Product Testimonials
On 3/26/2015 6:17 AM, Bill Merchant wrote:
Hi Randy,
We met you at Trawler Fest in Baltimore a couple of years ago. We purchased one of your wonderful anchors and bridle. We have been on the Great Loop for the last two years and have been on the hook at least 50 times.
The combination of the anchor and bridle worked perfectly every time. We have perfected attaching and un-attaching the bridle to a science. The anchor sets very quickly and has held under every condition.
GREAT products. If you ever need an endorsement or a video of how we connect the bridle, just let us know.
Very satisfied customers,
Bill and Sandra Merchant
Merchant Marine
Currently working our way to our summer port of Hilton Head SC.
We are at Vero Beach FL.
*******************************************************************
On 3/24/2015 10:46 AM, "mailto:seifers@pacbell.net"seifers@pacbell.net wrote:
Contact Name: Dan Seifers
Email Address: "mailto:seifers@pacbell.net"seifers@pacbell.net
Comments or Questions: We love our Ultra anchor. We have had it for 7 years and have anchored everywhere from Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Sitka Alaska and Mexico. It has NEVER failed, even in 50 knot winds.
***************************************************************************************
From: Rod Keller "mailto:arkayla@telus.net"mailto:arkayla@telus.net]
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2014 11:17 PM
To: "mailto:feedback@ahoycaptain.com"feedback@ahoycaptain.com
Subject: Ultra Anchor
Good afternoon,
Just wanted to tell you how pleased we are with the 99# Ultra Anchor you sold us. It arrived a day ahead of schedule, in pristine condition, mounted perfectly on the boat, and performs exactly as advertised. Thank you for supplying a great product with equally great service!
Rod Keller
********************************************************************************
Subjec: Our anchor Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 17:16:20 -0400 From: Peter Dalton "mailto:yacht.w6kw@gmail.com"<yacht.w6kw@gmail.com> To: "mailto:randy@quickline.us"randy@quickline.us
Randy, I have been meaning to write you. About 6 months ago we replaced our great looking but terribly inefficient stainless anchor weighing 140 lbs with your Quickline Ultra Anchor. The results are absolutely astounding. We were committee boat (74 ft. Hatteras) for the Castaways Cup race - two days in the ocean off Port St. Luce, and the anchor held even in the 40 knot gust that came up. We just returned from 5 days on the Little Bahama Bank in 21 knot conditions, and again the anchor held without moving all 5 days. We never had this experience in the past. Congratulations on having made the most efficient anchor since I have been in boating (over 50 years).
M/Y Sentimental Journey
Esther Cooke 09/11/14
We love our new Ultra anchor. One drop and it is set...weeds, mud,rock, gravel.
We circumnavigated Lake Ontario this summer, for 2 months, dropping the hook in many coves. Everywhere we went, people commented on its beauty, but its not a shiny accessory...it delivers!
No regrets in making that purchase. It’s the best anchor, and we are convinced. Thanks for helping us choose it!
Reid and Esther Cooke
Jon Allsop 09/11/14
Randy,
I did a few weeks of extensive cruising this summer after I installed my new Ultra Anchor.
The first time I used it was a real test. That wasn't the plan. I happened to anchor up the shore and slightly further out at the north end of Cypress Island of the state park buoys. I have hung on these a few times before through the night and tide cycles and was aware there is some current at times. I awoke in the middle night to the sound of water run past my boat. I got up and looked out to see foot and a half waves running by the boat in the moonlight. I was anchored in rapids with current probably running at 6 knots +. However, the anchor held just fine to my relief. During our cruise anchoring in all kinds of conditions I have to say the anchor was awesome. That puppy really hooks on to mother earth to the point that there were a few times my hydraulic winch had to groan a bit to pull it loose.
If you ever need a testimonial just let me know.
Best regards,
Jon I. Allsop
William Ludwick 07/18/14
To: randy@quickline.us
Email Address: Shilshole2009@sbcglobal.net
My Ultra Anchor, Ultra Bow Roller and Ultra Flip Swivel look great on the bow. The anchor sets easily, sets hard and allows me to completely forget it, knowing I'm set and going nowhere. Love it!
William Ludwick
Greg and Terry Coleman 01/8/14
Hello Gene,
I wanted to give you a report on our first experience with the Ultra Anchor which took place over the 4th of July weekend in the San Joaquin Delta. Our boat is a Navigator 4800, which weighs approximately 50K lbs. We anchored in 15 ft. of water in an area with a soft mud bottom and moderate grass. The anchor set immediately on the first attempt and we let out all chain with a scope of 7:1. The wind during our 3 days in a moderately crowed anchorage generally remained around 20 kts. On our first day at anchor, even with heavy boat wake activity and tide changes, the Ultra never moved an inch. I also used your Ultra Snubber Bridle which worked perfectly and took all of the strain off of the windlass. At this point, I was pleased and knew I had purchased a superior product.
The next part is where things got interesting and the anchor proved its holding power.
Another boat joined us for the second and third day. This vessel was a 53 foot Carver and tips the scales at 70K lbs. The skipper was having trouble deploying his anchor and then maneuvering back into position to raft up with us. On his second attempt, he thought his delta anchor had set and we lashed our boats together. When he went to put some tension on his chain and take some of the load off of mine, he realized that his anchor had again not set. The wind was now at 25 kts and heavy boat wakes were constant. We decided to maintain a sharp anchor watch and see how things held. I am pleased, and honestly amazed, that our single anchor held both vessels solid as a rock for the next 48 hours. I was impressed with the Ultra Anchor after visiting your booth at a boat show in Alameda, Ca. After this experience, I am a true believer.
