Anchors away: cast iron often is used in the manufacture of marine anchors, symbols of strength and stability.

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Most of the cast iron walleye anchors offered as customer appreciation gifts by Dotson Iron Castings, Mankato. Minn., will never swim to the bottom of a river, lake or ocean. The metalcasting process through which they are made focuses more on the aesthetics of the piece than its functionality.

"It took the patternmaker considerable skill and thought to design three fish and intertwine them with each other." said Todd Nelson, product manager at Dotson.

But according to Dave Roloff. vice president of operations Roloff Manufacturing, Kaukauna, Wis., cast metal still holds a prominent place in the marine accessory aftermarket, a $2.76 billion industry in 2006, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association.

"In the [anchor] market that's out there, cast metal is still considerable," he said. "Particularly on the small pleasure craft boats. If you start to get into the bigger sailboats and cruisers, you start to get into fabrications."

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Cast metal anchors offer strength and durability, and they can be produced at a competitive rote for recreational boaters. But for larger vessels, fabricated steel anchors can offer different levels of holding power, weigh less and lay flatter in a boat. However, anchor shape affects holding power more than manufacturing process, and some companies offer cast large-vessel steel anchors, such as the Claw Anchor manufactured and distributed by Lewmar, Hampshire, England.

"There's a variety of anchors, and each one has a unique holding porter," Roloff said. "I've seen [recreational] anchors that are made of plastic and sand. Some are plastic aluminum. But the best are going to be cast iron."

For More Information

Visit www.nmma.org for more on the marine manufacturing market.

Shea Gibbs, Associate Editor