Anchors - (Fortress - Worlds Best?)

jibes138 · Dec 10, 2009

very subjective claim

danforth style anchors are great if they are set well and you have wind from one direction. Probably not very good in an eel grass or kelp bottom. shifting winds of high velocity may cause other problems. My backup anchor is a danforth type and I also use them for my dinghies. Usually I am sticking it in the bottom by hand for the dinghies, never used the backup on my large vessel. Had a catalina 25 for a bunch of years and used a danforth. It worked good sometimes. Other times not so good.
They can probably justify their claim based on one particular set of circumstances, but I think Maine Sail's movie is where you want to look. I doubt a fortress or danforth would even start to penetrate the asphalt and rolled gravel and clay parking lot where MS ran his test.

Don S/V ILLusion · Dec 10, 2009

The more you study (or use) different design anchors, the more convinced you will become there is no single best. For all the literature, Practical Sailor tests, home-made tests and personal experiences, some of which you will probably hear from others, there is no clearly superior anchor which fits all conditions. What works in sand doesn't work as well in mud, grass or rocky bottoms. The converse is also true. The Fortress brand is notorious for being flimsy but under certain bottom conditions can be superior to other much more hefty designs.

This debate has persisted for decades every time another so-called superior design comes along and there are so many comparison tests that it becomes ludicrous and then someone else comes along to do yet another test.

To me, it seems telling how most contemporary world cruising boats still use a CQR.

Maine Sail · Dec 10, 2009

Don S/V ILLusion said:
The more you study (or use) different design anchors, the more convinced you will become there is no single best.

Don is right there is no one "best" anchor. The Fortress is a great anchor IMHO, but, for known straight line pulls where you know you will not have a wind or tide shift. I use mine as a dedicated stern anchor and it is a great anchor for this use.

Every anchor manufacturer will tell you their anchor is the worlds best. They of course then neglect to tell you what the measurement criteria they used for "best" is.

Is it pure holding, re-setting, setting in hard bottoms, setting in soft bottoms, holding in soft bottoms, holding in hard bottoms, holding on rock, best self launcher, best all round anchor, strongest anchor, best warranty, best weight to holding ratio, best short scope anchor? Which "worlds best" fits the definition?

The Fortress is an extremely high holding power anchor but is a poor re-setter.

The link below is an interesting read by John Harries the owner of Attainable Adventure Cruising. I have had the opportunity to talk with John on a number of occasions he has over 100 nm of sailing and high latitude sailing under his belt. Heck, the last time I spoke with him we were discussing his Harken furler with 100k nm on it, so perhaps he and Phyllis have more than 100k nm..?.

This link is their experience and opinion on anchors. What works in one area may not work in another thus more than one type of anchor is a good idea. They mostly use a Spade these days which is another good quality new gen anchor..

John Harries - Gear Failures & Fixes, Anchoring (LINK)

Patrick17430 · Dec 10, 2009

Anchor Schmanchor

You just cant beat a 4000 lb. block of concrete with a mooring ball attached to the other end of it for getting a good night sleep on a boat. Especially when there's currents, tides wind or weather involved. My brain wont shut off on an anchor unless I have 2 off the bow and 1 off the Stearn. But I'm lazy. The best anchor is a marina guest dock w/power, water and a nice restaurant.

Rick Sylvester · Dec 10, 2009

World's best?

Clearly they've let their marketing people run amok.

I think it's a terrific anchor but not at all things as the other posters have noted.

We have a FX-37 for our 40', 20k lb. boat. We rode out a topical storm on it and our Bruce. I happen to think it's a pretty well made anchor. Don't necessarily equate strength with weight.

I would never use a fluke anchor (like the Danforth and Fortress) as a primary because it can fail to reset as Maine Sail and others have noted. I think it's a great anchor as a secondary and/or stern since it holds pretty tenaciously in one direction once properly set.

Johnb · Dec 10, 2009

In river deltas/lagoons where there are strong reversing tidal currents I set an alarm and keep watch until the boat has resettled when the tide changes. Strangely we have never once failed to reset duing the night, but I don't believe I will ever be able to just sack out through a tide change, the penalties for failure are too severe.

