Two anchors fit under the bowsprit....lets talk second anchor

[Johnknutson]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Not to pick too many nits but technically the trip line will be attached somewhere on the crown, not head, of the anchor, to pull it out backwards.

Thanks for setting me straight. I'm unfamiliar with some of the correct terminology.

[SV__Grace]

Originally Posted by Johnknutson

Great explanation. Is your anchor locker divided to accept two lengths of rode? Thanks!

The anchor locker on the Nauticat 43 is huge and was one of many selling points for what we intend to be our "forever" boat. However, it had no divider and the two rodes sat on the bottom side by side.

During our refit to prep for cruising we had the yard install a divider to create two sections, fore and aft. The aft section is for the primary chain rode where it feeds through the deck hawsepipe by the windlass, and the forward section has the secondary rope/chain rode and I also store my trip lines, spare snubbers on top of it.

Our secondary anchor is usually on the second bow roller attached to the chain leader which goes through a hole between the two hatch doors over the anchor locker.

Our anchor locker has two drain holes on either side, and is also home to our two propane tanks. I know this isn't optimum, but the bulkhead is sealed and it's the way the boat was designed in Europe by Sparkman and Stephens in the 80's.

[SV__Grace]

Originally Posted by Johnknutson

Thanks for setting me straight. I'm unfamiliar with some of the correct terminology.

John, I think Don's terminology correction was for me as I've referred to the "crown" as the "head" multiple times in this thread!

In reality, I prefer to attach the trip line to the forward part of the shank, in the direction of the crown/head of the anchor. It just seems less likely to get tangled or interfere but I have no real experience or information about that.

[AA3JY]

On our CR 34 bowsprit we have our original 35lb CQR and have added a 44lb Spade as well..

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by SV__Grace

I also have a Delta (dang, should have taken a comparison photo) and IRL the two anchors are more different in so many ways than similar. I use the Delta mostly for a Hammerlock Moor when needed, when I DON'T want a deep diving, strong holding anchor.

Yes, you SHOULD have taken that extra comparison pic.



-Chris

[SV__Grace]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Yes, you SHOULD have taken that extra comparison pic.

Challenge accepted! Photo below of my Delta and Excel side by side.

They are different sizes but their differences are readily apparent.

Here's some (non-expert!) observations and opinions:

- They both have a triangular shape (I know, that's just a gimme)

- The build quality is dramatically different. The Delta appears to be a simple design, easy to manufacture, and very affordable. The Excel seems like a work of art to me with so many purposeful details. It is NOT a simple anchor.

- The shank angle appears to be similar by eye (I didn't measure and don't know how!)

- The Excel has concave ears and flat surfaces all along both edges, while the Delta is clearly a plow that just has its ears sticking out. Manufacturer denies the Excel is a plow and says it's 70/30 convex/concave. A really interesting design that I think might amplify holding power.

- The Delta has a straight tip and sits flat on the ground. The Excel has a tip that curves downward that I imagine helps it set faster and dig deeper.

- The tip of the Excel is SS welded on and can be sharpened to retain its effectiveness.

- The Excel has cut outs with its name, etc and I imagine that's intentional and not for branding (a sticker or stamping is cheaper and what the others do), or to save weight or manufacturing costs, but I don't know.

- The Excel has a long shank, longer than a Delta of the same size.

- The Delta "ears" are flat and rounded, while the Excel's are squared and bend up at the ends, which I imagine might help with diving deep and holding, but that's just a guess.

- Both the Delta and Excel have a cross bar that I imagine is for strength. The Delta cross bar is a narrow rod and the Excels is a much larger tube.

And that's everything that I can spot. Please feel free to add your own observations and experiences with either or both of these anchors.

(I think it's time to take this discussion off this thread, so I'll add all this to a new post and we can have some fun)

[ranger58sb]

Nice job.

They still look pretty much the same, to me.

OTOH, I always liked the Delta design because it has no moving parts... and it worked well enough sometimes. It looks like the Excel is similar in that regard. If it were to actually hold the boat in soup/slime, that'd be the icing on that cake.

-Chris

[SV__Grace]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

OTOH, I always liked the Delta design because it has no moving parts... and it worked well enough sometimes. It looks like the Excel is similar in that regard. If it were to actually hold the boat in soup/slime, that'd be the icing on that cake.

-Chris

As a full time cruiser in PNW who love anchoring, I have high standards for my primary bower. If the Excel doesn't beat the Vulcan it's getting returned!

Thing about soft mud is that there's usually something firmer to hold onto underneath, so an anchor that dives deep and can penetrate harder substrates would be cool, and this design seems promising for that. My Fortress can be adjusted for soft mud as well, but it would be cool if one anchor did it all.

[Hverbeek]

Originally Posted by Paul L

In my opinion you are far better off to put the extra weight into your main anchor than to weigh your bow down with iron that you won't use. Have a fortress setup for a stern anchor. It can be used in the rare cases you add a stern anchor and as kedge that can easily be run out in a dinghy.
Weight in tn3e bow does nothing good for an offshore boat.

Well said Paul, assuming you have a windlass to totally avoid manual labour
I carried a small “ lunch hook “ for years up front and then realized that I didn’t trust it enough to swim let alone dingy some distance

[Johnknutson]

Originally Posted by SV__Grace

As a full time cruiser in PNW who love anchoring, I have high standards for my primary bower. If the Excel doesn't beat the Vulcan it's getting returned!

Thing about soft mud is that there's usually something firmer to hold onto underneath, so an anchor that dives deep and can penetrate harder substrates would be cool, and this design seems promising for that. My Fortress can be adjusted for soft mud as well, but it would be cool if one anchor did it all.

Stern anchor. I like the idea of a Fortress stern anchor. What should I consider when getting my rig set up. I assume it should be smaller than the heavy beast upfront. Thanks!

[SV__Grace]

Originally Posted by Johnknutson

Stern anchor. I like the idea of a Fortress stern anchor. What should I consider when getting my rig set up. I assume it should be smaller than the heavy beast upfront. Thanks!

Depends upon your boat, your cruising conditions, and your uses for your stern anchor.

For myself, that would be my kedge or emergency anchor that I would throw overboard in a pinch, so the Fortress is perfect for me and I keep it in a bracket with the rode attached to my stern cleat in a rode bag ready to deploy hands free. After deployment a line can be attached to the rode and run to the mid or forward cleat if needed.

And, works as a stern anchor when needed, of course!

Does that answer your question?

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Johnknutson

Stern anchor. I like the idea of a Fortress stern anchor. What should I consider when getting my rig set up. I assume it should be smaller than the heavy beast upfront. Thanks!

With the Fortress physical size is more the issue than weight. Get one large enough to work on your boat and small enough to row out in your dinghy to set when needed. Some chain to make it set, but rope for the most part so it is still manageable in the dink.
The Danforth style mounts make them pretty easy to store on deck or on the stern.

[SV__Grace]

My Fortress FX37 is (to me) huge, but plenty light to carry around. It's too big for all of the commercially available Foretress and Danforth style mounting brackets that I could find, but I was able to make it work on the Mantus anchor bracket and have it mounted on a stanchion next to the stern cleat and rode bag.

[Johnknutson]

Originally Posted by SV__Grace

My Fortress FX37 is (to me) huge, but plenty light to carry around. It's too big for all of the commercially available Foretress and Danforth style mounting brackets that I could find, but I was able to make it work on the Mantus anchor bracket and have it mounted on a stanchion next to the stern cleat and rode bag.

The anchor bracket looks like a sweet setup. It would work great for my boat. Thanks for the idea!