Kedge: Danforth HT vs. Fortress

[RainDog]

Curious what people think about a Danforth HT compared to a Fortress for a kedge anchor?

The weight advantage of the Fortress seems compelling if you have to dinghy it out. I wonder if the HT is less likely to bend under a hight load that the Fortress. I also wonder in higher weight of the HT makes it more likely to set. The little evidence I have seen so far makes me think the Fortress actually sets better.

I am having a hard time choosing between a Fortress FX-16 or a 12H or 20H Danforth HT.

Boat is 42' and about 40,000 lbs.

[Don C L]

As a long time and die hard user of the Danforth Hi Tensiles, I can say they sure work well in soft and hard sand for me! Once set, and mine always set fast, pretty hard to beat. BUT, I have not used a Fortress and I hear and read lots of good things about them. One advantage the Fortress has, besides weight, is the ability to change the fluke angle which I find intriguing. Check their website.
I am assuming you will have some chain on the anchor, no? The chain will be the weight to help it set. I know even with the Danforths, dragging them too fast will cause them to skip.
So even though I ain't giving up my Danforths, I guess I'd recommend the Fortress. One plus for Danforths though is that since folks don't seem to want them anymore, you can get 'em pretty cheap!
Oh and for your boat go for the 20H in Danforth if you go that route.

[a64pilot]

I had a Danforth HT, gave it away and bought a Fortress, that has never been used yet.
So far as excess stress, gut thinks a Danforth HT will flex, but a fortress will bend, but Fortress has probably the best warranty going.
Reason was weight. I don’t expect to use chain either for a Kedge anchor

[Bill O]

Always had a Danforth HT (or deep set HT) as a working anchor on many boats and it held well through many storms. On our current boat we have a Fortress as a back up primary.

If it is solely going to be used as a kedge anchor would go for the Fortress for the following reasons:
Can be disassembled for storage (fairly quick assembly if proper wrenches are kept in bag),
Will not rust,
Lifetime guarantee (if you bend a shank will give you a new one),
Generally larger flukes and adjustable angle of flukes for mud/sand.

Would possibly look at a FX-23 (minimum) for your size boat since I'm assuming 40K# is probably a dry weight spec. and 1/2 or 3/4 load will be much more. Down side of getting the bigger Fortress is now you are getting to a similar weight as the Danforth. The large Fortress surface area is what you want in that instance to pull your boat off whatever you type of shoal you are stuck on.

Bill O.

[steve77]

Danforth makes a great anchor, but I also recommend the Fortress. We have an FX-37 stowed in the cockpit locker, and I have kedged us off of the rocks with it. It is a surprisingly strong anchor. Also, when our windlass was inop, I used the Fortress as our primary anchor since I could raise it by hand. It worked for a short-term solution.

For all the reasons given by others, and from my experience actually kedging our 28 ton vessel, I can't say enough good things about it.

Cheers!

Steve

[sv whiteout]

I carry all 3 of those on a Tartan 30 in addition to a 10 KG Bruce. I haven't needed the Fortress yet.

john

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I had a Danforth HT, gave it away and bought a Fortress, that has never been used yet.
So far as excess stress, gut thinks a Danforth HT will flex, but a fortress will bend, but Fortress has probably the best warranty going.
Reason was weight. I don’t expect to use chain either for a Kedge anchor

Did you really want to use that anchor with no chain at all?

I use a Fortress for the stern anchor. It has always set and held well. But I recommend using at least a few feet of 1/4" chain - I guess I have about 25 feet on mine. Regardless of the anchor weight or type, any anchor needs to have a low pull angle to get it set quickly. *The weight of chain is not significant since you are only having to lift about 6 feet of it at any one time, as you lower it or raise out of the dinghy.*

Sure that small length of chain does little if nothing to help the anchor stay set after you are putting a lot of tension on the rode, but the chain is there for the initial set when you pull gently and the chain weight helps keep the pull horizontal at the anchor.

[LouK]

Practical-Sailor has done some really great anchor evaluations, give them a read

[Bill O]

One of the key points to set a Danforth style anchor was to allow the shank to lie horizontal w/the seabed to allow the flukes to settle in properly before attempting to set the anchor. A small amount of chain can help, but also allowing for a good scope before attempting to set it. We had crew learn this the hard way when they could not get a Danforth to set. After the 3rd time I went forward, allowed enough scope, and it set immediately.


Bill O.

[contrail]

Originally Posted by waterman46

Did you really want to use that anchor with no chain at all?

