Ultra Anchor worth the CASH? our thoughts after 2 years- Full REVEIW.
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- Опубликовано: 22 июл 2024
- Will we buy one? Is it worth the money? 2 years with the worlds most expensive anchor. How does it hold up after two years of use?
A full review with crystal clear underwater shots testing the Ultra's ability to reset as well as finding its limits. Yes, we made it drag!
Guests: 🎖A big thanks for SAILING FAIR ISLE for their testimonial on the Ultra anchor. Check out their own reviews:
/ @svfairisle
@svfairisle
@ultramarine4194
Products we discussed: 🛒
ULTRA MARINE: www.ultramarine-anchors.com/e...
ANCHOR: www.ultramarine-anchors.com/a...
FLIP SWIVEL: www.ultramarine-anchors.com/f...
BOW ROLLER: www.ultramarine-anchors.com/b...
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I finally was able to buy an Ultra anchor and swivel for my new Jeanneau SO 349, and it is definitely worth the price. It has lived up to its reputation and all of the reviews I’ve read over the past couple of years. You can’t put a price on anchoring peace of mind.
If we think of an anchor as an one off payment insurance policy it’s a clear winner… if one can afford the one off payment that is!
I have an SO349 too and have been thinking of getting an Ultra. What size did you get?
Have you checked out the Ultra sizing chart, it’s remarkably good. We went the larger size as we were between options but I must be honest it really seems overkill. So this time we’ve gone with the smaller size. This time it’s 21kg on a 12m aluminium Berckemeyer and last time it was 21kg on a 10m Najad.
We got the recommended 16 kg/35lb anchor with 125 ft of 8mm G4 chain sliced to 175 ft of 8 plait braided nylon line. We also got the Ultra swivel, which is a must have to go with the anchor. Did over 1200 nms cruising last year and slept well every night.
I have considered a Ultra anchor for years but never purchased one because it would require removing and re-welding our boats pulpit. My only other concern with the Ultra is that loosing an anchor can easily happen when anchoring in BC and Alaska due to fouling discarded logging camp equipment. It was pretty common that logging camps would just dump their hoist systems cables and sometime the winches, and if you are unlucky you can get fouled on them and loose your anchor kit. We had a close call on the outside of Baranof Island when we snagged a ghost commercial prawn trap that was full of giant starfish. So we are still utilizing the oversized Bruce anchor, which works well in our muddy PNW conditions and I have an unassembled flat packed Galvanized Steel Mantus M1 Anchor as a backup. (If I were to do it again, I would order a Mantus M2 as a backup, but it didn't exist in 2016.)
Hey, yeah…! What a worry to loose such a gem. We had a similar episode with a Rocna years back.. We spent ages retrieving it from a WW1 wreckage.
Ultra have an intersection retrieval ring that’s looks like it may be good, I know that Steve and Judy from Fair Isle (RUclips) have one - it may be worth asking them what they think of it.
We´ve used the Ultra 21 kg with swivel for 6 years now our Najad 361 (specs 7,5 tonn, but fully loaded closer to 9). It performs excellent, we´ve never had any problems and we sleep like babies when on anchor.
Awesome! It’s sure been an easy sleep for us for two years too! The thing is just awesome. 👍 p.s - nice boat you’ve got there too!
Great video and I can only agree with what you have said. We’ve anchored every night for 4 years now with our Ultra with zero problems, before that with our Delta we had about 4 or 5 instances a year where it would let us down in some way. We have a 110bhp engine and a Maxprop so we get insane pull if we blast back at high revs but in anything other than weed I can’t get the anchor to drag with proper scope out, it’s ultimate holding power is excellent
Cheers guys. A true piece of marine innovation right there! Hope to catch up soon guys!
Got ours on the strength of Steve's review. Undoubtedly the best anchor we have ever had!
Yeah, it’s a super good piece of kit - Fair isle certainly put it through its paces too, great guys and great reviews too!👍
Amazing footage! Love the test Video. Ultra is #1
Hey Aaron! Thanks very much!! 👍⛵️
Amazing video full of useful information... as usual in this channel.
The Anchor really shines on the pressure test but, I wonder, would the values be so insanely good without that little fish helping along the way ? hehehe
All the best guys !!!
Mate, the sea was so clear. A dream! Probably even warm enough for you to swim in! 👍⛵️
The best anchor we have ever had in 40 years of boat ownership. Sail Safe Guys, Ant & Cid.
