2 anchors or just 1 ready to go?

[Mike OReilly]

I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with carrying two anchors on the bow, ready for deployment. If you can do it, why not? But I agree with DH; it's better to maximize your bower anchor than to rely on two smaller, or less effective ones.

As I mentioned, I carry four anchors on my boat. I also have three independent anchor rodes. I also think it's important to have a backup anchor that is quickly deployable. I accomplish this with my stern anchor.

[A la carte]

As with many things in life, I would prefer to be ready to go and never need it instead of need it and find myself unprepared.

44' Pacific Seacraft. In a big blow on Block Island, I used both bow anchors and was glad I did; enjoyed a good nights sleep. Now, in the Pacific NW and because of the frequent rocky bottom, I'm changing my second bow anchor to a claw. Due to the need to stern anchor in the PNW, I installed a Mantus stern anchor bracket for my smaller Manson in order to simplify deployment. So, to answer the OP question, all three are ready to go.

[valhalla360]

Always had 2 on rollers ready to deploy.

Handy when one doesn't catch in soft muck to just drop the fortress. If we had to pull out and assemble, good chance we would just hope rather than switch.

We also occasionally used both when in an area with reversing currents.

Handy if you can accommodate it.

[noelex 77]

In the days of older generation anchors it was almost universal for a cruising boat to carry two anchors on the bow. In more recent times most users have adopted an approach of consolidating the weight of these two anchors into a larger single modern anchor on the bow. I think this strategy has a lot of merit providing simplicity and greater holding power with less weight on the bow (a very significant weight reduction if the second rode is also eliminated).

The primary reason for this change is the availibility of modern anchors that work well in large range of substrates, combined with widspread availability of powerful electric anchor winches that enable even a small crew to manage a heavy anchor with ease. The other factor is the much larger fluke area of modern anchor designs that make fitting two modern anchors impractical even if you limit these to the recomended size.

A large, single primary bow anchor is an excellent solution and is superior in my view to the compromise of two lessor anchors.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

A "ready to go" Fortress saved my 47 foot boat in a 70 mph wind squall while anchored just as the rudder was starting to tap the bottom toward the beach. . If you dont have double anchors on the bow, have one rigged and ready. I stored this Fortress on a bracket on the pulpit.

Here's what happened: The first anchor did not fail. It had been anchored for about a week. In 70 mph+ wind it came out with the bottom still attached to it! In fact after the event, when retrieved, it was a ball of bottom material about 18 inches in diameter. You could only see the shank. I had to scrape the bottom off it.
There would have been no time to assemble an anchor. I was standing at the helm in my skivvies at 5:30 am, the rain was horizontal so I had my sunglasses on to protect the eyes. The engine was maxxed at 2600 rpm. The boat stern was still moving toward the beach with an occasional bump.
That morning two 18 wheelers were overturned on the freeway in the same sudden storm cell.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Here's what happened: The first anchor did not fail. It had been anchored for about a week. In 70 mph+ wind it came out with the bottom still attached to it! In fact after the event, when retrieved, it was a ball of bottom material about 18 inches in diameter. You could only see the shank. I had to scrape the bottom off it.
There would have been no time to assemble an anchor. I was standing at the helm in my skivvies at 5:30 am, the rain was horizontal so I had my sunglasses on to protect the eyes. The engine was maxxed at 2600 rpm. The boat stern was still moving toward the beach with an occasional bump.
That morning two 18 wheelers were overturned on the freeway in the same sudden storm cell.

My bower has held up through 50+ knots sustained in some pretty ugly and long Newfoundland gales. But if I was seeing 70 knots I'd be tossing out other hooks as well! That's a hurricane.


Oh wait, I see you say 70 mph ... still damn close to hurricane status.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

My bower has held up through 50+ knots sustained in some pretty ugly and long Newfoundland gales. But if I was seeing 70 knots I'd be tossing out other hooks as well! That's a hurricane.


Oh wait, I see you say 70 mph ... still damn close to hurricane status.

I think it was a tornado inspired event:
Dead still.
What's that noise?
5 mins later; Boat suddenly heeled 20-25 degrees at anchor.
Blinding rain and a roar.
Engine started. Me near naked. Hard rain on skin!
Anemometer pegged at 70 mph. Doesn't read higher.
Good morning!

[MAJICDAN]

I have a Gulfstar 53 MS.
We usually travel 5000-6000 miles a year.
I have a 135 pound mantis on 200 3/8 chain and 400 ft 1inch rode for my main anchor.
I also have a Fortresses FX-125 on the bow on 200 ft 3/8 chain
Since I bought the Mantus I have not used the Fortress.
I am thinking of storing it in the rope locker.
We have been at anchor during storm winds of 90 mph without a problem.
I have a mooring bracket to deploy three anchors all in different directions for hurricanes
I carry four anchors all together

[ChrisPuget]

As usual, Mike OReilly has it right.

[Nicholson58]

58 Camper & Nicholson with #104 Rocna primary and #54 Bruce. Bruce has only been out once in eight years. Bruce can only be dropped after the Rocna is out. A good primary is everything!

[JusNow]

FWIW my second anchor, a Fortress FX-37 saved my boat, a 43' Perry Cat, in Panama.

While at anchor in about 10' of water near Isla Linton the wind backed around to out of the west - wide open to the ocean. (That never happens there!) The anchorage was not my first choice, but the main anchorage was too full for safe anchoring.

My primary anchor, a 44lb spade w/275' of 3/8"BB, was nicely dug, in but as the wind freshened I noticed the guy in a big aluminum cat next to me throw out a second anchor.

I thought, why not? My FX-37 with 30' of 3/8"BB and two hundred feet of nylon, lived on the bow pulpit so it was easy to deploy. I threw it overboard and as I went back to the chain locker to pay out more rode I realized that we were, ever so slowly dragging through the mud. About 100 yards in back of us was a reef so there was little margin for error.

I had told my wife that if we started to drag again we would abandon the anchors and go out and jill around until the wind stopped. Fortunately the Fortress held.

Three days, and long sleepless nights later, after 40K of wind and 4' waves, the wind clocked around to the N-NE and the waves subsided.

We re-anchored in a more sheltered spot. Then, of course, my windlass failed. Good timing!

Needless to say on our next boat we had an even larger Fortress deployed on the bow ready to go.

[AJ_n_Audrey]

I currently have a dual roller on the bowsprit, but when I rebuild the anchor platform, I will likely go to a single roller, because I only carry my Manson Supreme 45lb up there, with a Fortress FX-23 stored below disassembled. I might switch to a Spade as primary, but if I do, I will still only have one anchor on the bow roller, with the Manson stored below.

[nofacey]

Have 2 anchors complete with 2 rodes & 2 windlasses on bow, one stern anchor on aft pulpit. During a 6 year circumnavigation, second bow anchor got used exactly once, and having it ready to go wasn’t a great gain.

If my boat couldn’t handle 2 rigged bow anchors, I wouldn’t sweat it, as long as I had a solid plan for getting it on deck in a blow.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger

Take a look at my article published in Good Old Boat magazine in 2017. A method of using two anchors.
A drag proof method of anchoring
JR.

Very similar to what I call "tandem anchors" In this article on my website from 1998. Scroll down to the tandem anchor sketch.
ICW_Ground Tackle, How to, anchors, rope and chain

[JusNow]

If you store your anchor below, particularly if it is disassembled, consider how much stuff will be stacked on top that you will have to move -and then find all of the parts- when you need it.



One of the nice things about Fortress anchors is that they don't really weigh very much. Mine would not fit well on the dual anchor rollers, but it hung on the bow pulpit without any problems; and it was right there when I needed it.