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Anchor fortress fx 23 with chain and rode


luggsy

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That's a proper anchor, one of the best GP performing anchors, if I hadn't recently purchased a Mantus (£600) that would be on the way to me.

If you are going on the rivers, this one will not give you the false sense of confidence that a Danforth does - this one WILL do the job.

 

UK Chandlers price about £400+, add Chain at £80 & add £70 for the rope.

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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Hope I'm not hijacking this thread, my question is sort of related.

We're waiting for the Thames to calm down at the present on the GU, and are getting our 58ft narrowboat ready for the river. We've got one of these anchors, but..... what's the best practice to use it? I'm thinking of having it on the bow (top of the gas locker) with the chain attached to the T dolly on the bow, so if there's a problem, the anchor can be thrown overboard. Is this right?

Thanks for any help :) 

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14 minutes ago, luggsy said:

nothing to do with me 

Sure ?

1 minute ago, luggsy said:

Sod's law comes to mind Alan

You did well with yours.

1 minute ago, Jennifer McM said:

We've got one of these anchors,

Is it a Fortress ?

Or, what make is it ?

A Danforth is the 'normal' narrowboat anchor but the performance is laughable compared to the Fortress.

 

@luggsy has a lot of info re anchoring I'm sure he'll be pleased to share it with you.

 

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2 minutes ago, Jennifer McM said:

Hope I'm not hijacking this thread, my question is sort of related.

We're waiting for the Thames to calm down at the present on the GU, and are getting our 58ft narrowboat ready for the river. We've got one of these anchors, but..... what's the best practice to use it? I'm thinking of having it on the bow (top of the gas locker) with the chain attached to the T dolly on the bow, so if there's a problem, the anchor can be thrown overboard. Is this right?

Thanks for any help :) 

There is much debate as to whether it should be at the front or back and it might depend on going up or down stream but I would wonder if the T stud is up to the job of taking the load.

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6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Is it a Fortress ?

Or, what make is it ?

A Danforth is the 'normal' narrowboat anchor but the performance is laughable compared to the Fortress.

 

@luggsy has a lot of info re anchoring I'm sure he'll be pleased to share it with you.

 

It looks exactly to the one on ebay - I've yet to dig the anchor out presently, it's buried in the bowels of the boat, so I'm not sure if the maker's mark is on it.

5 minutes ago, Jerra said:

There is much debate as to whether it should be at the front or back and it might depend on going up or down stream but I would wonder if the T stud is up to the job of taking the load.

Good point, so the stern would be safer? 

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2 minutes ago, Jennifer McM said:

It looks exactly to the one on ebay - I've yet to dig the anchor out presently, it's buried in the bowels of the boat, so I'm not sure if the maker's mark is on it.

Danforth Anchor :

Danforth-Type-Anchor-Galvanised-Marine-Boat-Yacht

Fortress Anchor :

Fortress Anchor

 

Fortress anchors are manufactured from special Aluminimum,

Danforth are manufactured from Galvanised Steel

Fortress anchor £500

Danforth anchor £100

Price is indicative of performance.

 

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11 minutes ago, Jerra said:

There is much debate as to whether it should be at the front or back and it might depend on going up or down stream but I would wonder if the T stud is up to the job of taking the load.

Problem is that many narrowboats only have T studs or similar and do not have pucker solid anchor points built for  the job. Sad but true.

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6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Danforth Anchor :

Danforth-Type-Anchor-Galvanised-Marine-Boat-Yacht

Fortress Anchor :

Fortress Anchor

 

Fortress anchors are manufactured from special Aluminimum,

Danforth are manufactured from Galvanised Steel

Fortress anchor £500

Danforth anchor £100

Price is indicative of performance.

 

We're pretty certain it's the Fortress, tomorrow we'll drag it out, it's under the bow at present. There's a ring my husband remembers at the end of the long middle bar. Than anchor came with the boat.

Edited by Jennifer McM
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4 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Problem is that many narrowboats only have T studs or similar and do not have pucker solid anchor points built for  the job. Sad but true.

That's a point.

1 minute ago, rusty69 said:

Spose if you have some nylon rope,and not just chain,it will have a some shock absorber effect,taking some of the load off the T-stud.

The chain does have nylon rope attached already. That's a possibility.

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2 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Spose if you have some nylon rope,and not just chain,it will have a some shock absorber effect,taking some of the load off the T-stud.

Yes, nylon rope will act as a shock absorber, but you still need a pretty long chain as well. The chain is there to lay and keep the anchor flat on the river/canal bed so it digs in.