I use a Fortress for the stern anchor. It has always set and held well. But I recommend using at least a few feet of 1/4" chain - I guess I have about 25 feet on mine. Regardless of the anchor weight or type, any anchor needs to have a low pull angle to get it set quickly. *The weight of chain is not significant since you are only having to lift about 6 feet of it at any one time, as you lower it or raise out of the dinghy.*

Sure that small length of chain does little if nothing to help the anchor stay set after you are putting a lot of tension on the rode, but the chain is there for the initial set when you pull gently and the chain weight helps keep the pull horizontal at the anchor.

Interestingly, when I talked to the Fortress folks about twenty some years ago (when I first bought my FX37), they said that ideally one would use SS cable (wire), rather than chain, for those first few feet. Apparently, chain's resistance to burying counteracts it's weight, whereas the wire is easily pulled down through the sand, by the anchor. I haven't talked to them since...interesting to see if they still feel that way, but it did make sense. They conceded that chain was much more easily stowed, also true.

[Seighlor]

The Danforth HT has long been a favorite and I presently use one as my second bow anchor. I've lost two Fortress anchors in storm situations where the anchors held but needed to be cut free. Though both are great anchors, I'd recommend the Fortress for use as your kedge anchor, simply for its ability to be more easily stowed than the Danforth.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by waterman46

Did you really want to use that anchor with no chain at all?



I use a Fortress for the stern anchor. It has always set and held well. But I recommend using at least a few feet of 1/4" chain - I guess I have about 25 feet on mine. Regardless of the anchor weight or type, any anchor needs to have a low pull angle to get it set quickly. *The weight of chain is not significant since you are only having to lift about 6 feet of it at any one time, as you lower it or raise out of the dinghy.*



Sure that small length of chain does little if nothing to help the anchor stay set after you are putting a lot of tension on the rode, but the chain is there for the initial set when you pull gently and the chain weight helps keep the pull horizontal at the anchor.

I’ve never used the thing, it exists for me to put into the dinghy and carry out to Kedge off, for when I get stupid and run aground.
Most likely to happen in the ICW mud I think.
Assumption is it should set with enough scope, and if your winching on the ting to get the boat off, I’ll have an insane amount of scope.
I’ve not anchored with anything except my stupid oversized Rocna since getting it.
Boat came with a CQR and a Danforth HT. Now from my bringing up, I would have told you that the sun rises and sets on a Danforth, but we always , always anchored in sand.

From my little experience with it, I didn’t like the CQR all that much, drag it all over the place and sometimes it would sort of set, unless you backed down hard, then your off plowing again

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by RainDog

Curious what people think about a Danforth HT compared to a Fortress for a kedge anchor?

The weight advantage of the Fortress seems compelling if you have to dinghy it out. I wonder if the HT is less likely to bend under a hight load that the Fortress. I also wonder in higher weight of the HT makes it more likely to set. The little evidence I have seen so far makes me think the Fortress actually sets better.

I am having a hard time choosing between a Fortress FX-16 or a 12H or 20H Danforth HT.

Boat is 42' and about 40,000 lbs.

I'll just repeat what I have several times on this forum:
Anchored in Florida waiting to cross the stream we were hit by a 6 am micro burst event. We had been anchored there a week. Standing in my underwear with ski googles on so I could see through the horizontal rain, the anemometer was pegged at 70 mph. The engine was running full throttle against the wind to keep from dragging but we continued slowly toward the shore. Finally when the depth sounder showed near the same depth as our keel, I went forward and literally threw the Fortress FX37 in the water. It had about 20 feet of chain on it. I snubbed it off and it held fast immediately saving our 47 ft boat.
A half hour later, it was dead calm out. The news said two 18 wheelers had been turned over on the freeway nearby. Evidently it was a couple of tornadoes along with various mico bursts.
Prior to that I had mixed feelings about aluminum due to the light weight.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Bill O

...Down side of getting the bigger Fortress is now you are getting to a similar weight as the Danforth....

Not if you are comparing similar area and holding capacity. Not even close.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by contrail

Interestingly, when I talked to the Fortress folks about twenty some years ago (when I first bought my FX37), they said that ideally one would use SS cable (wire), rather than chain, for those first few feet. Apparently, chain's resistance to burying counteracts it's weight, whereas the wire is easily pulled down through the sand, by the anchor. I haven't talked to them since...interesting to see if they still feel that way, but it did make sense. They conceded that chain was much more easily stowed, also true.

I've used a Dyneema leader with a chafe cover for some years. Though I would not do this for a primary anchor, it works a treat on a kedge or secondary anchor.

• Light
• Easiest to handle in a dinghy by a mile
• Easiest to stow
• Thin for deep setting
• Very difficult to cut with the cover

https://www.practical-sailor.com/iss...e_12465-1.html