Sarca's North American distrubutor

Finally...Sarca has a North American Distributor and they just received their first shipment!

Ground Tackle Marine in Victoria, BC, Canada:

"Ground Tackle Marine is a new venture founded by long time boaters Nick Shaw and Chris Eldridge of Victoria BC. Our goal is to offer you the very best in Ground Tackle available to protect you and your vessel. To that end we have begun by securing the exclusive Canadian Distributorship providing access to North America for all products manufactured by Anchor Right of Australia.

Anchor Right's products including the Excel and Super Sarca anchors have been acknowledged by many to be the best on the market in terms of both design and build. Our interest began after we researched anchors wanting to replace the old CQR drag queen on Nick's Cal 2-46. After careful research we settled on an Excel and the anchor has proven itself to be everything we hoped for.

We promise you that we will only sell premium quality Ground Tackle products that will protect your marine investment and give you the peace of mind to sleep soundly at night when your boat is anchored out.

Keep tuning in as we plan to add a full compliment of other high quality Ground Tackle products to our inventory for your Peace of Mind. Our store will be online soon but for now please just email us at sales@groundtackle.com and either Chris or Nick will get back to you promptly".

Ground Tackle Marine

Well that's a step forward!
It just occured to me one very important feature of the SARCA anchor is that the overall shape is much like the Bruce and Claw. One may not be thrilled by the comparison but the thing that put the Claw on the map was quick setting and the way the anchor fits on the bow so very nicely. I think fitting on the bow has been the dominant factor making them so popular. And continuing to make them popular. The height of the shank and the relative shortness of the fluke is a winning formula to a nice fit to the highest number of boats imaginable. So a boat w a Claw would probably fit the SARCA easily.
We all know both anchors are great but very importantly now available in North America. Rocna is well entrenched but Anchor Right is a company to belive in and now will be with us for a very long time.
HOORAY!............

Spent a some enjoyable time this morning with Nick and Chris of Ground Tackle Marine, watching the two of them celebrating like a couple of kids on Christmas morning. Last night the shipment of anchors finally arrived from Rex at Anchor Right, after their little learning curve about Canada Customs.

Chris is our local "magician" in stainless fabrication and Anchor Right's workmanship received his approval with flying colour! Quite amazing to see all these anchors in one place, wishing them great success on their new venture.

Finally someone is distributor in North America, best part right here in Sidney BC on Vancouver Island.

Don't see any SARCA's ....
Looks like all Excel's
Oh wait .. I see SARCA's

Yeah! One of those on the ground is for me.

I see it Dave. 2nd from the bottom 3rd to the right. She's purdy.

Excellent location for a new Distributor! Now, if we could just find some outfit here on the right coast, preferably Florida, Miami perhaps.....Miami River area near the airport would even be better. Oh, you know, I think Hopcar has a place over there.

Larry,
Freight should be fairly cheap across the midwest ect. Noth'in like coming from Oz. Those of us in Washington can just drive up. I was just up there to buy a new capstan. Great deal. Mostly I just love drive'in around up there and eating out. Espically fond of a Korean resturant on Denman Place. I once lived on Robson St near Stanly Park.

Nomad Willy said:

Don't see any SARCA's ....
Looks like all Excel's
Oh wait .. I see SARCA's

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Yes, calm down...they're all Sarcas Eric, those that aren't the roller assemblies which he also has there. You were meaning the Super Sarca, and they are there also. The beautiful 'ugly' sons of guns they are...and I believe there's one there with your name on it. Better get up there and grab a #5 and you'll never buy or use another anchor, my friend... Just go - go now..!

Peter,
Sound advice to be sure and you've always given me sound advice. Do'nt know how I'd tell Chris we need another anchor though. I still have'nt tested my Hogback Supreme yet but it's just a play anchor at this point and I have other mods planed. My working anchor at this point is a Lewmar Claw of 33lbs .. about the max weight for my rode and capstan. Probably should have gone w the chain gypsy/winch but the new capstan was available cheap and the system still has'nt failed me. It was in the winter and I just got the capstan. Marin would'nt share/sell/give me his Bruce so I bought the Lewmar.
But still in a light refit state. Gotta dig out much lead ballast to put in a new bilge pump sump. The lead made a battery out of the old one. Going to start that today. Thanks for try'in to help me though Peter.

Since the SARCA doesn't visually look anything like a Bruce or Claw I'm guessing you're referring to some other similarity.

Nomad Willy said:

Well that's a step forward!
It just occured to me one very important feature of the SARCA anchor is that the overall shape is much like the Bruce and Claw. One may not be thrilled by the comparison but the thing that put the Claw on the map was quick setting and the way the anchor fits on the bow so very nicely. I think fitting on the bow has been the dominant factor making them so popular. And continuing to make them popular. The height of the shank and the relative shortness of the fluke is a winning formula to a nice fit to the highest number of boats imaginable. So a boat w a Claw would probably fit the SARCA easily.
We all know both anchors are great but very importantly now available in North America. Rocna is well entrenched but Anchor Right is a company to belive in and now will be with us for a very long time.
HOORAY!............

