Anchor Keep / Sell Advice - What Would You Do ?

[sailorboy1]

Anchor threads, always worth some fun.

I always find it interesting when someone give cost as a reason. But we are talking about $200-300 for something that is so important for a cruising boat, which in my area is like 4-6 nights at a mooring.

It always seems to be apparent that if you only anchor once in a while during a weekend sail the anchor you have is good. But if you are going to use your anchor a lot and have really depend on it then you should get the biggest/baddest anchor you can and a couple dollars is cheap!

I vote for the Roca and the Fortness in this thread.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by foggysail

Now I don't disagree with Gordie ...
... pound/pound a 33 cannot compare to a 55 and size does matter even in anchoring.

Always a good policy.
Rocna anchors are sized in kilograms, hence a 25 weighs 55 pounds, and a 33 weighs 74 pounds.

[donradcliffe]

after dragging on a Bruce for 10 years, +1 on keeping the rocna and fortress, and selling off the Bruce and CQR.

[Fortress]

Originally Posted by colemj

And how does a 19# Fortress get those amazing holding figures? Mark

Mark,

I am glad you asked! We use precision-machining to sharpen the anchors so that they will bury very deeply in common sea bottoms among the fossils and dinosaur bones. That along with the large surface area of the two flukes adds up to greater resistance to pulling out, and in turn incredible holding power.

May I also make a case to DWJensen for keeping the FX-37?

• It is the most battle-tested anchor that we manufacture. In addition to its top performance in all of the independent anchor tests, the FX-37 has been the primary anchor aboard the US Coast Guard's 41' and 47' boats for many years, and it is the primary anchor aboard their new "state of the art" 45' Response Boat Medium (RBM).

• The FX-37 has the adjustable fluke angle feature (32° to 45°), and that 45° angle will dramatically improve the holding power in the soft mud bottoms of the Chesapeake Bay. We exhibit at the US Sailboat Show every year in Annapolis, and we talk with many experienced boaters in the area who regularly use that feature, and only the Fortress has it.

• We have an FX-37 in our lobby that was returned to us by a customer from the Miami area after Hurricane Andrew. This FX-37 held their 42' Silverton with a 25,000 lb displacement in winds reaching 140 mph that lasted for 3 hours.

My calculator ran out of zeroes when I tried to figure out the load, or force, that the anchor endured.

The flukes got mangled pretty well when they tried to retrieve it, as it must have been stuck on the core of the earth. I can send pics if you care to see them.

We are familiar with the sand bottoms in the Bahamas and Caribbean, which are in our backyard here in south Florida, and you can expect the FX-37 to perform admirably well for you in those bottoms when duty calls.

I hope this information sways the vote!

Be safe,
Brian Sheehan

Fortress Marine Anchors

[ActiveCaptain]

Originally Posted by Fortress

We use precision-machining to sharpen the anchors so that they will bury very deeply in common sea bottoms among the fossils and dinosaur bones. That along with the large surface area of the two flukes adds up to greater resistance to pulling out, and in turn incredible holding power.

That is exactly what I experienced. I couldn't get my other anchors (pre-Rocna) to hold in a hard, packed sand area in the Bahamas. I finally got it to grip but changing wind made it pop out as I swung around.

So I got out the Fortress and deployed it. It sliced through the hard sand with those sharp edges and grabbed right away. Swinging maintained a perfect hold for 5 days. I was sold.

I have to give the full story too - I mentioned before how great Fortress was as a company. Well the next year we switched to the FX55 in Charleston heading south to the Bahamas - I had learned to switch there. When leaving St. Augustine after being at the city marina for the first time I got nailed by the incredible current pushing us sideways. All I could do to maintain control was to put my bow against the concrete piling and use it to pivot against. My entire 80,000 lb boat used that Fortress as the point. It ended up bending the shank. It was a terrible situation and I've learned to be careful in St. Augustine.

So I'm in Ft. Lauderdale a couple of days later and a friend makes me lower the anchor into his truck. He heads over to the Fortress offices near there with money from me to replace the shank. They replace the shank, refuse the money, and polish up the entire anchor. I called them and said that it was my fault and I wanted to pay. They said that their anchor shouldn't ever bend and it was warranted for life.

I wish Fortress would make windlasses, engines, outboards, and entire boats. I'd buy anything they ever made and will tell everyone I know this story. Most companies could learn a lesson from this.

[boatman61]

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Fortress

I hope this information sways the vote!

I don't think anyone recommended against having a Fortress

Mark

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Fortress

I hope this information sways the vote!

Nope.... not swayed... my Bruces have served me well in the UK, Med, Caribbean, USA.... its not what you've got... its how you use it...

[Fortress]

Originally Posted by ActiveCaptain

I wish Fortress would make windlasses, engines, outboards, and entire boats. I'd buy anything they ever made and will tell everyone I know this story. Most companies could learn a lesson from this.

Thanks for the kind words Jeffrey. Very much appreciated!

Originally Posted by colemj

I don't think anyone recommended against having a Fortress. Mark

That good-looking guy with the stylish hat in post #3 did.

Originally Posted by boatman61

Nope.... not swayed... my Bruces have served me well in the UK, Med, Caribbean, USA.... its not what you've got... its how you use it...

So, so true. If everyone started with the right size anchor for their boat and simply "power set" it by backing down hard, and then used a good amount of scope, they'd be "A-OK" in most conditions.

Be safe,
Brian

Fortress Marine Anchors

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Fortress

That good-looking guy with the stylish hat in post #3 did.
Be safe,
Brian

Fortress Marine Anchors

OOhhhhh.... your so SMMOOOOOTTTHHHHHHH........
I'm still not buying one...

[Fortress]

Originally Posted by boatman61

OOhhhhh.... your so SMMOOOOOTTTHHHHHHH........
I'm still not buying one...

But I am going to buy one of those hats. I like the darker color as it will not show the sweat stains as badly as those lighter color ones.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Fortress

But I am going to buy one of those hats. I like the darker color as it will not show the sweat stains as badly as those lighter color ones.

Australian Bush hat... allegedly kangaroo skin.

[cfarrar]

Its not what you've got... its how you use it...

So why did you trade in your previous anchor for a Bruce?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by cfarrar

So why did you trade in your previous anchor for a Bruce?

My 1st boat had a Danforth and an old Seagull O/B.... One morning after stopping for a cooked B/fast at a Cafe just inside Poole Harbour on the Studland side I went to start the engine.. as usual... no joy so went through the rountine... while it was in bits the tide turned and the anchor flipped getting a pebble caught... now the tide there is pretty fierce and next thing we were being swept into the Harbour entrance.. no engine and not enough wind for the genny to do anything except flap... in no time what soever we were berthed alongside the chain ferry in the middle of the channel... great amusement for the passengers... great embarrassment for me.... never used a Danforth or Seagull since...
Oh.... great fun for the inshore lifeboat which had to tow me off as well....lol

[Fortress]

I posted a story from a sailor who had a similar circumstance to boatman61's in the Bahamas. Have a looksy at post #92:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...el-3037-7.html

Brian
Fortress Marine Anchors