Paul Trammell
Feb 21, 2026 pm28 8:32 PM
What kind of anchor do you use, what scope, and have you ever dragged?
I use a 55 lb Vulcan (my boat is 40') and my secondary anchor is a Fortress FX 23. I typically put out 5:1 to 7:1. When faced with strong winds, I don't hesitate to put out both anchors in a V. My fortress dragged once in a squall, mainly because the sandy bottom (which I dove on and checked) was only about 6" of sand over flat rock. I didn't realize this, and we dragged in the squall at night. I woke up and checked Navionics on my phone - a had marked the anchor location, and saw that we were moving away from the anchor. By the time I went up on deck, the Fortress had found some deep sand and held, but I didn't know this at the time and I dropped the Vulcan.
The Vulcan dragged once in 30 - 40 knots, anchored in mud, after a 180-degree wind shift. I drove forward and dropped the Fortress and it held. The next day, I pulled the Vulcan up and it had a giant scoop of mud on it, like an ice-cream spoon. But in its defense, this is the only time it has dragged in about six years of anchoring every night. It can happen to any anchor and it's always a good idea to mark the anchor's location on your phone so you can look at it at night in foul weather, or set an anchor alarm, and have a second anchor ready to go on the bow. One day, you will need it if you spend enough time at anchor.
Happy Sailing!
I use a 55 lb Vulcan (my boat is 40') and my secondary anchor is a Fortress FX 23. I typically put out 5:1 to 7:1. When faced with strong winds, I don't hesitate to put out both anchors in a V. My fortress dragged once in a squall, mainly because the sandy bottom (which I dove on and checked) was only about 6" of sand over flat rock. I didn't realize this, and we dragged in the squall at night. I woke up and checked Navionics on my phone - a had marked the anchor location, and saw that we were moving away from the anchor. By the time I went up on deck, the Fortress had found some deep sand and held, but I didn't know this at the time and I dropped the Vulcan.
The Vulcan dragged once in 30 - 40 knots, anchored in mud, after a 180-degree wind shift. I drove forward and dropped the Fortress and it held. The next day, I pulled the Vulcan up and it had a giant scoop of mud on it, like an ice-cream spoon. But in its defense, this is the only time it has dragged in about six years of anchoring every night. It can happen to any anchor and it's always a good idea to mark the anchor's location on your phone so you can look at it at night in foul weather, or set an anchor alarm, and have a second anchor ready to go on the bow. One day, you will need it if you spend enough time at anchor.
Happy Sailing!
Josiah Reese
Feb 21, 2026 pm28 11:29 PM
Great lesson and approach to redundancy and visually confirming with gps and your own eyes! Thanks for sharing
Carl Damm
Feb 25, 2026 am28 10:31 AM
We usually take bearings when anchoring. Two or more bearings at close to 90 degrees from each other will quickly tell you if you have moved or are moving. Also it is good practice to keep up your navigation skills rather than relying on the magic gps for all your decisions. Radar bearings are useful in the dark or limited visibility.
Carl Damm
Feb 25, 2026 am28 10:32 AM
We usually take bearings when anchoring. Two or more bearings at close to 90 degrees from each other will quickly tell you if you have moved or are moving. Also it is good practice to keep up your navigation skills rather than relying on the magic gps for all your decisions. Radar bearings are useful in the dark or limited visibility.
Thread Author
Paul Trammell
Member since Sep 2025
4 threads
3 posts