Fortress Anchors

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<font color="blue"> Manufacturers claim that the FX-37 which weighs 21 lbs is the correct anchor and size for a yacht up to 15 meters and that it has similar holding power to a 125 lbs Bruce.

Do you guys think that the Fortress is the best all round anchor for a 12 metre yacht and that a 32 lb Fortress on lots of heavy chain is the best 'Storm' anchor.

I carry 35lb Bruce and a 35 lb CQR but would intent the Fortress to be the storm anchor, backed-up by one of the others if necessary.

If Fortress is the anchor to buy, where should I buy it?

As always, guidance from the wise is welcome.

Brendan

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Overheard at the Table of Infinite Wisdom and bearly audible above the din of empty beer tins, was the discussion that shackling a Fortress onto the your CQR with about 5 metres of chain between the two will hold you in a hurricane.

The weakness in that system being your deck cleats or the attachment point of the anchor chain to your boat.
 

Chris_Robb

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I would not use any Danforth type as a main anchor (flat flukes). They have a horrible habit of burying one fluke and extreme load and rolling out. They also ar not good a a change of tide direction. They are therefore absolutley wrong for a storm anchor. Fortress are aluminium - part of the effectiveness of an anchor is the weight over the tips so that it would bed in. Read some of the extensive posts on this forum and items posted by hylas in particlar.


For my money I would have a Spade as main or alternatively a bruce or original CQR - fortress would be only for a lunch time kedge anchor (In my very humble opinion!)
 

snowleopard

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i carry a fortress fx£& as a storm anchor but no way would i consider it as a main anchor. i have tried to set a fortress on sand and seen it glide across the sea bed without even trying to set where my delta is always buried within 6 ft of the point i drop it. once a fortress is dug in however it holda well.

i also have a FX16 as a kedge and i usually leave it on the mud setting to use when the delta drags in very soft mud. it can be very hard to get up once it has dug into mud and the FX37 would probably be impossible to shift under those circumstances.
 

hylass

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This is the typical curve recorded during the ENIM anchors tests (Ecole Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Monastir) Both the Danforth and the Fortress show exactly the same pattern..

At first, the curve is flat, showing the difficulty to set, then the curve (holding/time) is increasing sharply showing a good holding.. until the anchor corkscrew and break free, positionning itself on one of the fluke tip, one extremity of the shank and the extremity of the shank..

On this position, the anchor can slide on the sea bottom surface, with no chance of holding..

Due to this specific behaviour, Fluke anchors (Danforth, Fortress..) should never be used as the main anchor or as a storm anchor.

The Fortress anchor is ideal as a kedge anchor, when it is not planned to leave the boat...
 

ChrisE

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I'm no expert on anchors but I do have a Fortress FX37 and have lain to it for a fair few nights. I'd agree with the other comments about its use as a storm anchor on its own however, we use it in conjunction with our main bower.

We have it primarily to complement our 35lb CQR when the wind pipes up, setting it on its own rode at about 20 degrees to the CQR. Have had problems setting it but no more than the CQR, I believe that the each has a seabed that it prefers. That said I am just about to dump the CQR in favour of a 20kg Spade as the main. I'll keep both the others and will probably use the Fortress as a kedge.
 

snowleopard

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Re: What about the Spade as a \'Storm\' anchor or what is your choice.

i think any of the aluminium anchors that dismantle would be convenient for a storm anchor. i think a bigger problem is the rode- you'll want something at least as substantial as your main anchor rode but that makes for a hell of a lot of chain sitting there for very rare use. of course if you shackle the storm anchor to the tail of the bower you get the best of both worlds but it means lifting and re-setting your ground tackle in worsening conditions.

in the absence of capacity to carry masses of extra gear, i don't know the answer to this.
 

bs33064

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Greetings from Fortress Anchors across the pond!

Brendan, the FX-37 is a well battle-tested storm anchor. We have one here at our headquarters that was returned by a customer after Hurricane Andrew. This 21 lb anchor held a 42' Silverton weighng about 25,000 lbs. in 145 mph winds that lasted several hours.

Additionally, after the recent hurricane season, we have received several testimonials from customers whose boats were saved by using this anchor and other Fortress models.

I can share a sampling these letters if you send your e-mail address to me. Mine is:
brian@fortressanchors.com

There is no better endorsement than "real world" tests!!

Safe boating,
Brian
 

hylass

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Hi Brian,

You are absolutely right.."There is no better endorsement than "real world" tests!!"

Make also a search on "Google" at : SPADE ANCHOR.. and you will also find quite a lot of testimonials of (Spade) users in various difficult situations..

And these are "independent" comments... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

bs33064

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It sure could be!!!

Not to sound like a commercial.....but Fortress model FX-85 is the primary anchor aboard the US Coast Guard's 87 foot patrol boat, and the FX-125 is the primary anchor aboard their 110 foot patrol boat.

Both anchors were recently certified by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) of Norway, as "Super High Holding Power" (SHHP) anchors. DNV is the world's leading marine classification society.

The complete Fortress product line has certifications from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).

Check this page for more: http://www.fortressanchors.com/testimonials.html

The bottom line: It is tough to beat the endorsements that Fortress has received from marine experts and boaters from all around the world.

Smooth sailing,
Brian
 

hylass

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and you win too...

Fortress and Spade are completely different anchors and both have their specific use..

Peacefull anchorages to you...
 

bs33064

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Hi snowleopard,

Setting a Fortress anchor in hard sand should not be a challenge! All Fortress anchors are precision-machined to be very sharp, so they should dig in faster and deeper than heavier, dull-edged steel anchors.

A couple of quick points:

1. Be sure to install the "Mud Palms" on your Fortress anchor. We have found from our research and from our customers that the Mud Palms will help the anchor to set faster in ANY type of bottom, and not just in mud.

If you don't have them for whatever reason, then please e-mail me and I will send you out a set. The Mud Palms are free, of course! My address again: brian@fortressanchors.com

2. Fall back DEAD SLOW if at all possible, a good rule for any anchor.

Again, since the Fortress anchor is so sharp, it should head straight to China as you increase the load!!

Safe anchoring,
Brian
 
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