of the anchor
- Bow Roller: no
- Bottom Types: works well on most bottom types
- Pricing: between approximately $100-300 for these 4 sizes
- Pros: quick setting, easy release, low scope, less rope needed, requires no chain, lies flat, convenient for storage, comes with a ventilated storage bag
- Cons: may find it harder to set on rocky bottoms
Type: Box (low scope, requires no chain)- Type: Rocna
- Available Weights: 33, or 73 pounds (also comes in 9, 13, 22, 55, and 606 pounds)
- Material: galvanized steel
- Primary Use: large range of watercraft depending on the size of the anchor
- Bow Roller: yes
- Bottom Types: works well on all bottom types including hard seabeds
- Pricing: between approximately $350-1,050 for these 2 sizes
- Pros: quick setting sharp point, good holding power, works on all bottom types, self-righting roll bar
- Cons: expensive
Type: RocnaRocna Vulcan Galvanized Anchor
- Type: Vulcan
- Available Weights: 9, 20 33, 88, or 121 pounds
- Material: galvanized steel
- Primary Use: large range of watercraft depending on the size of the anchor
- Bow Roller: yes
- Bottom Types: works well on all bottom types including hard seabeds
- Pricing: between approximately $160-1,950 for these 5 sizes
- Pros: lifetime warranty against bending, breakage, and defects, quick setting sharp point, high holding power, works on all bottom types
- Cons: expensive
- Type: Mantus
- Available Weights: 13, 17, 35, 55, 65, 85, 105, 125, 155, or 175 pounds
- Material: galvanized steel
- Primary Use: large range of watercraft depending on the size of the anchor
- Bow Roller: yes
- Bottom Types: works well on all bottom types including extra soft and hard seabeds
- Pricing: between approximately $230-2,350 for these 10 sizes
- Pros: lifetime warranty, has a roll bar for self-righting, fast and deep setting, can be broken down for storage, works on all bottom types
- Cons: not cheap
Type: Mantus
- Type: Spade
- Available Weights: 12, 21, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 99, 121, 165, or 243 pounds
- Material: galvanized steel
- Primary Use: large range of watercraft depending on the size of the anchor
- Bow Roller: yes
- Bottom Types: works well on all bottom types including soft and hard seabeds
- Pricing: between approximately $270-5,610 for these 11 sizes
- Pros: excellent holding power, works on all bottom types
- Cons: very expensive
- Type: River
- Available Weights: 8 pounds
- Material: PVC coated steel
- Primary Use: bass and pontoon boats, other small watercraft
- Bow Roller: no
- Bottom Types: works well on mud bottom rivers and lakes
- Pricing: approximately $18
- Pros: quick, easy deployment, low priced, no anchor chain needed, rust and abrasion-resistant
- Cons: low holding power
Type: River- Type: Mushroom
- Available Weights: 8 or 10 pounds
- Material: vinyl-coated steel
- Primary Use: fishing from small watercraft
- Bow Roller: no
- Bottom Types: works best on mud and weed bottoms
- Pricing: approximately $25-41 for these 2 sizes
- Pros: easily set and retrieved, no anchor chain needed, rust and abrasion-resistant, affordable
- Cons: low holding power, not for safety-critical situations
Type: MushroomOceanMotion Grapnel Kayak Anchor Kit
- Type: Grapnel
- Available Weights: 3.5 pounds
- Material: rust-resistant galvanized iron with a stainless steel clasp
- Primary Use: kayaks, canoes, jet skis, small watercraft
- Bow Roller: no
- Bottom Types: works best on all bottom types
- Pricing: approximately $30
- Pros: 2-year warranty, low-priced, easily stored, kit comes with 40-foot braided nylon rope with a reflective tracer, durable padded nylon cinch-top storage bag, and inline buoy
- Cons: for personal watercraft only, size of boat is very limited
For a look at more grapnel anchors, check out this article: Best Kayak Anchor Systems
Best Boat Anchors Buying Guide
Weight
An anchor needs to be heavy enough for the size of the boat it is meant to hold. If it is too light it won’t be able to do the job. There are size and weight guides available and the manufacturer can give you good information about the size and types of boats that are best served by an anchor. Anchor Sizing Guide
On the other hand, a weight that is too heavy for the boat may pose problems in deploying and retrieving and in stowage on the boat when not deployed which can be inconvenient or dangerous.
