Kobra 2 anchor

[Telo]

Was impressed by the results of the French tests as reported in YM a few months ago. Price looks pretty good too. Anyone here tried one?

[Ghillie]

Does not look like it.

I too am attracted, although a little put off by Plastimo's web site calling it a lunch time (picnic?) anchor. 'tis a French test and a French anchor but I am sure this has no bearing....


Can Silkie update us on his Raya experiences? Did he order it directly from South America?

[little boy blue]

........... Did he order it directly from South America?

sort of.

[Silkie]

Can Silkie update us on his Raya experiences? Did he order it directly from South America?

Not much to update sadly. My season had a big hole in the middle and I only anchored overnight a dozen times with a handful of lunch stops and nothing more ferocious than the Puilladobhrain squall. I did learn one further trick (which I subsequently repeated deliberately with similar results) when the Raya hit the bottom while we were moving astern at a knot or so. It would be an exaggeration to say I nearly fell over but I was left in no doubt that the anchor was set.

I'm still very happy with the Raya but just haven't used it enough yet to start evangelising.

Mine was shipped direct and Ancora Latina say it is economical to ship up to the 800 this way. There was talk of manufacturing in the UK but I'm not sure how far advanced this is.

[Telo]

I too am attracted, although a little put off by Plastimo's web site calling it a lunch time (picnic?) anchor.

I agree that the description is a bit odd, but then the Plastimo website is rather perculiar anyway; I'm amazed that they manage to sell anything at all with that site.

Its high holding power makes it ideally suitable for use as a picnic anchor, used in conjunction with a weighted mooring line. This reduces the effort necessary in the absence of windlass

Their lunch descrition above seems to be predicated by their suggestion that an 8kg Kobra 2 would be suitable for a 10m boat. An 8kg Kobra, 10m of chain, and some string would make a very convenient lunch time anchor, but it just doesn't sound right for overnight anchoring on the west of Scotland.

We've opted for the 16kg Kobra2 with 50m of chain. We shall report on how it works out in practice.

[Nick]

.
I am shortly to be involved in the top secret testing of a radically new Scottish design of anchor, but my lips are sealed.

[Telo]

.
I am shortly to be involved in the top secret testing of a radically new Scottish design of anchor, but my lips are sealed.

An old screwtap filled with cement and attached to some chain?

[Nick]

.
I am shortly to be involved in the top secret testing of a radically new Scottish design of anchor, but my lips are sealed.

An old screwtap filled with cement and attached to some chain?

Nae any old chain, special lavvy chain fae wee Malkies mind.

[Telo]

special lavvy chain fae wee Malkies

The Coming of the Wee Malkies

Whit'll ye dae when the wee Malkies come,
If they dreep doon affy the wash-hoose dyke,
An pit the hems oan the sterrheid light,
An play wee heidies oan the clean close wa,
Missis, whit'll ye dae?

Whit'll ye dae when the wee Malkies come,
If they chap yir door an choke yir drains,
An caw the feet fae yir sapsy weans,
An tummle thur wulkies through yir sheets,
An tim thur ashes oot in the street,
Missis, whit'll ye dae?

Whit'll ye dae when the wee Malkies come,
If they chuck thur screwtaps doon the pan,
An stick the heid oan the sanitry man,
When ye hear thum shauchlin doon yir loaby,
Chanting, "Wee Malkies! The gemme's a bogey!"
Haw, missis, whit'll ye dae?

Stephen Mulrine

[Nick]

special lavvy chain fae wee Malkies

The Coming of the Wee Malkies

Whit'll ye dae when the wee Malkies come,
If they dreep doon affy the wash-hoose dyke,
An pit the hems oan the sterrheid light,
An play wee heidies oan the clean close wa,
Missis, whit'll ye dae?

Whit'll ye dae when the wee Malkies come,
If they chap yir door an choke yir drains,
An caw the feet fae yir sapsy weans,
An tummle thur wulkies through yir sheets,
An tim thur ashes oot in the street,
Missis, whit'll ye dae?

Whit'll ye dae when the wee Malkies come,
If they chuck thur screwtaps doon the pan,
An stick the heid oan the sanitry man,
When ye hear thum shauchlin doon yir loaby,
Chanting, "Wee Malkies! The gemme's a bogey!"
Haw, missis, whit'll ye dae?

Stephen Mulrine

Aye, that's the one. I used to really enjoy teaching that to the second year weans when I was at the chalkface in East Kilbride in the late 70s.

[SteveN]

Was impressed by the results of the French tests as reported in YM a few months ago. Price looks pretty good too. Anyone here tried one?

Sorry for the late reply - somehow missed this.

Yes, we use a Kobra2.
Our anchor has to be lifted out of the well, through beneath the lower rail of the pulpit and onto the bow roller each time we need it. Doing this with the 45lb. CQR was hurting my back, so last season I swapped it for the spare 16kg. Kobra2 which was stored alongside it.

I can't fault it at all: sets instantly (no more of the dragging the CQR slowly backwards through the anchorage with fingers crossed..), holds great and breaks out easily.
Interestingly the fluke area of the 16kg Kobra is significantly larger than that of the heavier 45lb. CQR and I'm quite happy to hang 10 tons and a fair bit of windage off it.

We gave it the best test I've ever given any anchor when we spent an interesting 24+ hours in up to 45 knots of wind sweeping out of Bunessan: the long fetch at high water meant that even our normally well behaved boat was taking a run up and giving it an almighty jerk in one direction then the other. Didn't budge an inch and popped out easily the next day.

So, full marks from me.

[Telo]

Thanks Steve. The 16kg Kobra2 just arrived in a box marked FRAGILE.

We've used the 35lb CQR without any serious dragging - apart from the kelp in Craighouse, and with a large chunk of seabed in Dunvegan (for which we didn't blame the anchor).

However, like others here, we're a wee big particular about how the anchor sets, and there have been many occasions where we've taken three, perhaps four attempts before being satisfied. So, we're looking forward to setting first time, and "no more of the dragging the CQR slowly backwards through the anchorage with fingers crossed..".

[sahona]

Interesting to see what the end of season critique contains.

[JimC]

"Interesting to see what the end of season critique contains." What does it contain? Are they any good?

[Arghiro]

We're waiting for the RNLI to recover him from where he went aground . . . .