Rocna is one of those companies that needs little by way of an introduction. The original Rocna just turned 20, and in those years it has undoubtedly become one of the most widely used, praised and trusted ground tackle systems on the planet.
Case in point, it’s impossible to walk a dock without seeing one.
The original Rocna, its sharp bite, incredible holding power and resetting ability, has come to epitomise the “new generation” anchor in the minds of many cruisers – along with the leap in performance that implies.
But now there’s a new dog in town – the Rocna MK II. What is different about it and how does it improve on the original design?
Which is right for you – the original, unequivocally-excellent Rocna (which remains available indefinitely), or this new new generation anchor, the Rocna MK II?
Let’s find out in this detailed review and comparison.
Why you should trust us
We are full-time cruisers with a decade of liveaboard experience and many thousands of miles under the keel. While cruising we live at anchor – as in, we have spent entire seasons without once coming onto a dock.
We have probably around two thousand nights’ experience swinging on the hook, in all conditions up to force to 10+. Indeed we subscribe to the old RYA thinking that it’s far safer to be swinging in a serious blow, than in a marina surrounded by solid objects and airborne projectiles…
Smooth anchoring has always been a point of pride aboard, and Emily in particular is cheekily known as “the anchoring queen”. We have owned and deployed a huge range of different ground tackle, from the Rocna MK II through older generations like the Delta, Bruce, original claws and… whatever in the Mad Max this monstrosity is, which we inherited with Calico and accept absolutely zero responsibility for.
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Table of Content
- Rocna MK II review – what makes a good anchor for cruising?
- The original Rocna anchor review
- The new Rocna MK II review
- Conclusion – the best anchor for cruising?
Rocna MK II Review – What Makes A Good Anchor For Cruising?
✅ Buy the MK II Rocna Anchor now
In our view, a good anchor for a cruising sailboat should meet at least the following requirements. We’re talking about anchors for cruising boats here, so the same considerations don’t necessarily apply to, say, racers, for whom weight becomes a dominant factor.
A good cruising anchor should offer:
- Self-righting. The anchor should be designed in such a way that if it falls upside down, it will right itself while being dragged and take hold. You can mitigate this somewhat with good helmsmanship (keep her cooking astern until the last second) – but a good anchor design should reliably position itself correctly every time.
- Graceful veering. Anchoring out means changeable, often unpredictable conditions. A good cruising anchor needs to tolerate the changing wind and tide and turn (veer) in the seabed without pulling loose. An ideal anchor should be able to veer fully 180 degrees and reset itself, even if it turns upside down in the process (see self-righting, above).
- Efficient holding. It goes without saying that a cruising anchor needs high holding power. What we’re talking about here is rather the anchor’s holding power relative to its weight and size, which in turn is a product of its geometry and weight distribution.
Some anchor designs demonstrably do have higher holding power than others relative to weight, because marine engineers have spent decades researching and improving them (case in point, our two review candidates today; 20 years apart). Thus it’s often desirable to choose a modern or “new generation” anchor that makes the most of those advances, although it does come with a higher price tag.
- Agnostic holding. To be agnostic in engineering means to be widely or even universally compatible. So when we talk about an “agnostic anchor”, we’re referring to one that performs generally well across a range of conditions like anchors well in sand, hardpack, gravel, grass, weed, mud, clay and combinations.
There are certain anchor designs out there which absolutely excel in one bed, but underperform unacceptably everywhere else (the Bruce and its love for mud spring to mind – sorry Bruce fans). If you cruise locally and know you will only encounter a certain range of conditions, it may be optimal to choose a specialised anchor, but world-cruising sailboats need an unfussy generalist.
It’s worth remembering that a large share of the holding is done by the weight and inertia of the chain. Ground tackle is only as good as the weakest link (haha) so ensure your chain is appropriately sized and consider over–sizing if you’re not a weight-sensitive vessel.
The Original Rocna Anchor Review
✅ Buy the original Rocna Anchor here
The original Rocna launched in 2004 and swiftly became a firm favourite of the world cruising community.
With its iconic, semi-circular rollbar, the Rocna is instantly recognizable – not least because you will see them at docks and anchorages the world over.
At first glance, the original Rocna is sort of a hybrid of a Spade and a Bügel. Rocna actually wasn’t the first to come up with innovative features like that re-set aiding rollbar (thanks to Rocna’s own Peter Smith for teaching me that, in this excellent history of new generation anchors. Well worth a read).
Less obvious to the eye are the clever concave fluke that maximises surface area relative to weight, or the aggressive tip profile that easily punches into even hard-packed ground.
