Made Entirely in the USA

Fortress Anchors is the only anchor in the world that is completely made in the USA. Our high-tensile aluminum-magnesium alloy extrusions are sourced from plants in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Utah. Our metal clips and stowaway bags are sourced in California. And, for the last 34 years, Fortress Anchors have been completely manufactured in our plant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Our Story

Fortress Marine Anchors was founded in 1988 by Don Hallerberg. Don was an engineer in retirement and was cruising around the world on his Hatteras. After experiencing several harrowing anchor failures, Don searched for a solution. He wanted an anchor that could be repaired at sea, on the water if necessary.

So Don set about creating his design. As he was older, he wanted to make the anchor light weight to reduce the effort it takes to pull the anchor. He also wanted to make the design modular, with no welds that could fail, so that parts could easily be replaced. The result was the lightweight, collapsible design that Fortress and Guardian Anchors are known for today.

Over 20 Independent Worldwide Tests Show that Heavier Isn’t Better

Don immediately set about proving his new design. In 1988, the US Navy tested the Fortress against the Navy Anchor and the classic Danforth Anchor. In straight-line hold tests, Fortress beat both of these heavier steel designs. In 1990, Fortress participated in the Biscayne Bay Challenge. With representatives from every major boating publication present, the Fortress FX-125 was tested against five other major brands with a straight-line pull test using the tugboat Hercules. While the other anchors couldn’t set in the muddy bottom, the FX-125 astounded onlookers as it brought the 70 foot tugboat to a halt at 20,000 pounds of pressure. Then, the line holding the anchor, which was rated to 50,000 lbs, separated and snapped. You can view the video of the test here.

Since then, Fortress has been subjected to over 20 independent worldwide tests, and in every test, has been shown to hold stronger and set faster than other heavier steel anchors. You can view reports on test results here.