Are you hankering after, or buying, a new anchor?

[noelex]

They seem so similar... I've used a Danforth on a number of occasions but have never trusted it to reset at the turn of the tide.

In my view, this is one of the limitations of Danforth/Fortress anchors that makes this design not suitable as a primary anchor.

However, they are fantastic as second anchors, especially the lighter weight aluminium versions. This can be very easily rowed out in the tender, or even swum out, if the need arises.

The Fortress anchor has dominated this market, and it is superb in this role, although it is expensive, especially when considering a secondary anchor is often not used frequently.

There have been less expensive versions of aluminium Danforth anchors available for some time and it has always been surprising to me that they have not been more popular. If you need to economise on anchoring equipment, it is more sensible to do this with the secondary rather than the primary anchor.

I suspect part of the reason for the lack of popularity of the cheaper alternatives is that they have not been promoted to any extent. If the Lewmar model is well priced it will shake up the market a bit.

 

[Yngmar]

However, they are fantastic as second anchors, especially the lighter weight aluminium versions. This can be very easily rowed out in the tender, or even swum out, if the need arises.

+1

Our boat came with a large Guardian (lower cost version of the Fortress - same manufacturer). We've used this as kedge/stern anchor on a few occasions, and it's setting distance and holding power are excellent, while light enough to deploy by dinghy or even swim out tied to a fender. Just watch those fingers - it likes to bite (don't get fingers between articulated flukes and shank). Would recommend to anyone shopping for a good kedge anchor. The Lewmar photo looks identical down to the details of the mudflaps - did a patent expire?

 

[Neeves]

I am not aware that there are current patents that would deter anyone entering the market with a product similar to Fortress and Guardian.

The Guardian was introduce to deter competitors - it is cheaper.

The Guardian is not anodised. its flukes are not bevelled/sharpened and its shank is a bevelled rectangular piece of aluminium - whereas the Fortress shank 'thins' in both thickness and width from crown to shackle slot. The shackle hole on a Guardian is circular and either you need to use a very small, and undersized, shackle to allow bow of shackle through the slot or you need to have the clevis pin through the hole (and then another shackle to allow the chain to be attached). The numbers are slightly ambiguous - one might think the G23 is the same size as the FX23 - as far as I can tell the Guardian range is smaller than the Fortress range.

I have never seen anyone commenting negatively of the Guardian, or no more so than the Fortress.

Fortress have carved a niche which has looked attractive - but no-one has really knocked them off their perch. There was a Fortress clone The Bulldog (I think with UK origins) - which sank. Manson have their Racer and there is, or was, the FOB Light (or Lite). But Fortress has been tenacious and outlived and outsold them all. They have carved a niche on bow rollers in America, despite the apparent defects of not re-setting in a change of tide (a comment that might be also true of CQR, Delta, Brittany, Danforth - and all of these have been successful and still adorn bow rollers), are used on virtually every racing yacht and are carried as second anchors by many (or even the second anchor of choice).

Because they have not embraced offshore manufacture, nor have they innovated despite their strong market position, they are vulnerable to attack from any number of quarters - and Lewmar is well placed.

I suspect timing is simply accidental - its Lewmar seeing an opportunity and have all their ducks in a row.

I'm not sure we will see major price reductions - current prices seem(ed) to offer Fortress a sensible business model - and like CMP in the past - the financial incentives may fall the way of the chandlers, higher profits, consignment stock - though some discounts may be offered iniitially.

I find it diffident to see how Fortress can compete in the longer term - unless they too look to offshore manufacture.

The steel anchors offer a different scenario. A Delta or Kobra will (or do) cost the same (or very similar) to make as a Rocna, Mantus or Epsilon. Unless Epsilon has a technical edge market penetration will need some imaginative effort which might include interesting discounts.. So hold off- if you are in the market.

I wonder if there was a hit to pride when all the new Shannon Class RNLI boats were equiped with certificated SHHP Spades (and prominently secured on the foredeck) - when historically they carried Delta.

Jonathan