Thank you for helping me select the perfect products for our boat.
Sincerely,
Captain Greg Coleman
USCG Master 100 Ton
Kaaren Sherrell 07/07/14
Thanks for getting the order shipped so quickly! We actually received it the day before it was expected. It fit perfectly on our Bimini stanchion. I will email you a picture.
I also wanted to follow up on what I said about the anchor we bought from you at the Seattle Boat Show. We have been using it for 3 years and it is the best one we have ever had in our 25 years of boating. It always finds a spot to dig in and we have never had to reset it. The last one we had, we had to reset it sometimes 3 times.
I love the quality and design of your products, they are well worth the extra expense and will last us a lifetime.
Thanks,
Kaaren
David Drury 04/14/14
Gene, Randy
I own a 66 foot Offshore Yachts pilothouse motor vessel. I purchased and had installed a 60kg Ultra anchor, and one of your swivels, when the boat was commissioned in July 2009. Since that time we have spent 3 winters all over the West Coast of Mexico, and one summer in the Pacific Northwest, as far north as Desolation Sound. We have anchored literally hundreds of times, and never dragged anchor.
One of the most comforting feelings upon anchoring a boat is to drop the anchor, back down slightly, and feel a distinctive jolt as the anchor grabs tightly and the boat comes to a comforting halt. The first time I anchored in high wind I literally lost my balance momentarily when the anchor grabbed.
Two weeks ago we anchored at Santa Cruz Island (off Santa Barbara) for the night on our way to San Francisco from Barra de Navidad. The winds were consistently gusting to 35 knots. I won’t say we slept through the night without checking, but the anchor held without any fanfare, and the crew got some well-needed sleep before continuing north.
Dave Dury
Bernard & Becky Robinson 03/17/14
Randy,
Here’s a little testimonial on the Ultra Anchor and swivel that we purchased at Trawler Fest Anacortes in May 2012. To say we love it is not enough. I think it is the Ultra 27 - 60 pound.
We used the anchor a couple of nights at San Clemente Island, Calif and that was it until we left San Diego for Mexico on November 11, 2012. The third night at anchor was its first test with heavy surf and wind about 25 to 30 knots. We use an all chain rode of 5/16 hi-test. The anchor held and we were grateful.
In the 18 months, we have anchored just at 200 days. Sometimes it was only for a night, but mostly for 3 to 5 days. The longest was for 2 weeks in Santiago Bay (Manzanillo) Mexico. The scariest night was in Careyes in March, 2013 when we had high surf and were only about 100’ from a rock we did not see when anchoring. And it only drug once in La Paz, but I blame that on the skipper as he put out too little rode and should have moved before dark. We usually anchor in 20’- 25’ of water, using 120’ to 150’ of chain rode. The highest wind we’ve had is 35+ knots at Santo Domingo in Bahia Conception.
I dove on the anchor several times and usually find the chain snaking round the bottom and the Ultra buried in sand up to the shank. Usually only the shank and top of the side flukes are visible.
Comments of dock walkers are usually about its beauty and do we use it, or do we serve foo-foos on it. Here's some pictures for you. The buried picture is at Candelros near Puerto Escondido. The barnacles and coral are from 2 weeks in Santiago, followed by 8 days in Tenacatita, and 5 days in La Cruz. The Admiral cleaned it up in about 3 hours and it has kept its shine. In the anchoring, there is a small chip on the point, a small chip on the shank and a small dent on the shank, and a few scratches along the bottom from sand and rock.
Soon we’ll be heading back up the Sea of Cortez for the summer and will experience many deeper anchorages. And trusting our faithful Ultra Anchor.
Bernard & Becky Robinson
M/V Worth Waiting 4
San Diego, CA
Bill Haynsworth 01/28/14 6:01 PM
Hi Gene,
I bought a 60# Ultra Anchor from you last summer for my Offshore 48 which I use a lot around the San Diego Bay area. In particular I anchor a lot (like every single weekend) at the tip of Point Loma to go surfing from my boat. Surfing there is only accessible from a boat as the surrounding land is government owned. For the year prior to owning my Ultra Anchor I had a CQR. The CQR would typically require quite a distance (of backing down) to hook and many times I would have to go around for a second try as there is a lot of hard pan out there spotted with areas of sand. First time using the Ultra Anchor we hooked so quickly that I was sure we had hooked a rock or a reef, the chain came up hard and fast at the very beginning of my back down. I just couldn’t believe how fast the Ultra Anchor hooked. Turns out we didn’t hook a rock, the anchor simply hooked fast onto the first bit of sand it drug over. Since that time I’ve anchored there at least many times and the Ultra Anchor always hooks within a much shorter distance than my CQR ever did. And the best part is the peace of mind I have knowing my boat isn’t going anywhere while I’m off it surfing (I used to always worry with the CQR because it had drug a couple of times).
Also, I was worried about the anchor fitting through the factory Offshore bow roller assembly but it fits like a glove and “locks-in” as snug as if it were made for it.”
So, thanks for the great product and I highly recommend the Ultra Anchor!
Thank You,
Bill Haynsworth,
Owner, SAN DIEGO HARDWARE
Ali Bilgen 01/12/14 12:49 PM
Hi Gene,
We own a Swedish made Nimbus Coupe 365 motor yacht called "Night 'N Gale". Nimbus boats are known for their high quality, safety, seaworthiness and comfort. We keep her in the Aegean and cruise regularly. Our boat came equipped with an "Ultra Anchor" which I had not owned before. I cannot say enough about this anchor. I have been sailing and boating for almost 40 years (most of my life) and seen many types of anchors in many conditions. The Ultra anchor is amazing.
