Anchor

[AndreEmmenegger]

I watched my boat drift across a lagoon in highwinds, with the anchor dragging. I got to it in time to prevent it from beaching. The anchor I had was a little 8 lb danforth that fit in the anchor locker. I have since put a anchor holding bracket on the forward rail, so size is no longer a limitation. Has anyone had any luck with the Fortress FX11 or G11 anchors. These are basically replacements to a traditional 13 pound anchor. And finally whats the best source for a new anchor?

Thanks

Andre

[c130king]

Andre,

Have you tried a search yet? I searched for topics containing the word "fortress" and got 52 hits.

Search Results for "Fortress"

I use the 13-pound Danforth but I have limited experience using it...really just one time. But it fits in my anchor locker just fine.

Good Luck,
Jim

[dthomas]

Back when we had our 26X, I bought a modified danforth-style anchor from Seattle's Blue Water Yachts. As I recall, the standard 14lb danforth wouldn't fit in the anchor locker, so they modified the shank, which allowed it to fit perfectly. We weathered many thunderstorms on central Texas lakes with that anchor and never slipped. I don't know if they still sell that anchor, but it might be worth checking out. By the way, even a smaller anchor should hold a light boat like a Mac, *IF* you have sufficient chain and scope, and a proper set.

As for the brand of anchor, Fortress is awesome - well-built, light, strong, breaks down, great anchor. BUT, one of the primary benefits of a "light" anchor is lost when you attach the recommended amount of chain. The only problem I have with danforth-style anchors is that they have been known to pop out and not re-set when you have a 180deg veer. We have a FX16 for our Beneteau 361, but I swapped it out last year for a 35lb Manson Supreme. Handling the Manson is harder than the Fortress, but the Manson sets instantly and holds like you are tied to a piling! We went through a few storms last year, complete with repeated 180deg wind changes, and never drug an inch. I'm not sure a Manson (or Rocna) would be a good choice on a Mac without a dedicated roller.

Dean Thomas
Dutch Harbor Boat Yard, Jamestown, RI
Formerly Lion's Paw, 1999 MacGregor 26X
Now Second Wind, 2001 Beneteau 361

[KayakDan]

As for the brand of anchor, Fortress is awesome - well-built, light, strong, breaks down, great anchor. BUT, one of the primary benefits of a "light" anchor is lost when you attach the recommended amount of chain. The only problem I have with danforth-style anchors is that they have been known to pop out and not re-set when you have a 180deg veer. We have a FX16 for our Beneteau 361, but I swapped it out last year for a 35lb Manson Supreme. Handling the Manson is harder than the Fortress, but the Manson sets instantly and holds like you are tied to a piling! We went through a few storms last year, complete with repeated 180deg wind changes, and never drug an inch. I'm not sure a Manson (or Rocna) would be a good choice on a Mac without a dedicated roller.

Dean Thomas
Dutch Harbor Boat Yard, Jamestown, RI
Formerly Lion's Paw, 1999 MacGregor 26X
Now Second Wind, 2001 Beneteau 361

We also have a Fortress FX-11 on our 26M. It's lightweight and holds well(except in grass),fits nicely in the anchor locker,but as Dean pointed out,it can get loose in a 180o swing(don't ask me how I know )
In getting the boat prepped for the Bahamas,I have converted to a heavier bow roller,and a 25lb Manson. I intend to sleep well.
The only complaint I have ever heard about a Manson or Rocna,is that it can be a bear to get it loose after a high wind. I can live with that!

[March]

Bullwagga. A weird-looking anchor but it sticks to the bottom like a jilted girlfiend. The price is a little steep (after all, it's only a heavier anchor that deploys itself in three-dimensions) and it's awkward to handle (watch those thumbs--they tend to get crushed easily) But it's worth the trouble. I keep mine over the pulpit. Instead of a bracket, I padded a section of the pulpit with a piece of old hose and simply hung it over it. Secured with rope while trailering. I use the lighter fortress for casual anchoring, but at night, Bullwagga rules.

