Will Someone just Choose an Anchor for me? I'm Exhausted.

[theodyssey]

new boat owner, about to splash her in a month or so - headed from NC to the Caribbean.

have spent the past week going through old threads, reading online reviews, etc. etc. and am beyond confused to what is the best, what is the best at marketing.

31' Grampian Classic.
single-hander.
and I need a good anchor - and one that does well on all chain.

but is it Fortress? a Manson? or something else that I haven't seen posted?

am sure this is not the way to go about kitting out one's boat, but I know nothing, and you all know everything... so just choose.

please.

[boatman61]

Bruce.. if you can find one..

[IdoraKeeper]

Boatman is just startiing trouble..... CQR is the best. All Bruce's were melted down to make Rocna's.

[donradcliffe]

The wars will start, but I'd get a 35 lb Manson supreme, and not a Fortress or a Bruce.

[Pete7]

I don't know if you have a winch but if not then a 10kg anchor and 8mm or 5/16th chain is manageable by hand providing it's not blowing a hoolie or the tide running like a choo choo train. Anything bigger and you are probably going to need to visit the gym beforehand or buy a windlass.

The good news is that for a 31ft yacht Deltas, Bruce, and Rocnas are available in this size range. Manson in 11 kgs and the Fortress Fx11 or Fx 16. If you have the cash one of the new generation Spade / Rocna / Mason / Mantus / Fortress would be nice. If the budget is stretched the Delta / Bruce or Kobras and as a spare then a Bruce or Fortress Guardian seem popular choices.

Pete

[Stu Jackson]

There is no BEST anchor. There is no BEST anything in boating. It's all a compromise. You have to size your ANCHORING SYSTEM to where you intend to use your boat.

Anchor System Sizing Tables (Reply #6) Ground Tackle & Anchor System Sizing TABLES & Swivels


Anchor Choices

One could spend days/weeks/months even years doing internet research on anchors, Rocna with all the mess they made when changing manufacturers, and new gen (generation) anchors.

Over the years, though, many boating forums have, as you can imagine, discussed the very same issues, over and over again. They have also exhibited, as has this forum, a handful of skippers who have BTDT and write quite well, on anchoring and other subjects. One, then, tends to get into the habit of "trusting" those skippers, because they do their research, do their own homework and then share what they've learned.

Oddly enough, every single boating forum I look at, on my regular daily basis, has come to the conclusion that the new gen anchors are better than the old ones, even though some still swear by their CQRs, etc.

When I did my research on a new anchor in 2007, the newer Mantus and Manson Supreme had not yet been designed and built.

My choice was a Rocna, sized for the waters I sail in.

The two keys that got my attention were:

"It pulled me off the bow when it set so quickly and firmly."

"What's your ENTIRE boat worth to you for the difference of a few hundred dollars?"

Bower anchors and kedge anchors are two different things. The Fortress or a true Danforth is a great kedge anchor.

That said, here's a good summary:

Why NEW GEN Anchors are Better:

Anchors & TEST Results of New Generation Anchors EXCELLENT & Important

[wellin]

I see all sorts of anchors on bows of boats. But it is always a goodole Danforth on the stern rail. Wonder why???

Sent from my SCH-I415 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by wellin

I see all sorts of anchors on bows of boats. But it is always a goodole Danforth on the stern rail. Wonder why???

Because Danforths are great one way anchors. Look up what a kedge anchor is for.

[Cheechako]

You don't want a Bruce or a Fortress for your main anchor. The Bruce moves thru sand readily and the Fortress is too ungainly to handle for the main anchor.
Buy one of the New generation ones, Manson or Rocna etc. For a 31 boat I'd want something the 35# range. You need a backup anchor. The Fortress is good for that. If you cant afford, or don't want to spend the bucks for the new gen anchor, get a Delta for the Caribe.
Be sure to pick one that will fit in your bow roller readily.
In the past 30 years I have personally helped save 3 boats from the beach while the owners were ashore. All three were dragging rapidly after the wind either shifted or picked up substantially. All three had Bruce anchors and all chain rode.
The Bruce is great in rocky stuff. If you look at the Bruce design, it has little area once in the sand to stop it from plowing... most of the area on the anchor cuts thru the sand like a knife... only the two upturned tips present area of resistance. JMHO

[roverhi]

What Cheechako said!!!!! A 25 pounder should do just fine for a boat of your size and displacement.

