PDQ OWNERS FORUM

Kenny, Anchors are like womens jeans, they have to fit the bottom. If you are cruising in an area with predictable bottom characteristics, choose an anchor with the best reputation for holding in that material. Then have an "all purpose" for excursions beyond. Happy Thanksgiving, Alex Kehayes

hi,

we're cruising icw in mv34. we're using 45# steel spade now. so far it has worked wherever we've anchored and we anchor a lot. mostly sand and mud with REALLY strong currents. when we bought boat, we used 35# delta on trip north. also good results.

on our gemini cat we used 22# aluminium spade. we used that in sand, mud, grass, and strong currents on icw trip. also great results.

i have complete confidence in the spade as an anchor you can trust in almost any bottom or sea conditions, at least what we've seen.

john cummings
duetto mv34

hi,

spade sizing (i.e. 100) relates to the physical dimensions, NOT the weight. both our 45# steel and 22# aluminium were spade 100's. spade does not recommend the aluminium version for large cats because shank can bend due to windage.

i assume pdq is talking 45# steel spade 100.

john cummings
duetto mv34

We use the 44 or 45 lb. steel spade on our PDQ 36 in sandy conditions. Throughout most of the east coast, we use a Fortress FX37 - they love mud. Check the manufacturers sizing charts and go one bigger for a good night's sleep.

Forgot to add that chain is VERY important if you get into wind vs. current conditions. A line rode gets wrapped around the keel or rudder and creates BIG problems. We now have 120 feet on the Fortress and 100 on the Spade. We also have a Fortress FX23 for use as a stern anchor when conditions dictate.

Hi. My wife and I have a PDQ44 and the steel spade 140. The thing is a beast and we love it. It has yet to drag an inch, and sometimes after a strong wind we have to work it out of the bottom (power over the top of the anchor, then let the wave action work it gradually out of the bottom) because it has dug in so well. I know it is probably overkill on size - but its only 20 lbs more than the 100 (steel) and at the end of the day I just don't care - I would rather not have the boat move while I am sleeping! Can't really tell you how it compares to other anchors as it is all we have tried - but I can tell you in 35 knots of winds I sleep. We have so far only anchored in the NE US which is pretty muddy/mucky. I assume it works as well in sand in the carribean - but we'll find out!

A couple of years ago, Boat US ran a series of tests comparing the holding power of a range of anchors (Danforth,Delta, CQR, Fortress, etc.) in mud and sand conditions. Fortress won hands-down by a wide margin in both conditions.

However, what they did not test was the kind of bottom you are most likely to encounter in the tropics. In tropical areas where the sand is only a few inches deep with coral underneath, especially when covered with grass, I found the Fortress to be unreliable, even when used with 30' of chain plus rode. I've had the best luck in these conditions with the CQR 35. You can enhance the holding power for sand-over-coral conditions by having someone weld a 1.5" stainless rod that ends in a sharp point to the tip of the spade anchor.

The old fashioned anchor (the one that actually looks like the classic anchor) works remarkedly well when anchoring on rocks.

I carry a Delta spade on 200' of chain on one side (the boat came with it)and a 35 lb CQR on 30' of chain & 300' ft of rode on the other. I also carry a Fortress 37 on 8' of chain and a much lighter rode to use as a lunch hook. It's fine for temporary anchoring when you can readily monitor whether you are dragging plus the light weight makes it quite easy to get up.

Thus if you plan on costal cruising, the Fortress might be your best bet. If you plan on heading to the islands, you should consider taking along a spade.

Weight on a catamaran is a huge factor, so the one area that I struggle with the most is how much anchoring tackle is enough to be safe vs. overkill. My last boat was a mono, and I carried enough anchoring tackle to take on a good hurricane (and I did ride a couple out ). I don't have that luxury with the PQD, so I'm always a little nervous when anchored during a storm on my cat... something I'll just have to get used to. Ed

Ed is 100% correct about the Fortress and shallow sand. Don't even consider it.

East Coast from Maine to mid-Florida, the Fortress has never let us down. However, there is an art to deploying it correctly which will come with experience. The trick is to let it down slow so it flys out a little and be certain the chain doesn't get on top of the anchor.