www.iFourWinns.com

Hey

Someone said something that was confusing the other day. They said a danforth is an aluminum Fortress anchor and very strong. I see separate websites for each anchor brand and they both come in the fluke style.

Is it common to refer to these anchors interchangeably? Or common to refer to fluke anchors as Danforth or Fortress anchors?

My 298 currently has a Danforth fluke anchor, I think, and the previous owner says it won't self deploy because the pulpit was made for a plow anchor that I presume is heavier.

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2000 298 Vista
1996 Regal 258

http://www.boatus.com/foundation/guide/navigation_31.html

A Danforth isn't necessarily aluminum, but can be. The plow anchors are easier to deploy because of the weight and the fact that the weight is towards the front, as well as not being able to "hook" itself on the roller. My Vista had a Danforth style anchor when I bought it, and when I installed the windlass, it was replaced with a polished stainless Lewmar plow. Sometimes these are even called "self-deploying" due to their shape.

Danforth and Fortress are both different approaches to the fluke style anchor. They may look the same, but they have different patents protecting their names. For example, Fortress anchors can be taken apart, Danforth anchors can not. I wouldn't use the names interchangeably in my opinion.

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Current Boats:
2012 FW H260, 8.2 B3X (DTS) "Ctrl-Alt-Delete"
Previous Boats:
1984 Century 5000, Merc 260 Alpha 1
2012 Yamaha VXR

Kansas City, MO

Same thing happens with the Claw style anchors also. Bruce anchors were the original design but countless copies of this anchor are still referred to as "Bruce" although Bruce hasn't produced one in many years. Seems that the name sticks from the original manufacturer as cheap copies are spun off. Belgium made Bruce anchors are getting hard to come by, and at one time they were everywhere....I have a cheap copy

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Our Boating Blog: http://ben-dana.blogspot.com/

2005 268 Vista "Sea Pickle II"
1979 AMF Alcort Puffer
Previous:
2003 FW190 Horizon
1973 Startcraft 18ft "Sea Pickle"

No worries...I have a cheap copy of a Danforth.

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Current Boats:
2012 FW H260, 8.2 B3X (DTS) "Ctrl-Alt-Delete"
Previous Boats:
1984 Century 5000, Merc 260 Alpha 1
2012 Yamaha VXR

Kansas City, MO

The bid difference is the Fortress is lighter and its flukes are sharper and thinner. This gives it more holding power than a Danforth.

They claim a plow anchor is the way to go. It will not pull out if the wind shifts 180. I was in a storm 2 years ago (there is a post in this) we were in 60mph winds. My fortress held us were other boats run aground or had to power up.

I have a 298 with the 10.5kg Bruce style, a slightly less cheap copy (as it's polished!)
I swear by it, holds in a huge variety of bottoms, sets easily, and we've been through some brutal storms on the hook and it's never come out on us.

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2004 Four Winns 298 Vista
"Last Minute"

I'll also give two thumbs up to the delta plow style. Give it enough rode and she holds like nobody's business. If I tie off the stern to a tree, it will either pull the tree or stall the windlass when I winch on it, and we have very silty bottomed lakes around here.

I had a Fortress anchor on my 298 for a couple of years, it will not self deploy either. Due to its light weight aluminum constrution, I also found it to be harder to set than a steel fluke anchor but once it did set it held very well. I keep the Fortress as a spare on the boat since it comes apart and stores nicely. The boat came with a steel plow anchor which never stayed set in the muddy bottoms of the Chesapeake.

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2004 Vista 298
Twin 5.7L Volvo Penta GXi-E

Thank you everyone for the feedback. What do use now as a bow anchor?

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2000 298 Vista
1996 Regal 258