I have the budget version of fortress in my shed, never used. It's called a Guardian. I bought it at a boat jumble (remember them) the light weight aluminium construction is very useful it can be hurled some distance but unfortunately the boat it was intended for has now been sold.
Do you want to sell it?
Thanks Pete7. Kobra was one of the front runners for the replacement and they're reasonably priced. Quite a bit of talk on the Hunter forum (she's an Horizon 272) about whether one will fit in the anchor locker and there's not much room to have it permanently on the bow roller.We sold our Fortress FX 16 last year, still in the sealed box we had used it that much
Replaced it with a 13lb Danforth copy, all be it with a sticker saying Dutton-Lainson. They used to be really expensive at £150 for a 3Kg version. today cheap as chips on FB Market Place. I think we paid £20. We already had a spare rode so its ready to go with 50m of short chain and rope when needed.
I wouldn't get too hung up on good or bad Danforths or the copies, we just chose something that looked like it might penetrate the seabed and was light enough to be easily carried in case we need to use the dinghy to deploy it as a kedge.
I thought it was interesting watching Steve's videos, the fortress didn't do as well as I expected compared to the Danforths.
Since the budget is limited, you might search for a Kobra 2 anchor in place of the CQR copy. Might take a while to find a second hand one but the have a good reputation but without the bling and kudos price tags. You could always paint the tip yellow, fish won't notice the difference.
Pete
. Change the focus from Danforth to a decent reliable anchor - and then consider what for a second anchor.In his OP he does not mention seabed types, so I have to assume he might want or need to anchor in weed or there may be oyster shells in the mud.
I have freely admitted that my experience of a genuine Danforth is one occasion - it is very clear. I have mentioned that I carry 2 Fortress and use one of them when we anchor in a 'V' and the other when we anchor in soupy mud.
The OP made no mention of a windlass and retrieving 30m of 8mm chain and a Danforth anchor sitting on the bow of a 27' yacht will be hard work in any breeze.
What more can I say.
It merits note the OP opened by saying he had reasons that he wanted to carry a Danforth, which he did not initially explain - but I have to assume those reasons are valid to him. The OP also said or implied he wanted a genuine Danforth. There may be good copies but I don't know - I made my position clear - I've used a genuine one once. I have not noticed a rash of posts saying that any 'copy' Danforth is good (or bad) - how precisely do you define a copy that has no name on it.....?
The OP needs a decent reliable versatile modern anchor, I gave a list to choose from, once he has that anchor on board he can then decide if he wants a Danforth, or to my mind and many here would agree, a Fortress/Guardian.. I do think he should have a second anchor - it broadens his scope of seabeds in which he can anchor and a spare is always useful (people do lose anchors).
I choose aluminium anchors because they are light and I find, contrary to many who have never used an aluminium Spade or Excel, they work as well as their steel counterparts. I choose aluminium because our catamaran is weight sensitive and in the event that my windlass stops working (which it has done - (a self inflicted fault - loose cable) they are easy to retreive by hand.
I have no problem with others using steel anchors, their yachts might not be so weight sensitive. Aluminium anchors tend to be more expensive that their steel counter parts. But I don't think many on this forum carry full sized steel Danforths most if they want that style carry an aluminium Fortress/Guardian (despite the cost) - Many carry a Fortress/Guardian simply because it is aluminium and thus light as they want a second anchor but not the weight.
Summarising I have tried to point the member in a slightly different direction to his opening post, I have made little mention of my beliefs of anchor perfroaqmcne - except get one from my very broad list and then consider the Danforth type. If nothing else a genuine Danforth, or a recommended copy - in steel is going to be a devil to stow (on a 27' yacht - with 30m of 8mm chain).
To me the OP has 2 mistakes - focussing on a genuine Danforth (without defining why the Danforth) and buying the 30m of 8mm chain prior to requesting advise. The OP can live with the 30m of 8mm chain, hopefully he is young and has a good chiropractor
Stay safe, take care
Jonathan
Fortress . I have had to rely on my FX 11 more than once in rough conditions to say the least. So far as I am concerned it did the job and gets my vote. By the way neither me nor the lifeboat could haul it up when taking me in tow. On a previous time had to leave it behind and come back at low tide and dig it out. Boy was it buried in sand.
) Now we've got a cat with twin diesels, I rather think I'd rely on them more, but that's one of the things I need to try out this year.When we parked on a beach in our Snapdragon, I tended to set the kedge fairly well astern, and make sure it's well dug in - by hand after the tide's gone out, if necessary. That way I can use it to pull us off before we're fully afloat. (I don't do patient