Probably the best nights sleep you have had in 40 year too! Cheers guys! 👍
The SCOPE is the "RATIO" between distance from sea bed to anchor roller & the length of rode let out. A 6:1 ratio would mean 6 times the distance from sea bed to anchor roller. Testing should include a varied number of sea beds.
Yup, you got that right! That’s exactly what scope is!
For reference we cruised with the anchor for two years straight as permanent live-aboards with no other abode and anchored in pretty much everything you could throw at it. 👍
We class our reviews as proper reviews by marine professionals, I hope you can understand this is a review based upon our experiences with videography used to show the product in action.
@@SailHub I'm a Keelboat cruising instructor (over 30 years)...& a little pedantic.
I'm also a little obsessive regarding boat terminology & safety.
@@petertaylor8922 good stuff, I’m a little confused - is that not what I said scope was?
the sand shown almost looks clinical...
We just bought a Sarca Excel based on the SV Panope review. Will let you know how we get on.
Hey guys, nice to hear from you both. Awesome, interesting choice. Would love to hear how you get on with it 👍 What happened to the Lewmar plan? ⚓️
Great under water video is an informative an fun to watch, immpressed.
Hey! Thanks very much, really appreciate it 👍
In my experience the first reset you do pushed by the wind? I would expect in the near windless situation you are in that the boat is held by the chain only with a 6:1 scope. The anchor would not turn around as violently as you show it. Did you use the motor for that? As you yourself said many times in the video ' I can't believe it? Nice video, thx
Hi, you can take what you want from the video, all one want to say is that I was not paid and I have the anchor back. I’m also not in the business of giving people poor information. That’s not fair nor right.
As for the anchor moving quickly, think about 6tonne of boat traveling on a chain around 80m in a straight line. SOG was around 2.5kn from memory, so personally I would expect a fair snatch. You’ve got to remember I was motoring completely against the wind before I let her go too.
Ultra Anchor, after one year, the very best, the most secure, the best investment for successful cruising.
Great to hear! 👌👍
using ultra 27kg for almost 10 years long distance on 17 ton long keel cutter no complaints at all, however if I can ever afford it I will upgrade to 33kg.
Cool, great to hear. If it’s been so good, why the potential upgrade?
But the anchor was set before you reduced to 2.5 ratio. What if you set it to begin with at 2.5? Would it set properly?
Hi, as mentioned in the video I really would not suggest setting at anything other than a 6:1 ratio of you want the anchor to hold. For reference, if I’m setting for a 3:1 or lower I would usually set at 4:1 if it’s good weather or 6:1 for bad weather and then shorten the scope.
In my opinion setting at 2.5:1 would not be sensible, the angles are not sufficient. If you try it (with whatever anchor) let us know how you get on!
I've just got a viking 20, disassembled it for air transport and I can't wait to see if it's better than the CQR
My goodness, your in for a surprise! Let us know how you get on - that’s a serious upgrade! 👌
💥Great video! PLEASE, could sailboat owners post here their experiences with winds above 60 knots or more, with the wind speed, anchor model, anchor weight and size of the sailboat and how it behaved?
It would be great information for everyone!!!
Thank you very much!!!
Many thanks!
Anchors for heavy winds, the worst I have experienced was around 60kn in an uncharted anchorage with plenty of swell, it was the swell that made it in nerving. I had an oversized Rocna - over size by one size according to their chart. It was superb, like I mentioned in the video, This was my go to choice until I met the Ultra.
I'd trust a simple Bow/Double jaw swivel setup with chafe sleeve to keep it quite in the roller vs what's on that anchor, potentially bending, snapping during an overnight turn. ~$15 vs mantus bow swivel @~$150
Yeah, that’s a fab set up for saftey, I used to do the same, but I found that lifting after several days at anchor led to lots of chain twist and having to empty the chain from the locker several times to remove the twists
@@SailHub Old school sticky swivels did that, newer types are heaps better.
Gotta think outside huge mark-up marine industry who are years behind in tech (i.e. when did you last see a spider clamp on a car) what would the better value auto industry, earthmoving, oil rig, etc, use.
@Lana_Warwick they did, but they broke. A lot.
The problem we have is that our industry demands high quality gear, in this instance super duplex steel but it’s manufactured for a tiny market which still need to sustain it’s self. Hence the price is high, it’s just the way it is and always will be until every ounce is monopolised.
Question? Is the ultra anchor rated for your boat size/displacement? Or is it oversized?.