[Night Sailor]

Everyone has a different opinion you'll find, Even engineers and maritime authorities. In my experience, 8lbs of any anchor is definitely too light for a high windage boat like our Macs. But you have not mentioned a few things, and assumed it was the anchor's fault. How high were the winds and can you expect more of the same in typical storms? Could it have been a poor set? Poor ground? Too short a scope for the depth and wind encountered? Before you spend a bundle on a new anchor be sure it was anchored properly.
That said, I've found my genuine Danforth 12lb HiTensile DeepSet to be reliable in any soft bottom in winds up to 40 knots, with proper scope, and it fits easily in my X's foredeck locker with all 250' of 5/8" nylon three strand twisted rope and 15' 3/8" chain. The only time it has ever let the boat drift in a 30 knot wind was when it was hooked on a tree limb in the mud bottom, and overnight the boat motion gradually worked the limb free with the anchor still firmly attached. That was a poor set, though I backed down the boat at full reverse to set it. Things like that can happen with any anchor.

If you encounter a variety of bottoms both hard and soft, and winds in excess of 30 knots regularly, I'd consider the Manson, Rocna, or Bulwagga. Of those I like the Manson or Rocna best for ease of handling and cleaning, and they are available from some discounters. I"ve seen a lot of commercial fishing vessels with these on their bow rollers, even though they are more expensive, they do a good job wherever the hook is dropped.

Remember when looking at weights that you should consider the combined weight of anchor and chain when hauling up, and it should be within the capability of the weakest member of your crew, for you may not be able to relase or raise anchor, sometime when you personally can not do it due to illness or injury.

[Russ]

Dragging the anchor may not be because it's too small.
There are lots of factors in proper anchoring. One of my pet peeves is when I see someone just toss the anchor/chain and rode over the side, tie it off and act surprised that they are dragging.

You lower the anchor so as not to tangle the chain and drift back from it paying out rode until the scope is proper.
Too little scope will cause an anchor to drag. The 7-1 rule works well. 7 feet of scope for every foot of depth (remember tides will change depth). This is also the best way to pull the anchor out, have vertical scope, the leverage will pull it out.

Bottom conditions can cause an anchor to pull out. A grassy bottom doesn't hold a danforth style very well. Some form of plow works best in those conditions but they don't store well. Fluke (danforth) anchors in mud and sand hold exceptionally well.

Also, a 180 degree switch (by wind or tides) will probably pull an anchor out. Having one that can reset itself is a good idea if you will experience those conditions.


--Russ

[Indulgence]

This works pretty darn well for me.
Big honkin' CQR (don't know - 20 pounds?), 30' of 1/2" chain and 200' of rode.
We use all of it, all the time, unless just stopping for lunch.
Secondary Danforth ready when needed, hangs from the brackets you see in the pic.



We generally back down on this thing as hard as we can until the boat simply stops moving.
We've swung over 180 deg around one of these and , yes we moved a bit, but it digs right
back in. We had it buried pretty deep to start with. Some mornings it's tough to retrieve,
but patience coupled with a good night's sleep have always brought it back up.

You could think about installing a bow roller to open up your options.
Laurie

p.s. for fun, have a look at Battleship Anchor Mounting in Mods.

[Chinook]

I definitely second the motion on adding a bow anchor roller to the X. It allows for convenient mounting of several different styles of anchors, as in the photo above, that wouldn't otherwise fit in the locker. This frees up space in the locker for a rode with generous length of chain. I keep two fully rigged nylon/chain rodes in the locker, with primary bruce anchor on the roller and the secondary fortress on a bow pulpit bracket. This works very well for us.

[Kelly Hanson East]

Agree with the above that the weight of the anchor is of little importance other than to help get a good set. You should bring your motor up to 3000 rpm in reverse and count to 10 without moving to see how good your set really is - you shouldnt move at all, other than stretching your (non-chain) rode.

We have a Bullwaga on a bow roller on our with good experience in sand, grass, weeds, mud, shells, old NY politicians

[craiglaforce]

13# superhooker. works for me. once its down, back the engine with some authority to set it. If tide or wind will reverse then use a 2nd one 180 degrees in the other direction.