[avb3]

I bought a new to me Lippincott 30 this past year. Two days out from a move from Miami to Tampa the area was under a tornado warning (one F2 did touch down within 15 miles). Of course there were all the associate weather that went with that, including extended hours (8-12 hours) of 40 knot winds gusting to who the heck knows... 60-70?

At any rate, I was extremely happy that my choice was a Mantus. It was off the bow, with a Danforth type off the stern. The boat didn't budge an inch.

I'm looking to replace the Danforth type with a genuine Fortress. As a second anchor, they have a great, unparalleled reputation.

YMMV.

[cwyckham]

You're in North America, so you can ignore a lot of the great anchors in Europe or Australia that are super expensive here. Get a fortress for a kedge anchor and back-up, but not for a main (bower) anchor. They aren't reliable in a wind shift but have awesome holding for their weight in one direction.

I'm confused about whether you have a bowsprit. Some pictures on the web show your boat with one, some without. If you have a bowsprit, then get a 35# Manson Boss. It is the only new generation easily available in North America with no roll bar. We have one and love it, but there isn't enough data out there on it yet to get it if you can go with a roll bar anchor, IMHO.

If you can fit a roll bar anchor, go with a mantus or a manson supreme. Rocnas have lower grade steel in the shank, now, so the almost identical manson supreme with better steel and more reliable manufacturing. I'm not sure about the mantus. People seem to like them. I'd go with whichever one is easier for you to get your hands on and/or price.

That's about it. Pretty easy when you cut out the Excel, Spade, Ultra, and all the other great anchors that you can't afford in the US.

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by avb3

...

I'm looking to replace the Danforth type with a genuine Fortress. As a second anchor, they have a great, unparalleled reputation.

YMMV.

Fortress have a great business model. First, they are light and collapsible, so they can cheaply offer them all over the world unlike other anchors which are quite regional.

Second, everybody else is fighting for the best main anchor and dividing the market share. Fortress has the best kedge/secondary/storm anchor on the market and just about every serious boat that I see has one strapped to the pushpit in the stern no matter what they have on the front. Genius.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by avb3

I'm looking to replace the Danforth type with a genuine Fortress. As a second anchor, they have a great, unparalleled reputation.

If it's a genuine Danforth, and not a knockoff copy, don't bother, they're both good anchors for that use. Fortress is much lighter, of course, if that's your goal.

Originally Posted by cwyckham

Fortress have a great business model. First, they are light and collapsible, so they can cheaply offer them all over the world unlike other anchors which are quite regional.

Second, everybody else is fighting for the best main anchor and dividing the market share. Fortress has the best kedge/secondary/storm anchor on the market and just about every serious boat that I see has one strapped to the pushpit in the stern no matter what they have on the front. Genius.

See reply above. Business model, schmiznet model, doesn't matter. No question, the Fortress is a superb anchor. A genuine Danforth is still a great anchor, and if you can handle the weight, then i Fortress is just a triply expensive Danforth. Only difference is the adjustable angle on the Fortress, which I am guessing is rarely adjusted by any skippers for the two bottoms it is specified for. Anyone have any experience with actually ADJUSTING their Fortress fluke angles, in the real world?

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

If it's a genuine Danforth, and not a knockoff copy, don't bother, they're both good anchors for that use. Fortress is much lighter, of course, if that's your goal.

See reply above. Business model, schmiznet model, doesn't matter. No question, the Fortress is a superb anchor. A genuine Danforth is still a great anchor, and if you can handle the weight, then i Fortress is just a triply expensive Danforth. Only difference is the adjustable angle on the Fortress, which I am guessing is rarely adjusted by any skippers for the two bottoms it is specified for. Anyone have any experience with actually ADJUSTING their Fortress fluke angles, in the real world?

Weight does matter for a kedge since you take it out by dinghy. Many of the Danforth knock offs you can buy today seem to do poorly in the tests compared to fortress. Decent used market in fortress as well.