Anyone use an Anchor Buddy?

[tractoman]

I am camping for a few nights and will keep the boat along shore at the campsite. I am thinking of using an anchor buddy. I know this is what they are meant for, but has anyone used them? These are a bungee anchor line to pull the boat away from shore when anchored and then you use another line tied to shore to pull it in when you want to access the boat. The bungee pulls it back out away form shore when you let it go. I don't really want to beach it for fear of grinding the keel at night or when the afternoon breeze kicks up. How would you do it?

 

[180Fisherman]

Re: Anyone use an Anchor Buddy?

I've never used one but sounds like a good idea. You must really not want to get wet I guess.

 

[rbh]

Re: Anyone use an Anchor Buddy?

The bungee cord/line works great for smaller boat's
I would use a danforth or about that style anchor for holding just in case the weather get's rough.
Remember that the bungee cords are rated for certain weights, you may want to double up.

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: Anyone use an Anchor Buddy?

I just used it all weekend on a camping trip.

What I did was:

Prior to the trip I used a regular white rope. I figured out how long 50 feet was and marked it.

I then tied a knot at the 50 foot mark and put one end of the anchor buddy at that point

Then when I got to my anchoring location I threw the anchor overboard, with both an end of the white rope as well as the end of the anchor buddy.

This was over the FRONT of the boat.

I then backed into my location -eventually the anchor buddy line went completely overboard, and I just kept my eye on the white line.

I got to the point at shore where I could get off - it was knee deep. At this point I cut the engine.

The front lines still were not tied but they were still on the boat (key!).

next, I took a stern line with a small anchor and tied it to the back, get off the boat and anchored it up on the beach (about 100' of line on this line, again marked at the 50 foot line).

I got back on the boat and started to pull in the white bow line while letting the stern line go out into the water.

I got the boat to about where I wanted it and tied off the front, the whole time the anchor buddy line is stretching and pulling back.

So now, even though my anchor buddy is not above the water, it's still doing it's job.

After tying off the bow line I went back to the stern Pulled myself back to shore (about 40 or so feet) while the anchor buddy was expanding........

As soon as I was close enough I jumped off......and out the boat went.....

With two people you can achieve this in under 3 mins. Took 5-7 with me just doing it myself.

 

[cr2k]

Re: Anyone use an Anchor Buddy?

Yes I use one at the lake when the sandy beach is full and I have to anchor off the rocky areas. Love it!

 

[asm_]

Re: Anyone use an Anchor Buddy?

Didn't know about Anchor buddy until this post. Watched the video on the company web site, and all seems like a great idea. Then I got to start thinking... Since the Anchor buddy streatchs under load, what happen if the wind picks up while no one is watching the boat?? Says, if I am sleeping? I can only guess that your boat would begin to smash into other boat or the shore...

Unless I'm missing something here..

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: Anyone use an Anchor Buddy?

Didn't know about Anchor buddy until this post. Watched the video on the company web site, and all seems like a great idea. Then I got to start thinking... Since the Anchor buddy streatchs under load, what happen if the wind picks up while no one is watching the boat?? Says, if I am sleeping? I can only guess that your boat would begin to smash into other boat or the shore...

Unless I'm missing something here..

it'd have to be hurricane force winds.

 

[asm_]

Re: Anyone use an Anchor Buddy?

it'd have to be hurricane force winds.

Can someone confirm that statement? I am interested in the product. However, it is not unusual for my home lake to have 30MPH gust every day... Can Anchor still hold the boat in place at 30MPH gust?

 

[rbh]

Re: Anyone use an Anchor Buddy?

Bungee style rodes are rated for certain weight classes, you may need to bundle two or three.
If you have a large cruiser over 25 feet and 5000 pounds +-, stay with a chain and rode and install an anchor davit to the bow.

 

[blifsey]

Re: Anyone use an Anchor Buddy?

Have used one a lot over the last 6 years or so with our 20' bowrider. I connect anchor to one end of anchor buddy and a long shore line to the other. About 1' from end of anchor buddy I tie a loop in the shore line to hook onto rear dock cleat on boat. I take rest of shore line around my bimini top and connect to bow ring with a big clip and put remainder of shore line on bow cushion. I idle toward shore and about 50' out drop anchor over stern. Continue idling a little more, cut motor, raise outdrive. Momentum will carry me close enough to shore to either jump over bow with shore line or some else from shore waiting for me reaches in and grabs the shore line. Tie up to a tree and she is set to go for the weekend.

When taking boat out, I unhook the clip at the bow and remove the loop from stern dock cleat. The shore line connected to the anchor buddy holds everything in place while we are out with the boat. I tie small orange ski buoys to the cleat loop and bow clip so they are easy to find and grab when we get back to campsite. I use a boat hook to reach over bow and grab shore line right at the loop and pull boat to the bow clip to reconnect.

If I'm not in a protected cove and worried about wakes washing over transom I'll use same technique to get anchor buddy setup but reverse boat when connecting so it is bow out.

Even though we can pull boat close to shore, we still have to walk about shin deep to board. Wife despises that. I've started taking some 6' 2X8's connected end to end with heavy duty door hinges to walk out on. I bolt 4" and 6" PVC crossways to bottom of board to keep them off the lake bottom.