Backup Anchor choice

[duetto]

I have a CSY 44 with a Rocna 73# and a Fortress FX37 21# - both nicely setup on the bow. No issues there.

I also have a 33# Bruce and a 25# Danforth as backups. Both are rated for ~40' boat so ok for backup, stern anchor etc. For space reasons, I need to pick just one. Which would be best as the backup?

Thanks for your opinions.

[Muaddib1116]

I would store the fortress on a stern rail mount or disassembled in a locker as your primary backup/stern/kedging anchor. And then make a decision between the danforth and Bruce based on which one stows more easily, leaning towards the bruce.

[tkeithlu]

Ditto. The Bruce probably will accommodate more different bottoms than the Danforth.

[Mike OReilly]

Both the Bruce and the Danforth are considerably smaller than your bowers. How about selling both and getting yourself a decent-sized Mantus or one of the other newer anchors that break down into stowable parts?

Personally, and kinda like what others are saying, I'd use the Rocna as my bower, and consider the Fortress as your backup, so stowed away somewhere. Unless you're needing a two-anchor solution (Bahamian moor, or issues with strong currents) the Rocna will manage almost all the time.

My preferred option would still be to get a large Mantus as a backup, but if I had to choose I'd keep the Bruce for the reasons tkeithlu mentions; more versatile (but it is still very small compared to your Rocna).

[duetto]

Thanks all. Good points all around and I'm going to keep the Bruce onboard for now. May sell both later as Mike suggested.

[chris mac]

Our boat came similarly equipped. Had a mantus on the bow, but the smallest rated for it. A fortress, Bruce and cqr.
We kept the fortress as a stern anchor, sold the Bruce and cqr.
The mantus is our back up now and we added an oversized spade as our primary.
Your anchor is your best insurance policy. Use on that let's you sleep peacefully at night. That's well worth the price

[tkeithlu]

Mike has a good point. Your working anchors are best the right size for your boat and convenient to use. Your stern anchor is smaller and can easily be deployed by hand. It's sometimes referred to as a "lunch hook." Your backup anchor is bigger, probably as big as you can handle on your foredeck or stow, because it's your OH S**T! anchor.

[jeff356]

Have a Rocna 20KG on the bow and a Fortress with only 15' of chain, 5/8" line for the backup in the lazerette, readyfor a quick deploy.

Ran into trouble once when someone hooked our Delta and broke it free, with it resetting where I couldn't pick it up. Had to drop the anchor line with a fender on it, go up the river and put out the Fortress and retrieve the Delta and chain with the dinghy.

Glad we had a backup we could trust.

[CarlF]

A somewhat controversial answer is to take them both off the boat to save weight and storage space. They're not doing any good.

The days of having lots of anchors for different bottoms are long gone. I used to have four anchors aboard. That 73# Rocna holds so much better than the others in all bottoms that you don't gain anything by lugging them around.

That said, the Fortress is a great anchor to set astern from the dinghy to keep the boat from swinging into a rock in a tight anchorage or as a backup if you loose the Rocna until you can get a new anchor. Storing it on the bow is just fine.

The only anchor you have today that's worth setting in a hurricane is the Rocna. Very few cruisers today ever need to think about riding out a hurricane at anchor. Their insurance companies would have a fit. But if you want to be ready, get a huge anchor and store it in the bilge.