Re: What Size & Type Of Anchor Is Best?
I used many anchors on my boats since 1967 but by far the best is the Fortress FX-7. It weighs 4 pounds and is rated for boats 16 to 27 feet.
It digs in faster and deeper than any anchor I have ever had. A local lake where we boat a lot has a very hard bottom and the danforth 8 pound anchor would many times drag and not dig in right away. Ofcourse when they drag they can be pulled under a root or bank of rocks and make very hard to get back up. The Fortress digs in right away without dragging.
We decided to try one because the Wife does not like to drive the boat up on anchor when it very foggy so she would have to pull the anchor. Well with a 8 pound anchor and 5 feet of chain it was all she could do to pull it in. Even with gloves it would hurt her hands. also when it came up a lot of the time it would have a big clump of mud on the anchor.
We got the Fortress FX-7 4 pound Aluminum anchor with 2 feet of chain. First time the wife had to pull it I drove up on the anchor and the wife pulled it off the bottom. She then indicatided that I did not attach it right because it broke off and she nearly fell over backwords. I explained that was impossible as I connected every thing right as she was pulling in the line. When it got to the surface she could not belive the anchor was still connected and it came up clean with no mud.
It not a cheap anchor by any means but worth every penny. I still keep a second anchor, one of the 2 8 pound Danforth we use to use but have never used anything but the Fortress since. They sell them here at aboats.
The Fortress is Anodized Aluminum Alloy Finish. It will not rust and the slick finish means it usually comes up clean. The flutes are sharpend to make it dig in fast. Also the Shank is tapered to allow it to dig in deep.
Go to the site and click on Anchor Test and you can see the Navy tests an the Fortress won in every test. Also several boating Mag have tested and reached the same results.
One thing about the Frotress you need to learn is how to set. The Fortress is very light and takes a little longer to get down. You can not just come up to your spot and put engine in reverse and lower the anchor. The light anchor will sail in front of the boat like a fishing lure and not get down to the bottom. Instead you come to you spot and put the engine in reverse until you have some sternway. Then take the motor out of gear and lower the anchor until it settels on the bottom. Then put engine in reverse and pay out line for the scope you want. When have line out you want take the engine out of gear and tie off the anchor. Then can put the engine in reverse and set if you want or just let the boat drift back and set. Some people have a problem with this. You can add more chain if you want it to get down faster but it add a lot of weight.
We actually use the fact that it is light and will sail up off the bottom to our advantage. One Beach where we go and anchor with the stern into the beach and have a bow anchor to keep boat off the sand we tie off the amount of line we want out on the bow. We have our anchor line marked at places for different length. This stop 75 feet is the perfect scope. I always had trouble dropping the anchor at the exact right spot. So we put the anchor on the bow and tie off at 75 feet. We go out pretty deep and put the engine in reverse and lower the anchor. The anchor sails off the bottom and we back into the beach. When near I kill the motor and raise and step off the stern on to the beach with a stern line. Attach the line the stern line and get back on the boat. Then anchor has settled on the bottom so just tighten and it will dig in fast. This get the boat right where we want it with the right amount of line out. Use the stern line to set the distance off the sand and pull tight with the bow anchor line.
Anyway in my opinion no better anchor at any price.
http://www.fortressanchors.com/fortress_features_benefits.html
http://www.fortressanchors.com/fortress_anchor_guide.html