Hey, it is a 21kg that was sized correctly for its displacement, and one size over for the boats length (basically we used to carry an entire boatbuilding workshop on that boat! So she was really overweight). For reference, the holding power really is incredible and when we come to put an anchor in our next boat I hope it’s an Ultra and we will go with their recommendation table - I don’t believe you need to spec up.
Cheers for answering my questions..I'm in my 60's I've just downsized my boat from a 42ft yawl to a 28ft cutter .I'm in the middle of a refit ,Sailed twice around the dirtball on my previous boat over many years .. I'm originally from New Zealand in the USA right now.
@@psr1868 Wow! What an amazing story! Will you be documenting your refit? I would love to see it 😬👍
looks large indeed, however the chain rather thin?
@svenrump3287 sure it is, it’s duplex stainless. Pretty much twice the strength of the same sized g40 galvanised chain. You can save a lot of weight and space in the bow with it. It allowed us to carry 100m with ease.
It seems like you are really trying hard to find a fault in the Ultra anchor - why? I have an Ultra anchor, swivel and bow roller and, although I do not yet have a lot of experience with it, I’m very pleased with its performance on my 44,000 pound displacement boat.
I think it’s the best anchor on the market. Why am I trying to find a fault… I can find a few places to improve the products, it’s my job. Marine product development, I look for problems to make things better.
The other thing is that if we don’t highlight any slight niggles people think it’s a biased review - which we do not want to be associated with.
All in all I would be very happy with your gear, I think it’s superior even at its elevated cost. ⛵️👍
@@SailHubdidn't seem to me you were trying to find a fault , I felt you were just giving it a full test , and why not . I have a 27kg ultra on my 42ft sea ray . This video as well as a few other reviews helped me to make up my mind . They are not cheap , so it was good to know its full holding power before purchasing. Thanks for your review .
@vic2e652 cheers and happy anchoring! We had the anchor on test for two years and I was trying to find any fault and to be honest the only thing that came up was the price, the restraining hook) which works fine but could be better). The swivel in my eyes could rotate in a larger hole too, it’s doesn’t need to but it would be stronger. 👍
When you pull at 3 to 1 scope the anchor shank is almost horizontal. when you pull at 2.5 to 1 scope the shank appears to be only slightly angled up from the bottom. Your chain must be massively heavy to droop/sag/catenary curve enough to have such a horizontal angle on the shank with such short scope. In future videos please show the chain in the shot of the anchor under tension so we can see the sag. Am I misjudging the angle of pull? Is the chain sagging, or nearly straight at max pull? Holding in loose sand at 2.5 to1 scope seems like a miricle
miracle
Hey Jack, that’s weird ay, I wonder if it’s due to the camera being on the swivel and giving a weird angle.
The chain was 6mm duplex so certainly not a weighty affair.
We’ve changed boats these days, we have a big project on, we will get into that later but one thing is for sure, there was only one anchor ever going in the front of it.
The Ultra really was leagues ahead, especially on short scopes than anything I have ever used. It was also ahead in pretty much every other situation too. They are expensive though but with all of the effort going into a new build there was only one way for us to go.
Sorry the video’s not quite what you would like though, we will do our best to get it better for you next time!
Yup, it’s hard to believe but it is what it is! Check out Steve and Judy’s review from Sailing Fair Isle, I can’t remember what Steve said about it but I know he was also surprised by the performance in shallow water.
Hell were do you find clean sand like that Ha not a lot in NZ
West coast black sand! Awesome part of the world your in there. Hope to be back there some day. Enjoy!
Are you going to test the Rocna M2?
Hi Aaron, I hope so! We’ve been speaking with CMP since November last year about it - Yes, it’s been around thy long! Hopefully we will get a hold of one soon!
Have you tested the Mantus anchor?
Hi, not yet. I hope to in the future.
On first glances, I’m not super keen, the large roll bar must create some “unsettling” of the seabed above the fluke. But, looks are not everything, I prefer to let the numbers speak. What are your experiences with one?
I must say, I do know of many people who are very impressed with the mantus, @anauticahange (RUclips) being one of them! That love it!
Oh, while we’re on with Mantus, I think their swivel is awesome and their snubber is fab - if you want to use a metal snubber that is.
@@SailHub thats my main Anchor on a Beneteau Oceanis 400 with 400' of chain, my 2ndary is a lewmar claw 44. I've never dragged with the Mantus but I have with the lewmar. yes their swivel works great and so snubber hook is easy to use
Great to hear! Hope to be lucky enough to test one in the future!