Materials
Anchors spend a sustained period in water so it is important that they be rust and corrosion resistant as well as sturdy enough to do the job.
- Galvanized steel is rust and corrosion-resistant and is durable. Hot-dipped galvanization is the best process to look for.
- Stainless steel is equally strong with more rust and corrosion resistance and has that attractive shiny look. It is significantly more expensive and prone to scratches and abrasions.
- Manganese steel and high tensile steel are two newer slightly stronger versions used.
- Aluminum is lighter but more expensive and not as strong.
- Painting and coatings of PVC or vinyl are other options available, often on smaller river, mushroom, or grapnel anchors to provide rust and corrosion resistance.
Holding Power
This term refers to how well an anchor is able to hold itself in place on the bottom. This depends on the bottom type (sand, mud, grass, rocks, clay, etc.) and is determined by the type of anchor, as well as its size and weight, and the rope and chain used.
Types of Anchor
There are a variety of anchor types with differing strengths and holding power with many examples in the review above.
- Bruce/Claw Anchor – Named for its claw-like structure, these work well on most bottom types but may not hold as well on harder clay or dirt bottoms.
- Danforth/Fluke – This type is low-priced and works best on mud, sand, and other soft bottoms. They lie flat for easy storage but with a large surface area drifting on the descent is common. Many models are not durable for long-term usage.
- Delta/Wing – This type has high holding power and works well on hard mud and clay but not so well on a rocky bottom.
- CQR/Plow – Named for its plow-like shape it has a hinge between the shaft and blade that makes it easier to set and retrieve. It works well on most bottom types but is harder to set on rocky bottoms.
- Box – This type has a two-sided structure that is easy to set on either side, however it lands. It works well on most bottom structures but may be harder to set on a rocky bottom. It is easy to release as well as quick-setting, requires less rope due to a lower scope, and needs no chain.
- Rocna – This type works well on all bottoms including hard clay and mud. Its sharp point is quick-setting and it has good holding power. The roll bar in the design makes it self-righting. Rocna anchors are expensive.
- Vulcan – Reminiscent of Spock’s ears on Star Trek, Vulcan anchors also work well on all bottoms including hard clay and mud. It, too, has high holding power and a quick-setting sharp point. This one is also expensive.
- Mantus – Mantus anchors also work well on all bottom types to include unusually soft as well as hard beds. They have a roll bar for self-righting, are quick and deep-setting, and have the advantage of being able to be broken down for storage. They also tend to be expensive.
- Spade – Named for the shape, these also do well on all bottom types and have great holding power. They are very expensive.
- River – These are low-priced with low holding power best used for temporary deployment on mud-bottomed rivers and lakes. No anchor chain is needed.
- Mushroom – These work best for temporary anchorage on mud and weed bottoms. Easily set and retrieved, no anchor chain is needed. They have low holding power but are sometimes embedded in the bottom for permanent placement. Pricing is low.
- Grapnel – These work well for temporary anchorage on a variety of bottoms for small personal watercraft like kayaks and canoes. They are lightweight and easily stored. For a review of grapnel anchors, please check out this article: Kayak Anchors
For more reviews of canoes, kayaks, boats, and accessories, please check out these popular posts:
Kayak Anchors Kayak Bilge Pumps Inflatable Canoes Electric Pumps for Inflatables Pedal Kayaks Ocean Fishing Kayaks Fishing Kayak Paddles Waterproof Bags Canoe Paddles Canoes Kayak Shoes Kayak Helmets Kayak Wetsuits Kayak Roof Racks Kayak Carts Kayak Drysuit Review Kayak Paddles Kayak Life Vests Women Kayak Life Vests Marine VHF Radios Small Outboard Motors Kayak Trolling Motors Kayak Fish Finders Marine GPS Marine Binoculars Women’s Kayaks Touring Kayaks Tandem Kayaks Whitewater Kayaks for Beginners Lake Kayaks Ocean Kayaks Fishing Kayaks Beginner Kayaks Recreational Kayaks Inflatable Kayaks Inflatable Boats
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