Last summer, we left the port of Cesme, Turkey and headed out for a 2 week family cruise in the Greek islands off the coast of Turkey. The entire 2 weeks, the forecast was for strong northerlies (meltemi). Everyday, we cruised in 18-25 knots breeze and heavy seas. Usually, the wind dies down at night but this was not to be... Our first anchorage was at Pythagorion, Samos where the cross winds can create havoc on anchoring boats. I have seen boats circling all night long in the harbour because their anchors wouldn't hold. Our Ultra set in one shot. We let out maximum amount of chain and took a couple of lines off the stern and tied to the wall. Our anchor didn't move an inch all night even with 20 knots of cross breeze.
Our next stop was at the Island Patmos. This was the worst night during the cruise. The wind and gusts coming off the mountain that surrounds the harbour made anchoring very tricky. We anchored in 20 knots of breeze. Again, our Ultra set in one shot and held. We let out maximum amount of chain and took a couple lines to the wall. That night the wind gusts were in excess of 35 knots. Most other boats were on watch all night long. We were confident that our Ultra would hold. And it did... We checked our anchor once in the middle of the night and went to sleep. I can go on about the other spots we anchored but the story would be the same...The bottom line is that we felt safe in some very difficult conditions.
The Ultra holds amazingly well in sand and mud. Like all other anchors, letting out proper amount of chain is a must...
I would highly recommend the Ultra anchor...
Good luck with your efforts in introducing the Ultra to the Canadian market.
Best regards,
Ali Bilgen
A & BB Rice Inc.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
www.abbrice.com
Chris & Maria 9/19/14 12:49 PM
We stopped by the Quickline booth at the Annapolis Boat Show last October. We were given a demonstration and we watched the video. What truly caught our attention was just how nice the anchor looked. We purchased the anchor and were able to try it out this summer. Never before have we anchored and slept on the boat, we weren’t confident until we had the new anchor. There is no question when we are securely anchored, you can tell instantly. What a noticeable difference from the old anchor. We would never sleep on a boat without a Quickline Ultra Anchor again!
We also love how we were able to trade the old anchor in when we needed a bigger size. Customer service is excellent and the anchor is phenomenal.
Kathy and Dave Quistad 9/10/13 3:31 PM
Thanks Gene, hope your trip is wonderful. The sailing season is drawing to a slow close up here. We're already planning next season and gloating over how much the Quickline reel has changed our lives. It makes us smile every time we use it. Never dreamt that stern tying could be fun.
Our best,
David and Kathy
Ebb Borregaard 4/24/13 4:10 PM
Thank you for extending the boat show price and forgiving the FedEx on your astonishingly beautiful anchor. I'm glad I made the decision to buy.
I believe the Ultra has broken the roll bar barrier. [Despite Chuck Hawley (westmarine) calling Manson's new Boss the Next Generation (after the New) in an info-interview on the Manson website.....Quickline actually has the anchor that is moving forward with innovative & intelligent design from the now fashionable roll bar (that I think has had its day.)
I also have a Supreme, and still think it a great anchor, and handsome in galvanized. But not as versatile as the Ultra. My 26' Pearson Ariel can't carry anchors for every bottom. Ultra promises the most seabeds for the buck.....hopefully I'll be checking that out soon. No doubt I will be interested in your signature products after launch.
I'm active on the Pearson Ariel.org site - where I'm very opinionated on anchor maker ethics and a certain magazine stumbling, as well. I think that getting ABS certification using a real tugboat in water testing may have been what convinced me - as there is very little of substance to judge anchors by whatever is available. Third party testing, real testing, really stands out.
George Collin 4/3/2013 8:03 PM
Hi Guys I had the pleasure of using one of your anchors on a trip down the west coast of Mexico last month. I am a boat builder of some 45 years and I have never seen an anchor hold like this. I was on a CT 54 and we had a 12 pound Ultra as a stern anchor. We were in an unprotected anchorage in high winds about 20 to 25 knots and large swells. The 12lb Ultra was set to hold us beam to the wind and it held with no problems. In the morning we had to winch the anchor out it was dug in so well. The single best anchor I have ever seen.
John and Colleen McIntyre 2/8/2013 3:31 AM
Our 99 lb. Ultra Anchor continues to serve us well and with over 40 years of boating experience in the Northwest it has definitely been my favorite anchor ever.
Alan Dwan 11/25/2012 12:54 PM
Bought your anchor and snubbers and are now anchored in La Paz, on Rhapsody, 36ft Herreshoff Nereia Ketch...No worries...the Ultra Anchor is nothing short of FABULOUS. It grabs the bottom and just stops the boat every time. We have anchored in winds up to 30 knots, nothing serious, but we have not slipped an inch.
Rick & Barbara Heinen 6/4/2012 11:21 AM
We want to inform you how happy we are with the Ultra anchor. We have been anchored out now for 6 weeks along the Turkish coast in some of the same mud bottom that we dragged in with our old Rocna. In Knidos for example the bottom is hard clay/ mud, and we popped out the Rocna as it was fouled with hard mud and wouldn't reset. The Ultra dug right in, penetrating deeper and giving us a good nights sleep in 20+kts. of wind. We also have found that it doesn't drag with a 180 degree wind shift in 30kts. Thank you again for helping making our cruising life safer, and we'll look forward to the windy Cyclades this summer now!
Richard Farris 5/18/2012 6:52 PM
We just got back from three weeks in the keys they were great. We took 35 to 40 knts in one anchorage dialed around all night never fouling i can't wait to go to the lower Bahamas next year. They give one great confidence.
Tom Sparrow 4/24/2012
I have the following report regarding the Ultra anchor: In 2004 I experienced a middle of the night anchor failure in the Sea of Cortez resulting in a grounding of my 54 foot Offshore vessel. I subsequently purchased a larger 72' Offshore in 2008. Keeping in mind my previous troubles I went looking for a better anchor for windy night conditions. I met Randy at a boat show in San Diego and found out about your anchor system. I bought a 130 pound Ultra anchor with swivel and harness snubber set up. I have been using the system for four years and can tell you that the anchor sets like a rock. Very solid and resets with changing tides and currents very quickly. I have scuba dived to check many times and without fail it is buried to the shank! A bit expensive but worth every nickel and looks great!
François Legare 4/10/2012 5:14 AM
Just to let you know how much my wife and I appreciate our Ultra anchor that we purchased from you at Annapolis last fall. We installed it the day we bought it. We went down the Intracoastal to Florida, then to the Bahamas where we are still navigating. No matter where we anchor, we know we can sleep tight. In the Exumas, where the water is so clear, we love to show off by letting our guests actually see the anchor sink into the sand right in front of their eyes.
We have bought many pieces of equipment for our boat since. But we still thing your Ultra anchor was our best investment.
Richard 4/10/2012 3:47 AM
Thanks for the update. We bought the Ultra Anchor for our Bristol 41.1 at the St. Pete boat show (my buddy Pat Winkler bought one for his Taswell 56). I love it! Sets almost instantly and does all you claimed it would. In process of buying a trawler to cruise the Chesapeake and a new Ultra will be the first improvement we make. See you next time you're in St. Pete.
Pat Winkler (Coraopolis)
Again I can't say how much peace of mind the Ultra Anchor has given us. We have had a couple of little blows of 25 knots without any movement whatsoever. While I still leave the anchor alarm on, those nights I sleep much easier. We are looking forward to trying our second Ultra Anchor this summer in Maine. Thanks again for all your help.
Chris & Alyse Caldwell 1/21/2012
We recently installed a new ULTRA Anchor aboard our training trawler Sandy Hook. The reason for the change was our other anchors were NOT doing the job well enough. Our trawler only has a single anchor pulpit so when we change geographic regions with different bottom conditions it is a major operation to change anchors. By this I mean I have to crawl out there and manually change from one anchor to the other by removing the anchor in the pulpit and replacing it with the other anchor stored on the aft deck. Because of this dirty tedious operation we started using a MAX Anchor believing it was the best multi-purpose anchor. If you haven't seen a MAX it is the giant scoop that looks like a construction tractor backhoe blade.
It did serve us well but we continued to have issues with it setting on top of clay, oyster shells and slimy bottoms because it just rested on the top and did not have the ability to dig in. It was the best choice for a multipurpose anchor until we discovered the ULTRA Anchor with the concave plow concept. This anchor has the pointed plow blade to penetrate the clay and oyster shells and a concave design to act as a mud anchor. Yes we tried it in the slime bottom conditions at Pecks Lake on the ICW south of the Crossroads near Stuart, FL. The anchor layed on the bottom while we scoped out the rode and it dug in through the slime and set in the heavy mud below. We backed down on it and felt it bite into hard sea floor. When weighing anchor we did have to work to free it, something we were looking forward to because this area is known for bad holding conditions. We have used the ULTRA and are satisfied that we have found our new multi-purpose anchor.
And that's not all, the ULTRA Flip Swivel is an excellent design and the anchor comes up into the pulpit correctly every time. Our old system had a 50 / 50 chance of nesting in the pulpit. If not we had to lower the anchor and try again. After a few times of that we had to get our boat hook out and push it around until it aligned properly. More dirty work we do not have to deal with now.
David Bock 1/17/2012
We had the opportunity to test drive the Turkish made "Ultra Anchor" for a full season before purchase and have nothing but great things to say about it. Like the Rocna, it is a diving anchor that sets immediately in most conditions and most often I have to drive forward on it to release it from a firm set. The OEM CQR on our Nordhavn 55 just wouldn't set all the time and occasionally would drag on its side. Available only in stainless steel it sure looks a lot nicer than the galvanized Rocna and I suspect it does not pull up as much mud because it does not have the bar to entrap the mud. The Rocna is available in SS but very expensive. We have combined the 80 KG Ultra Anchor with the Ultra Flip Swivel for a winning combination. The Ultra Anchor is available throughout Europe and in the US. It is distributed by Quickline in California.
David Bock (Mexico) 11/22/2011
I am now on Bill O'Meara's boat "THOR" down in the Sea of Cortez on the West Coast of Mexico. Bill is really pleased with the performance of his new Ultra Anchor. I joined him in Southern California for a delivery run & To participate in the FUBAR rally. This rally was first organized by Bruce Kessler who has the BIG Ultra Anchor. Bruce was at our farewell party before leaving Long Beach, California.
Chris Lindbloom and Nancy Powell 10/17/2011
We had the opportunity to test the new anchor yesterday. Fabulous! As promised, it set instantly and on held the first try. I watched the GPS like a hawk to see if we were moving. We weren't, and were sitting in about 10 knots of wind. It was also remarkably easy to "break" and because of its polished surface, it easily shed the nasty Chesapeake Bay mud that would cling like glue to the galvanized predecessor. This is a bit of a game-changer for us, in that we've never been fully able to trust our previous anchors - therefore not sleep very well.
RN 9/28/2011
I have been anchoring three days a week during fishing season. When the weather turns bad or swells increase in duration or size the boat reacts by slamming hard against the water as if large metal doors are repeatedly slammed shut. Since buying Quickline's Ultra Snubber & Bridle the stress has been relieved from my windlass and bow roller. I now ride out the waves with a smooth up and down motion without any slamming sound. What a great product.
Marcus 8/15/11
I wanted to say thank you again for the fantastic service you provided and deal you arranged for this order. It isn't always enough to be a fan of a product, but also relevant is the overall purchase experience and customer interactions. Gene was also terrific and I appreciate his trying to ensure we got the right mount for the reel. In this case, I'm a fan of both the products and service.
Byron Richards 8/9/2011
The swivel works as the video shows, I just let the windlass retrieve the anchor and it stows right every time. And the ULTRA Anchor has held very well and provided us with many a good night's sleep. Thank you very much, both pieces of equipment are excellent and we are very pleased.
Frank and Candi Catania 8/5/2011
My wife Candi and I wanted to let you know that since purchasing the "Alpha" BBQ flat/grill plate we have gotten rid of our oven - as we live on our catamaran and it has opened up so much more room for us in the galley.
We have cooked anything and everything on our new BBQ. We have cooked meatloaf, biscuits, casseroles of assorted dinners and even cookies. It also cooks a mean steak. We have enjoyed our purchase so much that our inside stove is very seldom used, which makes cleaning up easy.
We have purchased 4 different BBQ's from West Marine and other stores in the past 10 years and this BBQ has already surpassed our expectations and we are very happy customers.
My wife and I have been out in 30+ knots of breeze at anchor and it still lights and cooks normally which had never happened before with our other BBQs.
Again, Randy we appreciated you going out of your way and showing us the BBQ and how it cooks and we also appreciate you helping us getting the BBQ set up for us on our vessel.
Derrick Record 7/28/2011
Ultra Flip Swivels are the best swivels on the market and we plan to use them exclusively on all of our future builds and refits.
Al & Julie Cicioni (East Coast ~Mistress of the Sea) 7/24/2011 7:53 PM
I called Quickline @ 9:00 am eastern. Randy answered my call, designed & shipped a customized assembly within 24 hours. Follow up & calculation support is dead on. This company understands the concept of customer service & produces an excellent product in a timely fashion. We anchor frequently & this product provides additional peace of mind. We highly recommend Ultra Chain Grab & Quickline.
Dick Carey (Croatia) 6/30/2011 1:54 PM
I agree with everything David says. We have also used ours for the past year and we too mainly anchor off - we haven't been in to a marina for the past month and don't plan to for a while. We also normally use a scope of 3 to 1. No experience with a Rocna but am very happy with the Ultra.
David (Turkey) 6/30/2011 1:53 PM
This is our 2nd year using the Turkish made Ultra Anchor/Swivel/Grab hook. I was 1st made aware of it where someone recommended the Turkish made Ultra Swivel which is a unique design that rights the anchor as it comes over the roller. We were fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity to trial test an Ultra all summer cruising season last year and after anchoring out all season and not wanting to deal with the Med mooring in marinas I can tell you that it worked flawlessly for us all year. I have not had any experience with the Rocna but some independent comparative studies do show the Ultra to be superior in some categories.
You definitely have to drive the boat right on top of it to dislodge it. It only comes in stainless steel and seems to be priced less than the Rocna in SS. The design is quite unique with it having hollow flukes filled with lead that weights the point to set quickly and drive it in deep. Many times swimming over it all that is exposed is the shank. This summer we have had Bill and Kay O'Meara who own N5725 on with us since mid May and we have anchored out every night except a few nights where we dropped the anchor and backed to a pontoon or docking area. The anchor always sets immediately and even in grass we drop it and slowly let the wind/current pull us back and then very gently idle in reverse to get a firm set with mostly a 3 to 1 chain to depth ratio. Bill is so impressed that he is now in contact with Randy at Quickline US and negotiating to buy one upon his return to the US. Anyone interested, I can forward the comparative studies.
Pete & Stephanie Peterson 5/20/2011 6:44 PM
First, let me say up front that this is the best anchor we've ever used!
Some background. We've started with a 22kg Original Bruce and a 22kg Brittany. We lost the Bruce to a swivel shackle that snapped. Then we replaced the Bruce with a 22kg Delta. We had been fighting with these anchors for the last 10 years. The Bruce did well in mud and sand, but one weed and it was worthless. The Brittany was the anchor of last resort and did actually hold a couple of times. The Delta was not the answer either, we always had trouble getting this anchor to set and hold. For a kedge we carry a Fortress. It's a great anchor that only weighs 21 lbs, is easy to deploy from the dinghy, sets easily and holds well. We use it often as a second anchor if we are expecting high winds or for bahamian anchoring, but I don't trust it in a situation where there might be a wind shift or tide change.
The UAG on the other hand, has performed flawlessly. Having been up and down the US East Coast a few times, we've dragged or had a hard time getting a good hook set more times than we care to remember.
In the mud and sand of Florida and the tidal estuaries of Georgia and South Carolina, with 8' reversing tides and strong currents the UAG anchor set and held every time (no fooling, every time).
In Charleston, SC, we always anchor off the City Docks in around 30' of water. The currents run up to around 2knots and we swing 180 degrees four time a day. The UAG set first time and held for our three-day stay. Even on a short 4:1 scope, because of the crowded anchorage, it held just fine.
Carolina Beach, NC has always been problematic for us. It's a convenient stop along the ICW, but our Delta just would not get a good set in that anchorage. We would do everything we could to get it to set. But even once set, it was notorious for letting go if the wind came up. That worry did not make for a restful night. The UAG, three nights ago in Carolina Beach, set the first time and we were done for the night. Sweet!
