Mantus anchor.....

CliffA

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2009
4,712
Lake Norman, NC
Boat Info
2001 Sea Ray 340DA
Name: 'Happy Place'
4.5kW West. Generator
Purchased Nov. 2014
Fresh Water Use
Engines
Twin Merc. 6.2L (MPI)
640 hp (Total)
Raw Water Cooled
V-Drive Transmissions
this past WE it took 4-5 attempts before I could get my plow anchor to set on our lake mud bottom.....very frustrating....

has anyone tried the Mantus anchor?.....will it fit properly in the chute of my 2001 340DA?......from testing on YT it looks like it has far superior setting abilities compared to just about all other type anchors.....

thanks....
cliff
 
My dock mate has a 280 and bought a Mantus anchor last season. He absolutely loves it. Nice, firm set, first time, everytime according to him. At the same time he got the new anchor, we "marked his rode" at 25', 50', 75' and 100'. We tpyically anchor in less than 10 feet of water, usually 6 feet. Even taking into account the height of the pulpit above the water for the scope calculation, I think part of his pre-Mantus anchoring problems were "not enough" scope related.

By comparison, my 420 has the original Kodiak plow anchor. I also have an all chain rode, which is a big advantage. I let out 75' minimum whenever we anchor giving me a scope that exceeds 7:1 and I haven't had a problem. Where we anchor, it is a mud bottom, too.

If you haven't marked your rode, I would suggest doing that first before spending the $$ on a Mantus. You may find that your scope is short of what you think it is. My second step would be get the Mantus.

Jaybeaux
 
That test is BS. All the other anchors are on the same rode. Mantus is a damn good anchor but they could have at least done the test apples to apples.
 
I recently purchased a Mantus 13lb anchor for our 270 and compared to the Danforth anchor we had, it simply doesn't compare. Sets first time and doesn't seem to move. I struggled with the Danforth for some reason but highly recommend the Mantus anchor.
 
I looked into this for months... Here is my opinions.

1. The best Mud Anchor is the fortress, although it may not be for other bottoms
2. The best Anchors for all Mud as a primary and good on other bottoms is a scoop type.
3. Depending on what you read, I think all scoop anchors are similar (here are the differences)

a. Mantus: Basically a copy of the Rocna with bolts and made in China (lots of these near me, they are located 5 minutes from our boat, reviews are great in mud as that's what we have here in TX))
b. Rocna: An expensive welded Mantus
c. Vulcan: A scoop without the roll bar in galvanized only: If you have a bowsprit then you may not be able to have a roll bar type
d: Ulta Anchor: A ridiculously overpriced but beautiful Stainless scoop anchor

My other thoughts...

Get plenty of chain, let out at least 5:1 scope and used highly rated galvanized shackles as stainless is weak. If you must use a swivel then use a mantus or Ultra and inspect yearly.

Josh
 
I have always used a Danforth anchor. Always has worked great on the Chesapeake Bay. The Sea Ray we just got has a plow that came standard with the boat. I am thinking of switching to of my spare danforth's cause we generally have mud bottoms around here. How do plows work in mud?
 
i love my Bruce Claw anchor, and, frankly, i think that using the correct length of the right chain is more than half the battle. (i use 15 feet on my 30' SR). never had a problem.
 
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Finally! Even though there was no visible deterioration, I suppose that thirty years of exposure melded the stainless to the aluminum, so I had to use a grinder to remove the capstan from the shaft. Even then, I had to beat the darn thing out. I sawed off the three bolts (that SR, in all its wisdom, decided to install between the pulpit and the decking!), and installed my new LewMar Windlass. It works so well--what a difference. Will be plugging the holes, this week. I didn't use the old decking that I removed--will put in new plugs that I'm cutting from some teak stock.
 

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thanks for all the input.....just as info. I recently switched to all chain for my anchor.......I was trying to anchor in around 20' of water and I let out at least 75' - 85' of chain and still had trouble getting the plow anchor to set in a mud bottom.....

my friend has a 33' Cruisers Yachts with a Danforth style anchor....he has 25' of chain attached to 200' of anchor rode.....he also has issues sometimes getting his anchor to bite into the mud bottom.....this past WE his anchor slipped and his boat nearly hit my boat.....we were anchored separately from each other....

cliff
 
My dock mate has a 280 and bought a Mantus anchor last season. He absolutely loves it. Nice, firm set, first time, everytime according to him. At the same time he got the new anchor, we "marked his rode" at 25', 50', 75' and 100'. We tpyically anchor in less than 10 feet of water, usually 6 feet. Even taking into account the height of the pulpit above the water for the scope calculation, I think part of his pre-Mantus anchoring problems were "not enough" scope related.

By comparison, my 420 has the original Kodiak plow anchor. I also have an all chain rode, which is a big advantage. I let out 75' minimum whenever we anchor giving me a scope that exceeds 7:1 and I haven't had a problem. Where we anchor, it is a mud bottom, too.

If you haven't marked your rode, I would suggest doing that first before spending the $$ on a Mantus. You may find that your scope is short of what you think it is. My second step would be get the Mantus.

Jaybeaux


Jaybeaux,
For your friend with the 280, do you happen to know the specifics of the mantus he purchased? I would assume it was the 17 or the 25lb version and I'm curious to know if it fit well in the existing roller. I'm looking to upgrade as well and want to make sure it works with my 2004 280 sundancer setup.

