I have a Fortress FX23 with about 25 ft 5/16 HT chain as a stern anchor. It stores in the cockpit locker with the chain in a canvas bag so is quick to deploy. The light weight makes it easy to dinghy out as a kedge, and the anchor is beefy enough to have been the primary anchor when Med mooring in Europe where we chose to go in bow first (this was in protected harbors). Boat is a Nordic 40 20K#. If you need to mount on the rail (as opposed to a cockpit lkr) I think a Fortress might be the best holding power to anchor weight you can find.

I agree, setting 2 anchors can be problematic. In the recent hurricane scare here in Maine I set 3 anchors (it was a narrow creek and I had some concern about staying off either shore). All it took was 1 change of tide before the wind came up and the boat had swung and twisted the lines. It took awhile to straighten them out. An unattended boat near us had set two anchors, somehow one of the rodesgot caught up between his keel and rudder and he spent the storm nearly sideways to the strongest wind. Had the storm hit us hard no way that boat would have made it. I met Eric Hiscock in Bora Bora, he was a big proponent of having an oversize anchor and the simplicity of only one anchor. I remember him saying my 45# CQR seemed a bit light for my Westsail 32 even with all chain (!)

I recognize there are times when a 2nd anchor is needed, but for general use I prefer a single beefy one. 55# Rocna with all chain in my case.

Max