Mile Hammock, NC is another of those tough anchorages, soft mud on top of harder mud. Lost a day on our trip south last time we were there. After a good set on the third or fourth try with the Delta in 20-25kts of wind, we sat anchor watch for several hours to be sure. We thought it was ok and went to bed. Next morning we woke to find we'd dragged in the night when the wind shifted 40 degrees. Well stuck in the mud on a falling tide, we had to wait until the next high tide that evening to get off. Last night in Mile Hammock with the UAG: we dropped it, it set, and we were done.
Tonight we are in Beaufort, NC, at the Taylor Creek anchorage, just off the town waterfront. This is a crowded anchorage with a strong reversing tidal current and sketchy holding. The UAG did great, as always we dropped it where we wanted it and it stuck.
Things we've learned. The anchor sets so fast we have to be careful to slow down the reverse momentum before the anchor catches. Otherwise it puts way to much strain on the windlass. When the UAG anchor digs in it seriously stops the boat. We've found it best to power forward just before the chain starts to rise. Then let the anchor sit for a few minutes before slowly reversing and tensioning the chain. Then with tension on the chain, slowly increase the rpm until there is no doubt that its set. It's been working for us so far.
The only complaint about the UAG is the galvanizing job. As little as we've actually used it so far, the galvanizing has started to chip off in several places and we are starting to get a bit of rust.
On the whole we really are happy with this anchor. I would love to see an anchor to test to compare the UAG to the Rocna that all the cruisers now seem to be carrying.
Have you decided if you will be importing the UAG series anchors to the USA? Just a personal observation, the SS Ultra is a great anchor, but just beyond the means of most of the cruisers I know. I think you would do well selling the UAG to compete directly with the Rocna and Manson.
Thanks again for the great anchor. We hope to work the Annapolis Boat Show again this fall, we'll look for you there and say hello.
Alexus Sheppard (Alameda, CA) 5/10/2011 11:28 AM
During a 12-boat raft-up in the CA Delta, after we set our anchor early in the event, others joined us on our port side, having their anchors dropped via the Commodore's dinghy. As a result, the boat next to us had their rode inadvertently dropped across ours. So when it came time for him to leave, as he motored forward and they windlassed in their mostly-line rode, their anchor had snagged our all-chain rode. We were suspicious that this might happen so we were watching our rode carefully for any signs of motion. As soon as we felt the vibration in our rode, we shouted to the departing boat that they had hooked our rode. He continued to lift his anchor as far as his small windlass would allow but with the weight of our chain, his anchor still remained about 2-3 feet below the water and about 100' in front of us. Deb and Alexus to the rescue!!! (with Ultra Trip Hook in the dinghy)
We motored our dinghy out to the offending boat with all the other boats watching in great anticipation! We quickly got the trip hook under our rode, handed the bitter end up to the first mate on the bow of the offending boat, and advised him to cleat the hook, so he could lower his anchor. As soon as the anchor was dropped free of the rode, we took the hook line from him and backed our dinghy away, taking the rode sideways and away from the hanging anchor. He then was able to raise the anchor as we safely and easily pulled the trip line to let the heavy chain rode drop back to the bottom. Piece of cake!!! The released boat then safely motored away and as we dinghied back, the rest of the raft-up burst into applause! What would they do without us??? Ha! Our club Commodore asked us where we got our trip hook and, of course, we told him "Quickline! The same place we got our Ultra Anchor!" He said the club would definitely be buying one for future raft-ups, in case we're not there ;-) So that's our latest Quickline story. Thanks for all the great products!!!
Barry Kallander (US) 4/29/2011 4:04 PM
I use a Bruce and have always been quite happy with it. It has occasionally taken a second attempt to set in deep/thick grass, but sets easily in most other bottoms, and once set stays set. That being said, I have heard great things about both Rocna and Ultra and have supplied both without personal bias (as I am a Bruce guy..). But I want to convey a brief story about the Ultra anchor…. I had a friend / customer call me last year from his 55' Selene to get some advice as a hurricane remnant moved over the Maritimes. His question was should he anchor in the bay or tie to the dock? I brought his location up on Google Maps, saw the dock and knew the forecasted wind direction. The dock would have been a lousy location, as the wind would have pinned him to the dock and would have been difficult to fender the boat, or re-fender during the storm and tidal surge.
In all likelihood, the boat would have been damaged at the dock. After looking at various locations in the large bay we found a location that would provide some protection from wind and waves that were forecasted to plow into the bay. He anchored (with his Ultra) and reported no detectable movement of the boat in sustained 75 knot winds. A well set Rocna or Bruce would likely perform as well, but this is none-the-less a good testimonial for the Ultra. And if you are into pretty – it certainly wins the beauty pageant compared to Rocna or Bruce! While I have supplied all the above during outfitting, I am not a dealer for any and just reporting on actual usage. As for me, I'll probably stick with an inexpensive Bruce on my next boat, but wouldn't hesitate to go to sea with either the Rocna or Ultra (these three would be my personal short list). Regards, Barry Kallander Commander (N40-46)
Dennis (California) 8/27/2010 4:46 PM
Just got back from a week & 1/2 on the hook throughout Californias Channel Islands, previously we used a chain hook which was difficult to put on and even more difficult to take off. This chain grab works great, easy on, easy off, yet securely holds my snubber in place with no worries about it ever slipping off. And the quality is fantastic I would recommend it as the ONLY way to grab your chain.
Atilla Horoz (Turkey) 8/11/2010 1:53 PM
"We have been having problems with a dragging anchor, due primarily to the anchor itself and our inexperience. Last week we started to use your anchor, the Ultra Anchor. When we give enough pay out and reverse the engine as soon as it catches the chain, the boat stops like it is nailed in place and she does not move. Anchoring is not a problem for us anymore. We congratulate ourselves with each anchoring success. We congratulate you for manufacturing such a functional and high-quality anchor.
