Is my anchor adequate

[capta]

Capta, If I have read the design specifications on the Fortress correctly, they have designed a greater angle for the flukes than the Danforth. This give the Fortress better dig and holding power for a physically lighter weight anchor. It digs into mud, sand, and silt better than the Dansforth and many of their competitors. They also give you a lighter anchor so it is easier to handle. It comes a part so it is easier to stow. All good properties until you anchor in a place that is not favorable to it's design or it is apart, stowed in pieces and is needed in a hurry.

We have actually practiced assembling the Fortress and we've got it down to around 4 minutes, which seems fine considering our #1 is an 88# Rocna on ½"chain. That's a lot less time than we would need to get our #3, #4 or #5 anchor out of the lazarette.

 

[Fortress]

Capta, If I have read the design specifications on the Fortress correctly, they have designed a greater angle for the flukes than the Danforth. This give the Fortress better dig and holding power for a physically lighter weight anchor. It digs into mud, sand, and silt better than the Dansforth and many of their competitors.

John, thanks for your comment. The Fortress has an adjustable shank / fluke angle: 32° for common sea bottoms and 45° to dramatically improve the holding capacity in soft mud.

As a side note, making an anchor with a wider shank /fluke angle to improve the holding in soft mud is no great secret to only Fortress, as Bruce, the US Navy, and Vryhoff are all large anchor manufacturers who have models with this wider angle design feature.

 

[JimInPB]

My experience with aluminum & steel versions of "danforth style" anchors is this –

There are A LOT of times when I really appreciate the reduced weight of aluminum over steel. Steel & aluminum anchors of the same dimensions both seem to hold about as well when both are dug in properly. The reduced weight density of the aluminum sometimes lets me go to a larger size anchor that will hold better than a steel anchor of the same weight. In somewhat hard bottoms, the aluminum will sometimes not dig in, where the steel will. When the anchor is dug in firmly in a strong bottom, the better quality steel anchors seem to resist bending better than the aluminum anchors do, when the tide/wind shifts. When you open up the angle on the aluminum anchors, they do hold much better in soft mud but they then have a much harder time getting a bite in any bottom that is not very soft.

I own both steel & aluminum “danforth style” anchors. I continue to use both types. I also own other types of anchors & use them sometimes, depending on conditions.

 

[py26129]

@Fortress. Thank you for the feedback on the videos. Your insight is much appreciated

 

[seadaddler]

Know matter what anchor you use more chain will make it so much better,Ihave 90' of chain and mostly only use 50 to60 feet of chain and the chain really increases the holding of my anchor.
I always sleep real good overnight.
Nick

 

[uncledom]

Jack, I have the same boat more or less and the 9 ton you quote is the manufacturer's spec dead empty. I have weighed my boat on two different lifts and with full fuel and empty every thing else plus the things you don't take off for the winter it comes in at 12 tons almost on the nose. I figure in running form with water, food, bodies, and the like I easily hit 27 thousand pounds! I never slept well until I bought a Mantus 65lb. anchor. I sized it as a storm anchor which makes it suitable for lunch too, imagine that. I hated carrying 4 anchors. Now this is the only one on the bow and there's one fortress for the stern which I've never gotten wet.

 

[Fortress]

My experience with aluminum & steel versions of "danforth style" anchors is this –

There are A LOT of times when I really appreciate the reduced weight of aluminum over steel. Steel & aluminum anchors of the same dimensions both seem to hold about as well when both are dug in properly. The reduced weight density of the aluminum sometimes lets me go to a larger size anchor that will hold better than a steel anchor of the same weight. In somewhat hard bottoms, the aluminum will sometimes not dig in, where the steel will. When the anchor is dug in firmly in a strong bottom, the better quality steel anchors seem to resist bending better than the aluminum anchors do, when the tide/wind shifts. When you open up the angle on the aluminum anchors, they do hold much better in soft mud but they then have a much harder time getting a bite in any bottom that is not very soft.

I own both steel & aluminum “danforth style” anchors. I continue to use both types. I also own other types of anchors & use them sometimes, depending on conditions.

Jim, thanks for your input, our nearby neighbor in Palm Beach. Here's the conclusions page from the US Navy anchor test report which compares the Danforth and Fortress materials and performance during this testing.



The result of this test was that the US Navy selected the Fortress model FX-125, our largest anchor, for the new Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) which is pictured on the bow in the image below: