Second anchor

Our best back-up is a Fortress, sized slightly larger than suggested for our boat, dismantled and stowed in its bag. That style has worked well in most holding grounds we've encountered.

-Chris

Yep, any skinny space long enough for the shank will usually do. We also have wrenches in the bag, shackles, a bit of a chain leader, etc. and then we also keep a 200-ft rope (for rode) on a spool in another storage area. I'd prefer to store all that forward somewhere, but our rope locker isn't suitable for other stuff competing with the rope/chain rode for the primary anchor.

Happens our Fortress (in bag) is on the bridge just now, but another likely area would be our fishbox -- which we don't use for fish after May 15th-ish. Or I could store in the lazarette under the fishbox, but that gets slightly less-speedily accessible...

-Chris

Second anchor on second windless, right beside the first. I know this is most common on larger boats, but it really makes a lot of sense on other boats, especially those that anchor a lot.

Agree. Even better. Wish we had that.

That said, I'd still probably carry the Fortress dismantled in the bag... and use two different style anchors on the permanent mounts.

Although there's another anchor (at least) that also dismantles; Spade maybe... No experience with that.

-Chris

Spray them and keep them in a double baggie

I meant I'd prefer two primary (size/weight) anchors, of different design for different holding ground. No lunch hook (seems sort of a waste, if there's a second windlass). I wouldn't envision setting two anchors at the same time in anything less than an expected unavoidable hurricane.

Just acknowledging that different anchors sometimes seem to do better in different sub-strate.

-Chris

We've always had good luck with our current primary anchor, we've also always had good luck with the Fortress, we don't have a second roller/windlass/rope locker/etc. (nor room to make one), so it's a moot point for us, anyway. Just would be my preference, if it were possible. In the meantime, we just use an anchor with a good track record in the types of bottoms we mostly encounter.

-Chris

While cruising for three years on our 'blow boat', we hardly ever went into a marina so spent most nights anchored out. We did have two anchors on bow rollers. The primary was a big CQR which only let us down one time. A front came through in the middle of the night and the CQR started to drag and after several attempts would not reset, real soupy bottom. The backup was a big ugly Max anchor and once we gave up and dropped it we had no more problems that night. We kept the Max at the bow because it was too big to store anywhere else. We also had an aluminum Fortress which we occasionally used as a stern anchor.

Most cruising boats carry several anchors, one reason being the possibility of having to cut one loose when it hangs up and cannot be retrieved. Never happened to us but I know of several boats that had that happen.

Our primary for this area is a pivoting SuperMAX; so far, lots of years, always good results.

-Chris

I have never understood the concept of a lunch hook... I don't want lunch to get cold while the anchor needs to be reset. What s the point anyway, save a few amps on the windlasS

I m a big believer in fitting the biggest anchor that will fit the pulpit, using it with a lot of chain and nothing else.

Even here in the bahamas where current is a frequent issue, we use one anchor and not the bahamian moor with two so many people recommend (usually from th comfort of an arm chair)

using two anchors is a pita, takes too long to set and worst much longer to retrieve if something happens, like a boat dragging on to you.

Using two marginal anchors is even worst as with the swing they will rarely hold together but more like one at a time, dragging a little each time.

My primary on the 70 footer I run is a 176 lbs Bruce with a 110 lbs back up in the anchor locker just in case we loose the primary. Reason for the smaller back up is that it was our previous primary and also because there is no way I could lift anything bigger out of the loccker anyway.

On my 53 Hatt I have a fortress 55 which is ok for local trips but it will be replaced by a 110 Bruce once the refit is finished and we use the boat in the Exumas. The FX is a good back up but they do not reset well in mud and grass making them inadequate in anchorages subject to tidal current.

I suspect the concept came from the time when powered windlasses weren't all that common on boats "real people" could afford...

Maybe the same about storm anchors; the original concept may well have come from a time when many boats didn't have powered windlasses, didn't want to wrestle the extra weight any more than necessary.

Our primary IS our storm anchor. I know the theory (pros and cons, etc.) behind setting multiple anchors, but have never had to do it. Mostly because we usually have the freedom to not have to worry about anchoring when weather threatens, but even in a few deteriorating situations... our single primary (main, storm, lunch) anchor has done just fine.

-Chris