tandem anchors

[Richard]

I have been forced to use anchors in tandem (end to end, chain rode to aft of foremost anchor) for emergency (hurricane) conditions, mainly because they were all I had. I have used Combinations of Bruce + Fluke and Plow + Fluke. I experienced some dragging on a mud bottom in 130 mph Hurricane Ivan. I am considering investing in a Fortress or Guardian storm anchor. Would I be better off with the equal weight in the form of a single anchor or an "el grande" aluminum anchor? (37 feet LOA, 18k disp. cutter, no windlass, bad back)RS

 

[Brian Sheehan, Fortress Anchors]

I think that a multiple anchor deployment is the safest way to go for hurricane conditions, and we certainly got some experience this year here in Florida with 4 major blows hitting our state. You can check out a "secondary anchoring guide" on our web site for more details: http://www.fortressanchors.com/2nd_anchor.htmlRS, considering your boat, current anchors, and bad back, I would consider an FX-37 for a storm anchor. This is a well battle-tested anchor for boats of your size, and we have one here at the office that was brought back after it held a 42' Silverton during Hurricane Andrew.....no small task! This anchor weighs only 21 lbs., so it should be manageable even with a good length of chain.I would consider a 3 point bow deployment (on that web page), with the FX-37 as your main anchor forward off the bow into the wind, and the other 2 anchors set off 90 degrees from port and starboard.