John Geissinger (CT) 8/6/2010 9:36 AM
This is a fantastic anchor. Last week we were cruising in company in Maine, and were scheduled to have a cocktail party aboard our 50' sailboat. Given we were expecting 40 people, we had two 36' power cruisers rafted alongside to create more room. As the festivities progressed winds increased to 20 kts with gusts to 30kts. While other boats were dragging around us, we didn't move! Needless to say, I have been sleeping soundly ever since. When you consider the value of your boat, the value of the Ultra versus the lesser priced competitors is worth every penny.
Alexus & Deb 3/16/2010
Regarding our Ultra Anchor, we simply cannot speak highly enough about it. When combined with an appropriately sized, all-chain rode of adequate length, and aggressively set after deployment, it is simply unbeatable! We have been using it for nearly three years now, have used it for hundreds of nights at anchor from Canada to Mexico and back again. We have never dragged anchor even once! In fact, we have successfully anchored on first attempt every single time she's been dropped. We've even had people question whether we've been "successful" setting our anchor because they've watched other people come and go from a "prime" location, in an attempt to anchor in areas of questionable holding, and we've never failed! And we ALWAYS power set to be sure it's holding adequately.
We've anchored in all conditions with all types of bottoms and with winds up to and including gale force. What else can I say? Our boat is a 42' Nova Sundeck named NuMoon and since we live aboard, I'm guessing she currently displaces about 45,000 pounds. And with an enclosed flybridge, she has lots of windage.
Thom Wagner
Before the shows get started this fall I just wanted to let you know that three of our customers that have your anchors on their boats, a Passport 470 center cockpit owner, a Passport Vista 515 center cockpit owner and a Passport Vista 615 twin cockpit owner, have reported to us that their anchoring experiences have been nothing less that fantastic.
All three reported that their anchors set the first time every time. When the boats swung at anchor the anchors reset immediately and in short they are very happy with your anchors.
I carry an Ultra anchor on my own boat as you know and have been very happy with its' performance.
Wish you lots of luck at the shows this fall and sell lots of Altra anchors to those who really want to protect their investment.
John Geissinger
I purchased a 77# Ultra Anchor from you last fall for my Valiant 50. I just returned from our Club Cruise to Maine and the anchor worked great. One evening, I anchored and I had two 36 foot power cruisers rafted on either side to give us more room for our evening cocktail party. We had 40 people on board with winds of 20kts gusting to 30. Boats around us were dragging, yet we did not move an inch! The only difficulty was getting the anchor up the next morning since it dug into the bottom so far. Needless to say, I have never slept better since.
I am thrilled I made the plunge to purchase this anchor. While it may be more expensive than some of your lessor competitors, when you consider the price differential and compare that to the cost of the boat, it is the best deal around.
Alexus Sheppard & Deborah Perry (USA)
And a wise friend once told me, "The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price has passed." And I think we've all experienced that, even worse, form of buyer's remorse. We absolutely LOVE our Ultra!
Cameron Jones
I took off my stemhead fitting and permanently welded the two Ultra Rollers into it. I angled them outward so I could have two anchors positioned in the rollers and ready to go. Both the design and the rollers have worked extremely well.
Pete
The Ultra Anchor as performed astonishingly well. It is slightly heavier than my previous CQR (60 vs 44 lbs.) which helps, but I think the design of the Ultra Anchor is a real breakthrough. The lead weight inside the anchor itself does exactly what it is supposed to do. The anchor sinks basically straight down in its "attack" position - point down. I feed it down by hand at about 5 feet per second. I can see it glide through the water slightly away from the boat. I have mostly anchored in firm mud and once in sand so far. The anchor must dig in as soon as it lands; it seems to set completely after pulling it about 1 foot.
I just wanted to let you know that we did actually get underway again and we couldn't be more pleased with the UA 21-46! We are 5 for 5 anchoring with winds up to 30 knots. While the bottoms have been mostly tidal mud and not a real challenge for an anchor, we are rapidly gaining confidence in this anchor. The fact that I can drop and back up and feel confident that it's going to set makes a huge difference.
We were motoring north behind Cumberland Island, GA with a thunderstorm looming over us. A strong down draft with 30+ knots hit us and the gentle ICW quickly turned nasty. With the wind against tide, it quickly kicked up a three foot chop. We made it into Shellbine Creek, a little tidal creek with room for our 42' Moody sloop to swing, and dropped our Ultra Galvanized 46 it set immediately. We spent the night watching the lightening storm and wind. Overnight with the reverse of the 9' tide, we never budged. I think I'm going to like this anchor! Stephanie loves the way it self launches."
John and Ellen Sogolow
We met at the Miami Beach Boat Show in January 2010. At that time, John purchased your 37 lb anchor and moved it onto his sailboat Lokahi that was docked at the Dinner Key Marina. From there, he sailed to the Bahamas and Abaco Islands where he singlehanded for about two months. It was great knowing that wherever he anchored, he would be secure with the ULTRA anchor.
With about a 25:1 scope of 5/16 chain, the anchor held well in 40 and 50 mph winds and 5-7 ft waves. 8-10 feet of water
200 feet of rode out, of that 70 ft is 5/16 chain.
Bottom condition sandy and limestone
BTW, set a second anchor, Danforth style, being cautious, but it never had any tension.
Rob von Zabern
A Freakish Storm, Brazil 21 February 2010
The expected southern weather passed. As we were at the North of the island, we did not feel that bad weather. However one night we had some real difficulties. We had the hardest storm since we left Turkey. Even we were expecting that it was going to come from South, weather came from North when we had just anchored to a small island called Francesco at the North part of main island. Sundown was close. In a flash the North horizon started to get dark. Yet, we did not understand what was going on; the crazy wind came over us with rain.
