Anchor..... Size it does matter?

[billwilletts]

Ok guys before I shove off in a week or so I am trying to think of the what-ifs. The anchor is sort of important! 56MY has a danforth now - honestly it looks really small for the boat but the PO swears its what they used but he never really used the boat. I can buy a brand new FX-55 for $500 from another boater. I was thinking of using that as the main since Fortress says its for 52-58 boats. It's a pretty good size anchor. Just right or overkill?

 

[Boatsb]

I love my fortresses. As a danforth style anchor its great. Having other types of ancbors is sometimes necessary depending on where you anchor but id grab the fortress anyway.

 

[Glory]

Bigger is always better, don't forget chain.

Don't cheap pit on anchor and rode.

Why is the guy selling the Fortress?

 

[bobk]

Bigger and heavier is always better when it comes to an anchor. And design is also important. A Danforth style is very good at holding if the load direction is constant. I've always been leery of the light weight anchors. They do not set well in a hard pack bottom and are less likely to re-set in a tidal change in something like the swift streams of the south east. My preference during the last 20+ years has been an adjustable SuperMax. The Bruce is also good, but you will get more bang for the buck with the MAX. Don't forget the chain. Hatteras went too light IMHO, but my style of use is probably not typical of the new boat Hatteras owner. Also don't forget the snubbers or bridle with chafing gear. In the what did I forget category, do you have an anchor drag alarm? An anchoring day shape (black ball) and a means to deploy it?

Bobk

 

[Pascal]

Fortress have excellent holding power in sand or mud but often do not rseet on a wind or tidal shift as they get clogged up with grass or mud. They re fine for day anchoring but I wouldn't not rely on one for overnight. Especially in the Carolinas where many anchorages are tidal.

55 is way too small for a boat that size anyway. I always upsize at least one size from the manufacturers charts

I ve been using Bruce / Claws for years now, anchoring all over the east coast from cape cod to the exumas... I ve weathered 60kts squalls a few times... we ve rafted up and held on a single claw dozens of time with boats as big as a Viking 74, swan 70... I m typing this anchored on the 84' Lazzara with a 58 tiara tied alongside on a 176 claw anchored off Chub Cay... 15kts plus current, holding perfectly. So yes size matter but anchor type even more

When my 53 is done, I ll put in a 110lbs claw... and even the 110lbs cost less than the used FX55 you re looking at

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

77 lb Ultra on a swivel plus a big-ass Master padlock, 100' of 1/2" hi-tensile chain, 300' of 7/8" 3 stranded nylon. Mostly mud around here and it holds solidly, but haven't tested it in a really hard blow. Please don't start with me on swivels.

Just kidding about the padlock, though. The anchor came with the boat. When I discovered how much it cost at the Ft. Lauderdale boat show past fall, I decided I was more scared of losing it than piling up on the rocks. You can BELIEVE I attach a trip line and float and use a snubber. Might add a strobe and an EPIRB.

It sure does shine-up pretty.

 

[Glory]

I also like the claw, I have a 110 an all chain, 3/8".

Never had an issue, often several boats rafted to me.

 

[billwilletts]

$500 for the Fortress FX-55. I guess i will use that as my main and keep the Danforth as a backup

 

[MikeP]

Our FX55/53MYhas proven absolutely bulletproof in the Chesapeake bay. The only bad point about the anchor is that it SERIOUSLY digs in and sometimes it takes 10 minutes of jockying around directly above the anchor to work it loose. It has never pulled loose, even when substantial winds/tides moved the boat in the opposite direction from that in which it was set.

Obviously, the critical thing is the proper anchor for the bottom in the area you will cruise. We used a plow in Long Island sound and it was great. But it dragged almost every time we used it after moving to the Chesapeake. One morning we found ourselves 1000 feet - nearly 1/4 mile down stream in the Corsica River, up against a bunch of driftwood at a curve in the river! That was the last time the plow was attached to our (all chain) rode!

IMO, the best thing is to check with folks in your cruising area that anchor out a lot and ask what they use. I went with the Fortress 55 because it was recommended by a fellow marina person who 58MY weekend was the "anchor boat" on raft ups with as many as 10 boats and never had it drag.

