Following on from our purchase of the Mantus equipment, we have tried and tested their new swivel.
Their eye for quality is seeing them reach outside the United States on reputation and delivery. Their product ranges are filling niche pockets where others are failing or have failed to deliver.
The links we provide here are direct to the respective companies. We purchased all products and are not sponsored by any company... James
Kong Swivel Anchor Connector (7/10)
Pros - All 316 stainless steel. Easy to connect.
Cons - Pin tended to unscrew. Even with Loctite, we lost an anchor at sea. The pin fell out, and the anchor dislodged, never to be seen again.
Mantus Swivel S2 (9/10).
Pros - All 2205 duplex stainless steel. Easy to connect. Love the idea of no screws, huge winner for us.
Cons - None to date. Going strong as our primary chain-to-anchor connector.
We have had several anchor swivels bend or fail under load. After inspecting the damage, it became clear the problem was not always the swivel itself. The anchor eye could not rotate freely, placing excessive side loads on the swivel.
We also experimented with adding a 200 mm length of chain between the anchor and swivel. While this improved articulation slightly, it introduced its own problems, including poor handling through the anchor roller and into the anchor locker.
Today, our Rocna 33 anchor is connected to the chain with a Mantus Marine S2 swivel. Closer to the yacht, the bridle then attaches to the chain using the Mantus Marine Boat Chain Hook (see our review here).
As an additional backup, we also carry a Kong swivel anchor connector.