Thanks,
John
 
We got a 35# Manson Boss & have all-chain rode. Fits well on the factory roller. Nearly a perfect anchor for all but soupy mud -- and what works in that?
 
thanks for all the input.....just as info. I recently switched to all chain for my anchor.......I was trying to anchor in around 20' of water and I let out at least 75' - 85' of chain and still had trouble getting the plow anchor to set in a mud bottom.....

my friend has a 33' Cruisers Yachts with a Danforth style anchor....he has 25' of chain attached to 200' of anchor rode.....he also has issues sometimes getting his anchor to bite into the mud bottom.....this past WE his anchor slipped and his boat nearly hit my boat.....we were anchored separately from each other....

cliff

20' of water + 4' (bow to water line) X 5 (5:1 scope) = 120'. 7:1 scope is preferred in anything less than perfect weather and calm water.
 
stg099....He has a 25 # Mantus. No modifications necessary. 20 feet of chain. He has thought about getting the Mantus Anchor Mate, but hasn't bought one yet.

Jaybeaux
 
Set-up and scope are the key, especially in dealing with mud where most anchors should be able to perform.

5/1 on mellow days, 7/1 on windy days. I have a 21,000# boat, a 35# delta plow anchor, and a 5/16" all chain rode. I've yet to break free. Last weekend we set the hook in an area with a bunch of boats, and in the afternoon the wind kicked up to about 20kts. I pointed out to my wife which boats would break free - simply because they had virtually no scope out. Low and behold, we sat their watching the shit show as the folks clueless about scope all started dragging downwind and scrambling. Heard multiple guys cursing their anchors, but the anchor wasn't their problem - it was their lack of proper use of the anchor.
 
OK, by reading some replies it seems like my anchoring practices may be to blame for my difficulty setting my anchor.....I can accept that and will make changes as needed...

In the interest of learning, I have a couple questions about anchoring....

1. As I understand it the reason for using a 'scope' of 7:1 when deploying an anchor is the prevent the anchor chain/rode from pulling upward on the anchor arm during rough seas thus increasing the chances of the anchor becoming dislodged from the bottom......Is this correct?

2. I was thinking when initially setting the anchor the amount of 'scope' in the anchor chain/rode really doesn't matter (especially in calm water) as long as the amount of chain/rode is sufficient to keep the arm of the anchor dragging flat against the bottom of the lake/sea when backing the boat down....As long as the anchor arm is dragging the bottom as the boat is reversing the anchor should theoretically set.....Is this correct?

Thanks for taking the time to 'school me' on proper anchoring techniques.....:)......

cliff
 
I have found this information valuable. We also use a bridle on our all-chain rode. In addition to the described benefits, it also changes the angle of the pull in the anchor.

https://waterbornemag.com/how-to-anchor-boat/


thanks for the link...the article is very informative....

what is curious to me is that I was doing exactly as the article says when initially setting my anchor last WE.....I was using roughly 3:1 scope and backing the boat down to set the anchor.....this is what I usually do and then let out more scope if needed depending on water conditions.....not sure why my anchor had trouble setting....

the chart in the article shows the different types of anchors and how well they hold in various lake/sea bottoms....looks like the 'plow' anchors pretty much suck in all conditions.....wonder why Sea Ray chose this type anchor to be standard on cruisers......

cliff
 
the chart in the article shows the different types of anchors and how well they hold in various lake/sea bottoms....looks like the 'plow' anchors pretty much suck in all conditions.....wonder why Sea Ray chose this type anchor to be standard on cruisers...…
cliff

One can look at a dozen articles and get a dozen different perspectives.....anchors often devolve into a Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge vs Nissan type discussion.

I'd bet SR uses a plow style anchor for both aesthetics, but also because it's a good all around anchor for most applications. My present boat had a Danforth on it when I first looked at it. Before it left the yard, I had it replaced from that with a 15' chain and rope rode, to a Delta plow with all chain. For me, my experience has been they will both hold a mud bottom (which is what I boat on) well, so my switch was driven by appearance and with the knowledge they would both do the job.

This is the appearance aspect when I first looked at the boat. To me, it looked sloppy, non-symmetrical - and I didn't like it.
Cruiser21 - Copy.jpg
While not a great picture, I'm much happier with the symmetrical look, and how tightly fitting the change to a plow anchor appeared (and is).
Boat arrival 1 30 2018.jpeg
Boat load2 1 29 2018.jpeg

I originally wanted a Rocna anchor. The concept of the roller bar makes sense to me, and I like new technology if it works better. For clearance purposes when retracted, the roller was just to close to fiberglass for my comfort level. Chose this particular Delta plow anchor because it had a long arm. The longer the arm, the better the angle for the plow tip. Additionally, the yard highly suggested I use a swivel in conjunction with a shackle at the attach point. On my 370, I only used a shackle - and every so often I would have a twist issue with the chain. The swivel has completely eliminated that, and I believe it also aids in the geometry while on the hook and blowing in the wind.
Boat Anchor.jpeg

For me, aside from the boat itself - anchoring is the next most important aspect. I'm out on average 3x's per week, and each time out involves being on the hook. To date, I've set on the first attempt every time, and I've yet to pull up with my anchor, swivel, shackle, chain combination - and in N. Texas - I've done so in some healthy winds. Our lake is strictly a mud bottom, no rock, weeds or grass - so those may require a different style. But, with a 100% set and hold rate, and minding the 5/1 and 7/1 basics - I'm 100% efficient so far - which is nice to know heading out on the water there will be no hassles setting and holding.
 
you are right the plow anchor does look and fit better on your boat....

I have been doing some research on the Mantus anchor and have yet to read one negative review...that's pretty impressive......I may try one...West Marine has 25 lb. galvanized Mantus for $229......if it doesn't work any better than the plow it won't be the first (or last) $200 I have wasted......my boat does not have a anchor pulpit so the Mantus should fit OK in the roller chute......hopefully....if needed they sell a stop for the Mantus (Anchor Mate) that fits on the roller to help hold the anchor steady in the roller....

cliff
 

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