 

[SEVEN]

Bill, those are great anchors but I will take the recommendation of all of the I formation listed on this post. There is nothing wrong with Terry in two different front anchors. I have a CQR 60 pound and a Danforth 45 pound. Depending on where I anchor I pick the one that is best for that bottom.

 

[motoryacht lover]

I have a 54 Viking and had a fortress fx55 all chain rode. I had 7-1 scope out and drug like I was underway in a bad storm at cape lookout. Since then I got a 110 lb Bruce for the main and kept the fortress as backup. My boat weighs apprx 75000 lbs and I don't think 55lb fortress is enough anchor.

 

[Pascal]

Again problem with the FX is resetting. It will hold incredibly well but usually will not reset on a shift. Been there, done that, got the scare.

Regardless of the anchor you use, there is zero excuse for not usine get an anchor alarm. Even with the 176 lbs monster, I never go to bed without dragQueen on my phone or iPad. Never. Ever. The iPhone/pad gets good reception thru a deck or hull.

Plows like delta and cqr simply do not hold well in soft mud. There is a spot off key Biscayne that has an area of soft mud, the damn delta simply doesn't hold. The Bruce/claw just digs in and buries itself

Deltas are good in place with a thin layer of sand over coral or rock. The point will usually catch something before a Bruce can.

Ps we anchor about 200 times a year... in a typical month in the Exumas we usually spend just 3 or 4 nights at a dock

 

[bigbill]

i have an fx55 on my 58 yachtfish with 15 feet of 3/8 chain, it has never pulled loose. even when i had 2 other boats tied to me and we swung more the 360 degrees..a lap and a half to be exact

 

[brico]

Gents I would like to give you some figures to chew on before going overboard with anchor and chain sizes. I used to sail on ocean going vessels for 20 years before I started boating and I've recently used this comparison to explain our guys onboard gigantic ocean going container vessels 1100 feet long on how their anchors and windlasses compare to small boats because every now and then they do screw up and wreck windlasses or lose entire chain.

37 Feet Hatteras 1100 Feet long Container vessel
Displacement 16 tonnes. Displacement 132485 tonnes
Draft 4 feet Draft 45 feet (windage not even mentioned, brrrrrr)
Mine anchor weight 0.018 tonnes Anchor weight 18.375 tonnes
5/8"chain link diameter Anchor chain link diameter 5"
Windlass pull 0.272 tonnes. Windlass pull 65 tonnes
Chain MBL 3.45 tonnes. Chain MBL 1003 tonnes
Chain length 300 feet. 1072 feet

They often anchor at depths of 80 - 200 feet

MLB stands for Maximum breaking Load
Container vessel has displacement 8280 times heavier
Anchor weight 1020 times heavier
Windlass pull 239 times stronger
Chain MBL 290 times stronger
Who has stronger windlass or chain?

 

[krush]

One of them magazines did a test of anchors in the Chesapeake mud....they said the fortress digs itself down into the mud up to 20 feet !!!!! No wonder it is so hard to get out, when it's buried 20 feet below the mudline!

 

[willpelton]

After Bill Willets gets his anchor choice figured out you guys tell me what to hang off the front of my little 31' cruiser that weighs 13,000#.
It needs to be shiny so keep that in mind when making your suggestions.

 

[billwilletts]

ought Fortress FX55 - $500. I am going to use it as my main and the Danforth 5000 as a backup. Incidentally - Danforth didn't make the 5000 model - it was made by Rule for Danforth. i have no idea what the rating is on it. anybody else have one?

 

[Boatsb]

After Bill Willets gets his anchor choice figured out you guys tell me what to hang off the front of my little 31' cruiser that weighs 13,000#.
It needs to be shiny so keep that in mind when making your suggestions.

Little fortress.

Look at the website. I think there's a fx11 and fx 16. Both are great for the size and weight.

 

[willpelton]

Thanks Scott on my way to that website now. "Little Fortress" that's a great name for a boat !