Thanks for the info too - super good for people to hear 👍
Long time boater, currently using an M1 20kg with the Mantus swivel on chain. Best anchor I have ever used, sets first try always. Use 4:1 scope normally, never drags. But, only used in sand, clay and heavier mud. Past anchor was Rocna, also very good but dragged twice in same cruising grounds. Aluminum Spade on different boat also good. In past Bruce, just not reliable, and way back the CQR, which is not that great compared to modern anchors, and was difficult to set.
With the Mantus, it will set with as little as 2:1 scope in sand, meaning if I anchor in current and put out 2:1 but let the boat drift back to avoid dumping the chain on the anchor, it will bite hard. Then I let out proper scope and test it with the engine. Pretty much always find that it stays exactly where it was when it first bit the seabed. To be fair to all, I’m currently in Florida where it’s mostly sand or sand mix anchoring, but also the same anchorages where the Rocna failed(rarely).
Also we often anchor in tidal inlets, so get full reversal of current often twice in 24 hours. Never had a problem with it moving any distance I could perceive. Despite 180 degree swings
The swivel seems trustworthy, but does get a little stiff if it collects too much mud and then won’t swivel as readily. Washing it out with a hose stream works reasonably well, but is a bit of effort since by that time the anchor is askew in the roller as it comes up.
You need to see youre prop because you are not moving, so there s no water pushing the blades to unfold the prop to deliver the power when its fully opened.
Hi, I’m not so sure that’s correct. The prop folds with water flowing over it and no propulsion from the motor.
With the torque from the motor running and in gear the blades are absolutely open, the chain is bar tight and we are trying to move astern.
folding props unfold from revs, not from water flow. at 1k rpm it'll be fully open
Absolutely, thanks for that 👍
How about the issue of crevice corrosion of stainless over the long haul, years of use, and being then stressed if anchoring in rocks for example. Not the most durable solution re strength I think. I also think Steve at Panope made similar comment?
HeybRob, Sure, I can see your thoughts here. As a boatbuilder I would suggest that crevice corrosion of 316L would not really be an issue unless you were anchoring all of the time. Water pH, temperature and salinity is something that makes a difference though and we must check for crevice corrosion annually - how many people check their stainless swivels as they often have different materials touching.
Mild steel must also be checked though - In particular I have seen many delta and spade anchors compromised in strength through corrosion and of course a huge amount of unsuitable chains in action. Crevice corrosion though, it is harder to spot, which could be a problem.
Crevice corrosion can of course be an accelerated by galvanic action but it’s not too likely to be rapid if the whole anchoring system is made from the same materials. It can be independent from the rest of the ships ground system too - unlike chain plates or the rig (this is dependant in windlass set up though) The other benefit of crevice corrosion is that it’s pretty easy to repair.
Regarding anchoring all of the time we must also consider the varying electrical potential throughout the depth of the sea, this is the case for a galvanised chain too and it certainly accelerates corrosion…
Maybe a old school rope is the way to go? Does catenary action really mater?
Personally I think anchoring is a heated topic, I think the Ultra anchor is brilliant, wether we spend up to buy one we’re not so sure as of yet. Our previous Rocna was pretty dammed good too. What to do????
Yep, always pros and cons, isn't there? I'd say the windlass would be included in the bonding system, especially since they usually have several dissimilar metals in them, so stainless chain would benefit from that. But I know of 2 cruisers that had crevice corrosion in some link of their stainless chain, lucky that it was spotted before failure. We went with G100 Armogalv chain which for the 8mm has breaking strength of over 8 ton, and a 33kg Excel, for the performance and strength.
@@robthompson7174Pro's and con's that boats for us! by the way - good choice re your chain, super strong!
Regarding the windlass, they usually are part of the system however use of double pole breaker, one for positive one for negative can separate the system from the ships ground. These breakers are common on Aluminium boats as large loads are often preferred to be completely isolated when not in use, the windlass is also insulated from contact with the deck.
@@SailHub I don’t understand your double pole breaker suggestion. I was referring to the bonding system for galvanic corrosion protection, which is separate from ships DC ground system. As you know, the bonding system on a non metallic boat has its own dedicated single point contact to the sea, and carries no electrical current. So how would a double pole breaker have any benefit?
@@robthompson7174 hey Rob, your right - However this is where it gets interesting and the owner must make a decision. To bond or not to bond the windlass.
In my experience it is equally common for windlasses to be connected to a bonding system or not.
Generally they are connected because regulations state they should be and they are not because they are not permanently connected via water to the other metal parts in the system (they are not permanently under water) rendering it pointless until at anchor.
