Re: fortress or hooker
Yes the Fortress will beat super hooker any day in any test. I have always carried 2 anchors and used hooker for many years. In mud and sand they do fine but in harder bottoms it would often drag for long time before it would dig in. One lake we go to a lot has a very hard bottom. We would set up about 150 feet from shore and lower anchor then pay out line and back into shore and then pull the anchor line slowly but the anchor would drag and not dig in. Many times we would have to go back out and start over. Other times it would drag until it hit a tree lime or rock and dig in under that and be very hard to pull.
Also in the San Francisco bay area we anchor on a mud bottom in an area with 4 to 5 mph current on the big ebb tides. This area if often very foggy and My wife does not like to drive the boat up on anchor when she can not see shore or something to guide on so she get stuck pulling the anchor. With the 8 pound hooker an 6 feet of chain pulling the anchor was very hard on her. Even with gloves it hurt her hands and she could barely lift it off the bottom.
I bought the Fortress FX-7 and problems solved. In the bay when the anchor comes off the bottom it is like the line broke and you have no anchor. Wife can pull very easy as it is so light. Also it is slicker than the Hooker so rarely comes up with a big clump of mud still on the anchor.
In the lake near home just just have to make sure you do not put it out too far and when it hits bottom and you pay out proper line it diggs in without dragging and so far has always been easy to pull. On this anchor we have 250 feet of line but like to end up with only 100 feet out. Just works best for this spot. Bow does not swing side to side as far and fewer fisher men and dragging baits and lure across the line.
The Fortress does have one thing that is harder to do. When you go to anchor you can not just put the engine in reverse and lower the anchor. If you do the anchor is so light it will sail in the front of the boat like a fishing lure and never hit bottom. Instead you come up on your spot and put the boat in reverse only unitl you have some sternway then take out of gear and lower the anchor until it hits bottom. Then put back in reverse and pay out your line for the scope you want. Take out of gear and tie off as normal. Set anchor with motor is you feel you need to but it will dig in Fast and Deep either way.
We actually use the fact that it will sail at the lake where we go very offten. We like to end up with 100 feet of line out when we back into shore. With this anchor we pre tie the line to the bow cleat at the 100 foot marker. Start to lower a little farther out than normal and with the motor in reverse until all 100 feet are out then when about 10 from shore stop the boat and allow anchor to settle, then Back in the last 10 feet and step off the boat with a stern line
Worth every penny to me and the wife.
Check out the site below where the Navy tested anchors.
http://www.iboats.com/Fortress_Anch...206331500--**********.897560700--view_id.4943
http://www.fortressanchors.com/anchor_tests.html
