Fortress FX-11

Matt · 19 April 2021, 18:20

Does anyone have any experience of the Fortress FX-11, or if not the FX-11, then of the other sizes.

I really should get an anchor and I'm reluctant to have a bit of manky old galvanised steel bouncing around, plus I believe the Fortresses can be stored disassembled and assembled when required? Is that correct?

Maximus · 19 April 2021, 18:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt

Does anyone have any experience of the Fortress FX-11, or if not the FX-11, then of the other sizes.

I really should get an anchor and I'm reluctant to have a bit of manky old galvanised steel bouncing around, plus I believe the Fortresses can be stored disassembled and assembled when required? Is that correct?

W.T.F ??..are you for real?
Yes!.....you really should get an Anchor!
An 8m+ RIB! with potentially quite a few passengers!

..it's one of the pieces indispensable pieces of safty kit I'd never travel without...(I carry two) and one which may well save you and your Crew

As for steel "bouncing around "use your head!.....and sort it so it doesn't...and you have quick easy access and is SIMPLE to deploy.
That ...or forget the Boating and buy some Golfclubs

SimonCh · 19 April 2021, 18:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt

Does anyone have any experience of the Fortress FX-11, or if not the FX-11, then of the other sizes.

I really should get an anchor and I'm reluctant to have a bit of manky old galvanised steel bouncing around, plus I believe the Fortresses can be stored disassembled and assembled when required? Is that correct?

I can’t offer any advice on the particular anchor you’re looking at, but +1 for definitely get one. After life jackets and a means of communicating, anchor is arguably the most important piece of safety kit. Literally the only thing that will keep you off the rocks should engines fail.

Steve509926 · 19 April 2021, 18:50

Hi Matt, is that assembled when engines failed and you're being swept towards the rocks? Joking aside, never had to use my anchor in an emergency but it's comforting to know its there, ready and waiting.

Matt · 19 April 2021, 19:23

Thanks for the input. Unless you know me, you don't know the context, so calm down everyone, please.

Anyway, anyone have any experience of the FX-11 or similar Fortress anchors?

paulbrown22 · 19 April 2021, 20:24

I can't comment on the smaller ones as I sadly just missed an FX-11 second hand at the yacht club a few years ago, which I dithered about for weeks for my Ribtec, but was too slow by then!

We have an FX-37 on our 41' sailing yacht as a kedge and it's superb. We've used it many times when drying the yacht out on the beach to hold the stern in position, often for several days at a time in Brittany, the West Country or the Isles of Scilly, and it's never dragged. When someone in a Moody 35' yacht ran over our chain in Studland several years ago, wound our chain around their propeller and dragged our main anchor off the bottom, we deployed the Fortress and it held both boats very happily for several hours while we sorted things out. They are a reasonable length though in both the shank and stock, so can be hard to store unless you are always going to disassemble - thankfully it does just go in our anchor locker whole, so it's always ready for use.

I'd very happily buy another Fortress without hesitation, or a Spade anchor which is our primary on the yacht.

Matt · 19 April 2021, 20:29

Super, thank you.

Many years ago we ended with my fathers macwester on the beach at studland after the anchor dragged in an onshore wind. I was maybe 8 at the time, but the memory is well etched in.

paulbrown22 · 19 April 2021, 20:36

Our Ovni yacht (with a lifting keel and rudder) has been on the beach many times at Studland intentionally for a hull clean. But it has also graced the beach once unintentionally a few years ago too, when someone didn't put out enough chain after what was meant to be a short lunch stop once the plan changed and we ended up staying there overnight during some stronger winds. Someone was camping in one of the beach huts and was quite surprised when we landed just beneath him!

The Fortress was deployed from the dinghy on a long rode, and dragged us nicely off the beach, so another mark for the Fortress!

Matt · 19 April 2021, 20:43

A quite similar situation.
Unfortunately it was a bit rough to get off on motor alone as the keels bounced on the sand and I don’t think we had a tender handy to put an anchor out.
So just had to wait for the next high tide.
Must’ve been 1982ish.