It’s that combination of innovative geometry and tried-and-tested features that allowed the original Rocna to post record-breaking figures in independent tests – outperforming close facsimiles like the Spade by as much as 40%.
That optimised surface-to-weight ratio is important. It’s a common misconception to think of the weight of the anchor providing the holding power – although it is true that anchors are sold by weight, and heavy certainly helps, it’s the friction generated by the contact area of the anchor that contributes the vast majority of the holding power.
It’s easy to see why people love the original Rocna. Just about the only reason not to get one is if you have complicated bow gear, such as a bowsprit or whisker stays, that will interfere with it. But even that can be overcome with a spare man or similar mod.
In terms of negatives, the only ones we could come up with are price – a previous-generation anchor is always going to be cheaper – and anecdotally, occasional fouling of the roll bar in weeds.
So what’s new with the MK II, and how do you decide between them?
The New Rocna MK II Review
The Rocna MK II does not replace the original Rocna, which will continue to be available for the foreseeable future.
Rather the Rocna MK II is an enhanced and upgraded version of its already phenomenal predecessor, offering peak holding power and durability for the most demanding sailors and cruisers.
In other words, you now have a choice between the highly proven original, or spending a little more to get a high-performance version of the popular classic.
Some of the most important changes on the MK II are:
- The new “roll-foil” concept. You no doubt know the original Rocna had a roll bar, made from a bent rod with a circular profile. This bar allowed it to roll over and automatically reset itself if the wind changed – a highly-prized feature by serious cruisers.
That said, it came with a small drawback too: when trying to bury the anchor in deep sand, the roll bar eventually contacts the sand and resists the burrowing action of the fluke. For this reason, it was mildly challenging to truly bury the original Rocna, not that it mattered in terms of practical holding power.
Nonetheless the MK II addresses this with its new “roll-foil”. The round bar is replaced by a sculpted profile similar to the rear spoiler on a sports car. This foil provides the same self-righting and resetting ability but also uses its varied geometry to steer the fluke to the correct angle for optimal setting. And in addition, the aggressive slope of the foil actually digs into the sand on contact rather than resisting it. It’s a nice touch.
- New concave and ballasted fluke. Originally developed for Rocna’s other popular model the Vulcan, the tip of the new Rocna MK II has extra ballast to steer the fluke downwards as you drop the hook. It also has a concave shape that increases the surface area and therefore the holding power, and the chisel tip is specially hardened to make it even more durable and penetrating than the original.
- New I&V shank profile. The shank of the MK II uses a 3D profile a little like a girder or “I beam”. Perpendicular tabs running the full length of the shank stiffen and strengthen it, preventing deflection. The original Rocna was already very strong, but it’s great to see a manufacturer come out with a truly bomb-proof option that meets and exceeds the needs of even serious expedition sailors.
- High-tensile steel. Finally, the MK II is made out of a different steel. Rocna don’t disclose the specific composition other than that it’s a premium, high-tensile steel that is even stronger and more durable than the alloy used in the original.
These upgrades combine to deliver a meaningful jump in performance across the board (and you’ll probably sleep better, too).
It does come with a substantial jump in cost as well though – that premium steel isn’t cheap, and neither is 20 years of R&D. But if you’re a demanding cruiser who spends a lot of nights on the hook, this is potentially one of the best safety upgrades you can buy.
Conclusion – The Best Anchor For Cruising?
Let’s just start by saying that both options on review today are excellent. Choosing between them largely comes down to your budget and intended cruising pattern.
We are absolutely fanatical about anchoring out and for that reason the MK II is a no-brainer for us. We are set up for long-term cruising without shore support and will quite literally never come into a marina or even onto a free town quay if we can possibly avoid it.
Living at anchor obviously comes with its own set of risks and it’s not without stress. After all, if you get it wrong, you lose your home and belongings. Investing in a high-end anchoring system as an “insurance policy” makes a lot of sense.
Despite the initial cost we see savings in berthing fees (and grey hairs) and amortised over a decade or more of cruising the price washes out at maybe 50c a day. Not bad for genuine peace of mind. Cheaper than therapy, anyway.
Now if you’re a racer, or just more of a weekend warrior, you’re probably going to be just fine with the original Rocna. Likewise, if you simply can’t justify the extra cost of the MK II. You will still be very happy with the original. There is a reason it remains on sale alongside the MK II. It’s a performant anchor beloved by cruisers the world over.
This is one of those times when there are no wrong answers – most sailors will be very happy with either – but as seriously demanding cruisers, it’s great to see “the best” get even better on its 20th birthday.
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