Tent gathering the rain on was tight on stern. The crazy wind started to shake the tent out extremely that I thought its connections would break away. We both ran to gather the tent. It got swollen with the crazy wind and it was nearly going to wing us. We barely wrapped it and put into the locker. We were totally wet in such a short time like we felt into water.
Our anchorage was open to the North. The bow of the boat started to go in and out of water with the big waves. Boat's back turned to the shore. The rocks of the island were starting about 50m. back. I wanted to go to bow and check the anchor. However, this was impossible. Rain drops darted by the wind was hitting my face as bullets. OUR ULTRA ANCHOR HAS NOT DRAGGED SINCE TODAY. WE TOOK COVER IN OUR BOAT HOPING IT WOULD NOT LET US DOWN THIS TIME, TOO.
Water spatters turned to a white cloud. Vision was 0. There was a small boat so close to us tied to a arch barrel and we even could not see this boat anymore……….The limit of our wind indicator was 60 knot and we were away over it……While we were thinking of how much we could survive under those conditions, the wind started to calm down.
I was surprised once I check the time. We felt like the storm lasted for hours, everything actually passed in just 30 minutes…….. We were so afraid of dragging to the rocks but it was over. I went down to take a strong drink.
The Ultra Anchor is dangerously good because when we rafted up my anchor was the only anchor that was holding and my chain was out like a laser beam, straight, and I had to tell everybody to reset their anchors and get it going because I thought I was going to rip my deck hardware off that thing was holding so well.
John and Nancy Celick
The combination of the Ultra Anchor, your nifty swivel and your chain hook are in danger of making us become over-confident in our anchoring skills.
We've been on the hook every night for the last six weeks in the Gulf of California. We've seen your demonstration that the anchor will reset itself but it has not had to prove that to us. We've been rock solid each and every time that we've gotten it wet. In fact, we let nature and the breeze actually "set" the anchor because the only time we powered down on it I thought we might rip the bow roller off...it digs in!
Last night we had 32 kt. winds from the north... no problem. An hour ago we pulled into a very windy, crowded, anchorage with just enough room for us in front of a large powerboat... confident that there wouldn't be any slippage... no problem.
Atilla Horoz
We have been having problems with a dragging anchor, due primarily to the anchor itself and our inexperience. Last week we started to use your anchor, the Ultra Anchor. When we give enough pay out and reverse the engine as soon as it catches the chain, the boat stops like it is nailed in place and she does not move. Anchoring is not a problem for us anymore. We congratulate ourselves with each anchoring success. We congratulate you for manufacturing such a functional and high-quality anchor.
Alexus Sheppard & Deborah Perry
We simply cannot speak highly enough about our Ultra Anchor. When combined with an appropriately-sized, all-chain rode of adequate length, and aggressively set after deployment, it is simply unbeatable! We have been using it for nearly three years now, have used it for hundreds of nights at anchor from Canada to Mexico and back again. We've anchored in all conditions, with all types of bottoms, and with winds up to and including gale force. We have never dragged anchor even once! In fact, we have successfully anchored on first attempt every single time she's been dropped.
Alexus Sheppard & Deborah Perry
We have used our Ultra Anchor many, many times throughout our trip and absolutely LOVE it!!! Our new motto is simply "Drop it, Set it, FORGET it! We can't even count how many times we watched other boats drop their anchor, DRAG their anchor, move to another spot, and repeat, repeat, repeat. We never even ONCE had to move because our anchor wouldn't set. As a result, anchoring has never been a questionable or stressful time for us.
Cüneyt Aytaç
I have been using your 21kg Ultra Anchor for three years. Last Saturday, just as the anchor touched down on the sea bed, my engine remote control system failed and my boat was headed toward the rocks at full speed. Ultra Anchor perfectly held my boat even though the warp length was too short and the boat started to turn her right. Ultra Anchor's perfect holding rescued us from a big accident. This anchor is worth every penny I spent for it.
Steve Dinger
Anchor problems were ruining our cruising experience. I came upon the Ultra Anchor at a booth at the Oakland, Ca. Sail Expo…. They had a serious demo display of all popular styles of anchors. I was very impressed with the results of my own testing that day, I also read the West Marine anchor test results and the British Maritime anchor testing results on all anchors and concluded that Ultra Anchor, Rocna and a distant 3rd place of Wasi were possibilities.....The Ultra Anchor, built near Istanbul, was my favorite in the first place…Their total Ultra Anchor package of the new flip swivel and 80 meter spool reel for stern anchoring are all quality stainless and designed with features that are not found with anyone else.
When our anchor finally arrived…we had a crowd come to have a look. The next morning's local VHF Net said it was the Sexiest Anchor in the Med. Personally, all I really cared about was that it was the best holding anchor in the Med.
I believe it surpassed my expectations because every design advantage became obvious each time we anchored out. I sleep well at night when the wind is up.
Sebastien Anderson
We have a 46 lb. Ultra Anchor mounted on our Bayliner 4087, SeaHorse VI. It looks like it was designed for the boat. Our first overnight anchor was in a bay in a Northerly 15-25 knot wind. We didn't move and are very happy with our purchase so far.
Sebastien Anderson
First trip was to Gambier Island, Port Graves (aka East Bay). Depth was 30 ft, bottom was mud. Approx. 170' of 5/8" chain. Next trip was Bedwell Bay, Indian Arm, 40 ft, in mud. Tony G. & I had 7 40' boats on our two anchors. Anchors bit quickly and held firm. 160' of 5/8" chain.