Deep Breath - anchor thread

[snowleopard]

Presumably because of the failure to set? Or the potential recovery problems? Anything else?

The Fortress is an excellent anchor in specific circumstances and has the great advantage of being lightweight and easy to stow (especially when dismantled) - There would be no chance of finding space for the steel equivalent of my FX37. Because of my negative experiences of getting it to bite and getting it out once it has done, I do not consider it a good general-purpose anchor. The Delta I regularly use has always set first time and has only dragged in 3 very specific circumstances:

Shallow sand over rock
Heavy kelp
Liquid mud

I notice there has been no comment on use of chain v rope; I would expect most kedges to be used with rope and little or no chain. I considered that was possibly the cause of failure to set when attempting to 'kedge off'.

 

[dom]

I'm glad you see it that way, because I have found the input form Fortress very helpful indeed in progressing my own thinking about my next move (if any) on the anchor front.

Dom - excellent suggestion to ask the question here!

No well done you; you kept the question nice and tight and we've all learnt something :encouragement:

 

[Serin]

No well done you; you kept the question nice and tight and we've all learnt something
:encouragement:

A kind comment, Dom. Much appreciated! And much food for thought......

 

[Tippex]

I had a Fortress before and found it was would hold in sand/single when the Delta wouldn't. My new boat comes with 40m 10mm chain. I know the Fortress is designed to be used on a 5:1 rope rode but in some parts of the world most boats will be on 3:1 chain in normal conditions - which means the one on 5:1 rope is going to be a nuisance. Does anyone have experience of using a Fortress on all chain?

 

[Neeves]

In soft mud the shank of a Fortress can sink into the mud, especially with chain in the rode. Normal practice is then to set at short scope, so 'supporting' the shank (i.e. lifting the shank up). In a seabed where the Fortress shank 'sinks' you can be pretty sure other anchors will be worse.
You can happily use a Fortress at 3:1 scope with a all chain rode in sand or firm mud. However if the wind develops I would not anchor at 3:1, at all. 3:1 is acceptable for a lunch time stop - but if you intend to anchor overnight then we would not consider 3:1 but would use 5:1 upto 7:1.

 

[Babylon]

Old thread!

 

[Neeves]

Though why the OP did not start a new thread, don't understand.

But does it matter

 

[Babylon]

Ought to have really, but having frequented this parish for the last decade I've noticed that new users frequently dip their toe in old water, rather than confidently starting a new thread.

To the OP - welcome to the forum!