Additional anchor

MHorn0817

MHorn0817

Active Member
May 16, 2021
205
Bowie, MD
Boat Info
1998 215 Express Cruiser
2011 260 Sundancer
Engines
5.7 Mercruiser Thunderbolt w/Alpha I
350 Mag MPI w/Bravo lll
Seeing if it makes sense and recommendations.

I was looking at getting an additional anchor for the back of the boat. Would that make sense to do? What is a good anchor recommendation?
 
It would make sense if you primarily anchor in narrow rivers and channels and want to avoid getting in the lane or you just want to keep your boat pointed to the swell (or at least try to). Otherwise they don't serve much purpose that I know of. Also you will need a way to get it out there such as a dinghy or crane.
 
A stern anchor is a good thing to have. If you anchor off a beach you can put your bow anchor out and back towards the beach and put a stern anchor in the shallows to hold your boat from drifting sideways. We use them when we raft up as well to keep the raft from drifting around. Mine is a smaller claw style and I have 10 ft of chain and 100 ft of 1/2 rode for it.
 
We have a Fortress anchor for the stern, super light, aluminum, so easy to use. 4-8 feet of stainless steel chain, makes for a nice rust free anchor. Line Creekwod says, keeps your bow facing out, and stern towards beach, when boats go by, your bow splits the wake, so less roll side to side.
0FBF4D5E-5482-4507-905A-7754947765E3.jpeg
 
There are lots of situations where they would come in handy. It really just depends on where you anchor. If, for example, you pull into a crowded anchorage where other boats use a stern anchor, polite protocol deems that you do the same. Its a classic case of need and not have vs.....well, you know the rest.
 
I think on anything but the smallest runabout day boats a second anchor is a necessity.

For all of the reasons above and as a spare in the event of the loss of the primary.
 
I carry two spares. One behind each engine. I've never used more than one but did have occasion to use my backup as my main last year. I lost my main anchor out on Lake Michigan and would have otherwise had to head back to the dock. It was nice to have a backup and not ruin the day at the beach, mild heart attack aside.

49127196286_53cca910a4_b.jpg
 
Fortress is nice. We use it rarely so can keep it disassembled in its carry bag and tucked away. Light and easy to put together and a few minutes. If I am planning on needing it, I put it together ahead of time, but it is big enough to be the main in a pinch. M
 
spikedaddy99 said:
Fortress is nice. We use it rarely so can keep it disassembled in its carry bag and tucked away. Light and easy to put together and a few minutes. If I am planning on needing it, I put it together ahead of time, but it is big enough to be the main in a pinch. M
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This. I keep a fortress large enough to replace the main anchor on board. Works great as a stern anchor too and it disassembles and stores very well. I don't keep chain for it, just some line.
 
what size stern anchor do you need for a 39' sundancer? Should it be sized the same as the primary anchor? Fortress recommends the FX-23
 
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Soulshine said:
I think on anything but the smallest runabout day boats a second anchor is a necessity.

For all of the reasons above and as a spare in the event of the loss of the primary.
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Even the smallest runabout will wander back and forth if there is even the smallest current or wind. If you are anchoring on a crowded sandbar, a stern anchor is good advice.

If you boat on weekdays with few other boats, then you may be able to forgo using the stern anchor some times, because it won't matter if you move around because no other boats will be near you.

No matter where you are, a bow anchor is an absolute necessity. (take a safety course if you didn't know that).

Stern anchors are secondary, and thus avoid using automatic retrieval devices. Otherwise you might be inclined to anchor off the stern just to be lazy. A stern anchor needs to be manually deployed.

Put some slack on the bow anchor and the stern anchor will pull up with little effort.
 
Stee6043 said:
I carry two spares. One behind each engine. I've never used more than one but did have occasion to use my backup as my main last year. I lost my main anchor out on Lake Michigan and would have otherwise had to head back to the dock. It was nice to have a backup and not ruin the day at the beach, mild heart attack aside.

@Stee6043 what size anchor is that? We have a spare in the transom locker that is huge. It takes up a ton of room, and I don't know whether I could even retrieve it if I used it. I was thinking about getting rid of it, which is why I found this thread. What you have seems like it would be much more manageable.
49127196286_53cca910a4_b.jpg
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Those anchors were sized by the prior owner to be nearly exactly the width of the distance between the stringers. I'd guess 16-18" at the bar on the bottom of the anchor? The PO fashioned up a set of brackets to hold the anchors in place. Nothing fancy but it gets the job done.
 
I keep a small mushroom anchor in the stern for when we swim (soak) in relatively calm coves. It’s easier to access and easier to stow than the Danforth anchor stowed in the bow. I also use it when we drift fish in a slow moving channel. It comes in handy at times.
 
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