Fortress anchor Question

[PeterPalmieri]

First off I was down at Raybo and the boat looks great! Shouldn't be to long..

We were talking about where to mount the anchor chocks and we decided not to mount them. It just looks clean and neat without them. Rob may have been happier with this decision then me.

So we'll be mounting the deck pipe for the line only. My thoughts are to connect a snap to the thimble and keep the anchor and chain in the port side hanging locker. I then wonder if I can just drop it in the locker or do I need to mount a hanger in the locker so it doesn't bounce around to much.

Right now I have 600 feet of anchor line that will be going into the anchor locker and the anchor is a Fortress FX-16 with 6 feet of stainless chain. I'm open to ideas of a good way to go about this. Don't do to much planned anchoring and on those occassions will leave the dock ready to deploy from the cockpit. The other concern is doing this in a way that in an emergancy I can get the hook down in the safest and quickest way possible.

[PeterPalmieri]

You'd think someone would make a hanger for an anchor that isn't for a bow rail. I'll have to see how much it bounces around or make my own.

My main question is should I store the chain with the anchor or with the anchor line?

[Ed Curry]

Are you going to be deploying the anchor from the cockpit? I'd store the chain with the anchor, hate to see your new paint job scratched. Fortress anchors are pretty light and sometimes the chain causes problems. I used mine successfully without a chain quite a bit.

[CamB25]

I would leave the anchor loose. Keep the stainless chain rode permanently attached to the nylon rode and use a simple s-hook to capture the end of the chain to the edge of the deck pipe. I would also avoid a snap hook and use a properly sized shackle to connect the stainless rode to the anchor. Snap hooks are very weak in comparison to shackles.

Just my first thoughts as I have a similar decision to make...eventually. I am not replacing the anchor bracket on my 25 and I will have a deck pipe for rode. The anchor will be stored in the anchor locker accessed from a hatch...center console configuration.

Cam

[Carl]

Pete, I don't see your anchor bouncing around in the locker. Don't see a shelf or hanger being needed...besides its becomes a potential something to hangup your line when deploying.


Next on opinions..if this is your main anchor. I'd have it set up so it can be sent overboard as quickly as possible, with little to no instruction and definitely no assembly required. My .02

[TailhookTom]

Peter:

I kept everything in totes and deployed from the cockpit. I had enough rode that went from the anchor locker, up through a hawsepipe, around the bow chock, down the starboard gunnel (I docked to a floater on the port side) and I would then fasten lengths of rode (200ft per) via a shackel. I had an imronned hull, so only I ever deployed the anchor as if anyone was going to scratch the boat -- it was going to be me. I carried 5 200 foot lengths of dockline in the totes. However, I didn't carry 6 feet of chain -- I carried 50 feet of chain -- can make up for a lot of mistakes anchoring with a lot of good chain!

I polyballed the line up, and yes, I was the only one that pulled in the line as well.

Tom

[PeterPalmieri]

I like the idea of the S hook to keep the end from getting lost.

For planned anchoring I'll use Walter's Technique, strip what I think I'll need for the day into the cockpit and ditch the snap hook and connect the thimble with a shackle. Leaving the dock ready to deploy and retrieve from the cockpit.

I want a plan for when it hits the fan and I need the anchor down quick. That's where keeping the anchor in the port side hanging locker and having a snap hook could come in handy, or at least that's where I can use some more input.

[Carl]

I want a plan for when it hits the fan and I need the anchor down quick. That's where keeping the anchor in the port side hanging locker and having a snap hook could come in handy, or at least that's where I can use some more input.

When the PooP hits the fan is exactly the time I wouldn't want to rely on a snap hook.

[PeterPalmieri]

Good point.