Second anchor

The Fortress come apart and takes up the room of the shank length by 10 " wide. Under any bench seat should work. A pair of cheap 3/4" wrenches stashed in the bag help in quick assembly and deployment.
We have a FX55 & FX85 in the Bert bow deck locker and back up rode and chain are already in our stb rode locker ready to shekel on and go. More rode and chain in the forward bilge, below the for deck hatch.
On board for years, never deployed.
Ole 65 Bruce has never failed.

I think the Vulcan's shank comes off, it still has a foot print and still takes back to move it. The second (& third) advantages of the fortress's is small foot print (when in it's bag) and when deployed, still has tremendous holding power.

I have often thought of a second anchor on the bow and reason my self out of it;
On a previous boat I managed, it had a lunch hook and a CQR copy.
The good looking lunch hook could not hold anything during lunch.
We just started using the main anchor and ate, partied and some times stayed and spent the night without a worry.
Later, we removed it (lunch hook) and cleaned up the extra hardware. Really made for a nicer looking bow.
Never missed it.

When you look at all the blow botes (dock queens) with all that anchor junk up there, I have to wonder if their (operators) really are bad at anchoring or it is really junk up there.

How often to you want the aggravation of setting a second hook? Or having to deal with the extra hardware in the way when setting the first hook.

IMO, I can sense the forward observer offering grid cords already.

I have been told this by a few before. Usually dock queen owners(see #10).
<---- picture to left is our 58 x 18 Bert. She anchors in Jax, up river, The Tortugas, Bahamas, grass, shell, sand, rock, mud, deep mud, deep & shallow and everything in between.
I sleep well every night on one hook.

On the other hand, Your sleeping on your boat. If you feel better with two different hooks, Then go for it.

Just trying to point out some of that multi hook, hoop-ya, may be just hook-ya.
,rc

Except for fuel and maybe dockage that night, we usually stay on the hook.
For near 13 years on this boat, we feel good about our hardware now and our setting routine.
In the beginning, we did go thru some name brand anchors that were top (hot air) rated. Quickly got rid of them. Sleep well on the hook now days (10 years +).

I am sure that is one of the OPs (and ours) concerns also. I just don't pile the hardware on the bow. Spare anchors (bag'd Fortress's) are still close at hand for backup and heavy conditions.

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.

You typed the words rite off my keyboard.
,rc