The anchor that came with my boat just barely fits into the locker on the bow. The previous owner actually cut a small notch to remove the anchor but if it's not in the exact spot you can't remove it. Is it ok to shorten the shank 3/4"?
Not an issue to shorten the shank, if anything it may be a bigger problem not being able to get to your stowed anchor quickly in tough conditions. If you feel it isn't taking hold as well with the shorter shank (unlikely), you can always increase the chain rode to make up for the negligible difference on the shank.