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Safe Boating Tip: Carry an Extra Anchor on Your Boat

Keep a backup anchor onboard in case of emergency.
anchor for fishing boat
Prudent seamanship dictates that you always have an anchor. Having a lightweight Fortess anchor as a backup helps keep you safe if you lose your main anchor. Courtesy Fortess Marine Anchors

It’s a good idea in the interest of safe boating to carry a spare anchor in case you lose your main ground tackle to a wreck or rocky reef. Yet where to stow the spare? I’ve found a solution in the fluke-style anchors from Fortress and its sister brand, Guardian.

These lightweight aluminum anchors fold relatively flat and even disassemble for stowage just about anywhere. I keep an assembled Fortress FX-11 (about $150) in a forward dry locker of my 22-foot center console, along with a bit of extra chain and spare shackles. If I need to cut off a snagged main anchor, I can tie on the spare Fortress with a bowline. This prepares me for any boating emergencies that require an anchor. Fortress and Guardian aluminum anchors work so well that many boaters use them as their main hooks.

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