If they were bonded and permanently submerged the zinc on the chain would likely become the anode or in a stainless chain your crevice corrosion starts. So… again, pros and cons.
That old rope rode is looking more inviting again 🤣
Despite what I am saying here and we must that I believe the British marine regulations state that all electronics aboard should be bonded.
Gotta love boats!
There is no such thing as the perfect anchor. I had a couple of months in Turkey this last season and had quite a lot of SS work done. I asked the local guy carrying out the work about the Ultra which is made in Turkey. His response was not about the holding power, but about the bent shanks he regularly gets to straighten!
My main anchor is a Sarca Excel 30kg, I have only used for 2 years, but rate vey highly. My 2nd anchor is Mantus M2 25kg that I used before the Excel, was good but did not like aft mud ( probably fair to say very few anchors do) this anchor being 2 piece also stirs very nicely in chocks in the bilge. If all else fails, I have a small fortress, which I have never had to deploy.
Cheers for commenting, it’s probably true there is no perfect anchor and thanks for sharing your experiences!
I must say I’m not really convinced by your fabricator friend though… being a stainless fabricator myself I find the Ultra really well made and I have not seen any bent shanks yet, I’m not saying it doesn’t happen though, just a hollow shank is definitely stiffer than a solid shank especially with the internal bracing. I have also seen a multitude of bent anchors over the years and one thing I would say is that straightening them is probably not a wise choice.
Cheers, Chris
I dont see nothing impressive in This test, on That perfect conditions.
2.000€ for a 21kg of stainless steel???? No thanks, Theres other cheaper anchors in the market with the same or Better performance.
Its totaly normal That drags in 2.5 Scoop.
Enjoy your Ultra, its a Nice beautiful anchor.
Hey, thanks for the comment… I must say, there’s not many anchors I’ve tested that will hold at full throttle. Oh, it’s not our anchor either - just an honest test and it has been returned to the company. No payment involved. ⛵️👍
@@SailHub it Will be fair if you keep with The anchor 👍
Thanks! Yes, it would be good but it was only a years trial.
so no real proof of what it holds just your little sail boat engine in reverse .. proof means a winch, on a mudflat with load cells to see pulls in KG and measured lengths from drop to set. Also what really rubs me up the wrong way is not just your waffle but that you dis a steel galvanised version as cheap and rubbish ...to me, it adds strength to the thought that he Ultra Anchor is just playing to the lightweight plastic fantastic boats. Stainless Steel is unnecessary, expensive and even more expensive to loose .. galvanised steel will out last the life of the boat and will cost a fraction of the cost, but I'm happy for those who weight shiny ahead of function. Go Rocna or go home ... or shiny 😁
Hey up, I’m sorry I seem to have offended you.
I’m not here to boast and shout, I don’t even own the anchor, it’s gone back and guess what. A Rocna was to be the replacement. Not for performance though, more performance to cost ratio on an item thats as you rightly said it could get lost!
I do want to mention that having been a Rocna user for years I do feel like the Ultra is actually better but I’m not here to make descisions for people, I just want to lay my findings out for people.
I also don’t get paid or do anything biased for anybody. I’m just speaking as I find.
For reference, I didn’t reference Galvanising as cheap, I just said why they can’t make their design in mild steel and as for the testing, we’ve got a bunch in the pipeline but I’m pretty sure that doesn’t render my findings to date pointless.
@@SailHub fair retort .. it was the bit about Ultra not doing a galvanised option .. "just for the sake of doing something cheap " .. I'll take your comment and onboard and downgrade my 'rub up wrong way' a just 'miffed' ;-) .. a small engineering correction, it is possible to galvanise something hollow ar long as it has a couple of very small bleed holes that could be closed off afterwards with flus grub screws. As you say, it's a personal choice but to me a no brainer .. £2,500 for the Ultra or £500 for a 20Kg Rocna. Last but no means least, my reference to 'propper' tests .. mud flats, chain, tower, winch, load cell .. you mention motorsport so you know the quick lap is the one that you almost feel guilty that you didn't push it and it was smooth ;-) .. and to put into context your "that's an enormous amount of thrust .. " well on that engine at WOT in reverse it would be a bollard pull of around 100 to 150 Kg .. fair weather and good sailing to you.
@Onyourbiketoo cheers for the reply, it’s really hard testing things and making videos about it, the thing is. We only have so much gone and we can’t choose the weather. All we can do is our best.
Mind you, we have lined a few things up for measured testing in the future which I am pretty excited about tbh