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10 minutes ago, Flyboy said:

Yes, nylon rope will act as a shock absorber, but you still need a pretty long chain as well. The chain is there to lay and keep the anchor flat on the river/canal bed so it digs in.

Yes, when I dig out the chains, I'll measure it.

I've found a previous thread with some good advice here.... 

 

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The pointy end anchor point on my boat. Very well welded and short so far less likely to be yanked off if the u know what hits the fan using a T stud. Also  dedicated so no interference with other ropes/lines.

WP_20180407_16_20_17_Pro.jpg

  • Greenie 1
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22 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

The pointy end anchor point on my boat. Very well welded and short so far less likely to be yanked off if the u know what hits the fan using a T stud. Also  dedicated so no interference with other ropes/lines.

WP_20180407_16_20_17_Pro.jpg

Oooh that looks nice.Have you got one on each side?

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26 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

The pointy end anchor point on my boat. Very well welded and short so far less likely to be yanked off if the u know what hits the fan using a T stud. Also  dedicated so no interference with other ropes/lines.

WP_20180407_16_20_17_Pro.jpg

Thanks for tripping my poor memory - we've got a 'hole' on the prow - it's not photo'd well, so I've put a yellow dot where it is - I'm presuming this is what the 'hole' is for, to tie the anchor too?

cyan.jpg

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No. Just the one but it don't realy matter which side its on innitt.  :D Strange realy why they are not standard on all shells. My shell also has a T stud for the centre lines not just a ring which is helpful for temporary mooring such as at locks or on short pontoons etc etc a simple sensible addition.

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1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

No. Just the one but it don't realy matter which side its on innitt.  :D Strange realy why they are not standard on all shells. My shell also has a T stud for the centre lines not just a ring which is helpful for temporary mooring such as at locks or on short pontoons etc etc a simple sensible addition.

True.Probably easy to get some of these things added next time the welder visits to do hinges etc.

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8 minutes ago, Jennifer McM said:

Thanks for tripping my poor memory - we've got a 'hole' on the prow - it's not photo'd well, so I've put a yellow dot where it is - I'm presuming this is what the 'hole' is for, to tie the anchor too?

cyan.jpg

I doubt that's what its for as its not a good place for it to release in an emergency for instance, even with a big knife.

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You could put a shackle through that hole, and attach your anchor rope to it. Cutting the rope in an emergency would just involve you having a longish properly sharp knife and being able to lean over the bow.

Equally, it would surprise me if the T stud wasn’t up to the job - your boat looks like it’s well made. Have any of the welds ever given you any cause for concern?

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4 minutes ago, Stilllearning said:

You could put a shackle through that hole, and attach your anchor rope to it. Cutting the rope in an emergency would just involve you having a longish properly sharp knife and being able to lean over the bow.

Equally, it would surprise me if the T stud wasn’t up to the job - your boat looks like it’s well made. Have any of the welds ever given you any cause for concern?

We've never noticed a problem with any of the welding. I guess when the boat is churning on the river, and the adrenaline is gushing, it would be difficult to hang on to the boat that far out, to cut a rope. I think I'll pass on that, and trust the T stud 

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2 minutes ago, Jennifer McM said:

We've never noticed a problem with any of the welding. I guess when the boat is churning on the river, and the adrenaline is gushing, it would be difficult to hang on to the boat that far out, to cut a rope. I think I'll pass on that, and trust the T stud 

I have seen at least half a dozen dollies knocked off narrowboats over the years. However As you say the likelihood of a T stud ripping off is very slim even on a Liverpool shell!! There is no way weight is going to come on to it in an instant where a warp and chain are between the stud and anchor.

  • Happy 1
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There was a discussion on here or perhaps another forum and the consensus there was that affixing to a T-stud was not a good idea (possibly as there were many ways of fixing it. Thus I decided to fix mine via a girt big bolt (such a long time ago - I think it was an eye bolt and shackle) through the cross member in the front deck. The chain and rode are in a side locker, so always ready to deploy.

There's an interesting  thread here on the general topic of anchors:-

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?489996-Fortress-Anchor&highlight=anchor

The fortress is discussed but neither they or Danforth types are very good for gravelly bottoms for the Thames. Might slow you up when needed.

Edit:

I meant to say - slow you up when what you really wanted was for it to stop you! I've used mine twice on the Thames (not in anger) but just to have lunch in a side stream. On both occasions the anchor didn't grab. It's a 25 kilo Danforth and very heavy to retrieve. I also have a couple of foldkng anchors - just to steady the stern when at rest and they're not much use either.

Edited by OldGoat
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