Steve Dion · Dec 10, 2009

I have to agree that the Danforth style anchors have very good holding ability in the right type of bottom. Even if there is a tidal or wind shift, they seem to hold/reset without issue.

Our problem has been when we try to use one on a grassy bottom. They may appear to hold but they tend NOT to reset.

Tom Spohn · Dec 10, 2009

I have had great results with the Fortress here in Puget Sound including 180 deg. resets. We have 12' average tides here so it is common to wake up facing the opposite way. I have never dragged or pulled the anchor out. But bottom conditions here are mostly mud with some muddy sand which is what the fortress likes. For gravel or weedy areas it will not set and I use a Davis Talon (plow) for those few times the bottom is not muddy. I find it a bit harder to set the anchor than some others. Works best to let out about 2x of rode and tug it (like hooking a fish) to start the set, then backing down to 5x and set it hard. Afterwards I can pull up to 3x if needed and the forecast is for light winds.
http://www.ussailing.org/safety/Anchor/anchor_study.htm#INDEX

Sailm8 · Dec 10, 2009

Not a Hijack just a question. We were on a charter, Hylas 49 with a CQR in I believe St Francis Bay near Cruz Bay on St John. It would not set in what appeared to be shallow sand over coral or hard rock. We are all experienced sailors well versed in setting anchors but this anchor was the only one available on the boat. I finally set the anchor by riding the anchor to the bottom and dragging it to a fissure in the bottom and wedging it in. No current rversals and fair weather so this was good enough. Almost drowned in 25 feet of water. We really never did set it in the traditional sense. I picked it up and walked it over to a spot I had seen, and I jammed in a crack. Is there any anchor that would have held in these conditions? I had to hand over hand down the chain to free the anchor in the AM. In our local sailing area we have muck that seems to hold any anchor.

shorty · Dec 10, 2009

I have a Fortress as a second anchor for which it is very well suited because it folds up compact, is lightweight for digging out of a lazarette. Used once off the stern. Primary is a CQR which many are fond of dissing but I have, so far, had good luck. A couple of difficult sets but otherwise good. Maine generally has good bottom for anchoring, not too many grassy or kelpy situations. If I ever take my hoped for 6 week cruise to Cape Breton & Newfoundland I will likely also purchase one of the newer designs as tested by Maine Sail.

Benny · Dec 12, 2009

Yes, I agree that Marina with hot showers and a restaurant is probably the best anchor.

RichH · Dec 12, 2009

Sailm8 said:
Not a Hijack just a question. We were on a charter, Hylas 49 with a CQR in I believe St Francis Bay near Cruz Bay on St John. It would not set in what appeared to be shallow sand over coral or hard rock. .

Much of the bottom of BVIs through to the Bahamas is a very thin layer of 'sand' over ancient coral or 'cochina'. No anchor is going to set in such a bottom and thats why there are so few 'anchorages' in these areas. That 'sand' isnt really sand either.... its teeny round bits of coral that the reef fish have chewed off the coral formations and isnt very good to anchor in because the 'sand' grains are 'round'; try to anchor in teeny ball-bearings laid over 'slabs of rock' and see how you 'set'.

My choice is a Spade anchor ... but it does not hold well in gooey muck, and no matter how long you let it 'settle in' and sink down before pulling strain on it. Notwithstanding gooey muck, nothing Ive ever used is as reliable for 'resetting itself' as the Spade. The Manson and Rocna are recent evolutions of the Spade so they might even be a bit better than the Spade, but simply cannot be mounted (chain roller) on most boats with bowsprits because the 'roll bar' is too big.
I used to use CQRs but they always seem to have a BIG problem in resetting, especially in reversing current/tide situations. IMHO, the CQR is the absolute worst anchor to use in very soft mud as the flukes are entirely too small.

For the 'gooey' anchoring situations that 'defy' my Spade anchor, my second anchor is a BIG Danforth/Fortress with an adjustable blade angle .... open fluke angle for 'gelatenous muck', shallow fluke angle for sand. The big problem with such Danforth types is the resetting ability in reversing currents; so, if the wind/tide shifts you really have to watch them .... OK to use in a 'Bahamian Moor' of 'two anchors out'.

FWIW ... always 'up-size' your anchor from the 'recommendations', as sometimes it blows harder than the 'anchor test specification'.