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sean9c said:

Since the SARCA doesn't visually look anything like a Bruce or Claw I'm guessing you're referring to some other similarity.

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I'm guessing he meant that the Sarca Excel fits and sits on a bow roller much like a Bruce would.

MurrayM said:

I'm guessing he meant that the Sarca Excel fits and sits on a bow roller much like a Bruce would.

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Yes it was a straight swap with no modifications, Bruce to Excel.......

rochepoint said:

Yes it was a straight swap with no modifications, Bruce to Excel.......

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Hi Mike,

Great before and after comparison

What was the weight of the old Bruce and the new Sarca?

MurrayM said:

Hi Mike,

Great before and after comparison

What was the weight of the old Bruce and the new Sarca?

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Hi Murray
The Bruce is 20kg and the Excel is 22kg.

rochepoint said:

Hi Murray
The Bruce is 20kg and the Excel is 22kg.

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So, in theory, you did no mods to your windlass or anchor pulpit and pretty much doubled your holding power. Cool!

Wow ....
Looks like I chose my words badly.
Was talking about the Super Sarca. The anchor that dos'nt look like a Delta. The anchor that PeterB has.
The L shaped shank on the SARCA is much like the Claw .... And sits on the bow roller basically the same. The Claw's shank and the way it fits on the basic bow roller w the flukes hanging below is the reason so many were sold IMO. Lots of other things entered into it no doubt but I feel this is the main reason so many Claw anchors were and are being sold. I don't know what the Bruce sold for but the claws are about as inexpensive as it gets. But re the shape and how they fit on the bow many Claw clad boats would upgrade very easily to a Super Sarca. I think anyway .. and only the roll bar could interfere w the fit (and I think not likely) so it appears so this should be a big sales boost for the Super Sarca. But I've overlooked the flat board on many bow pulpits. My mistake. But for boats w a simple bow roller the Super Sarca would fit perfectly. Haha unless I'm wrong again.
Speaking of bow pulpits what's the purpose of them other than to mount two anchors? Seems to me one could cut them off and pay less moorage .... And mount any roll bar anchor. Why not?

I don't like products being called "super". It seems like a cheap over statement of a cheap product to me. So I prefer to call things other than super this or that.

Peter said they are all SARCA's. Thought it stood for "sand and rock anchor" ... But what's the C in there for? I thought there were two anchors. The SARCA and the Excel. Must be more to it. Before I go any further it looks like I need to go to SARCA school.

I think the purpose of most bow planks is to get the anchor away from the bow of the boat so it doesn't hit in storage or at launch. Neither anchor would fit on Roachepoint's boat without its plank without hitting the bow.
It'll be interesting to see how AR does in NA. The anchor market is crowded with good anchors. Without visibility and easy availability it's going to be tough. Also be interesting to see how they handle shipping into the US from CA. From my experience it can be slow and expensive. Which is why some CA companies set up US warehouses. If I were AR I'd also try and find some builders who would include their anchors on new boats.
Unrelated but news to me. I didn't realize that Schaefer Marine was the sole NA distributor for Manson anchors.

Welcome to the new SARCA distributor! Sending bulk anchors by container must save $ over sending one or two by air, helping the anchor compete on the NA market. It`s pricey even here, compared to some imports. Having visited Vancouver Isl. last month I pondered having a distributor on an island from where freight normally starts with a ferry to/from the mainland or Seattle, but no doubt the distributors were chosen by Rex Francis to benefit the brand. With so many boats on the Island there is a substantial local market. May the venture have the success it deserves, and others see why Sarca gets accolades from PeterB and I, and others.

Nomad Willy said:

Wow ....Looks like I chose my words badly.
Was talking about the Super Sarca. The anchor that dos'nt look like a Delta. The anchor that PeterB has.

Yes Eric, the other one that superficially looks like a Delta is the Excel. Here beginneth the Sarca school lessons...

...the shape and how they fit on the bow many Claw and other plow type, clad boats would upgrade very easily to a Super Sarca.
I think anyway .. and only the roll bar could interfere with the fit, and I think not likely...

Correct, the roller is only an issue for those boats where the anchor shank comes up through a slot in the pulpit, or more correctly, the bowsprit, if we accept the pulpit is really the railing around the above bowsprit.

...for boats with a simple bow roller the Super Sarca would fit perfectly. Haha unless I'm wrong again. No, not wrong Eric, see pics below....

Speaking of bow pulpits what's the purpose of them other than to mount two anchors? Seems to me one could cut them off and pay less moorage .... And mount any roll bar anchor. Why not?

They are not to allow two anchors, although they can be used to do so, however, if you have a Sarca of either type, they are multipurpose, so a second anchor on there is superfluous. The main reason is to put the retrieval point out far enough so the anchor clears the bow comfortably, up and down, as someone else mentioned.

I don't like products being called "super". It seems like a cheap over statement of a cheap product to me. So I prefer to call things other than super this or that.

Sorry, the name is what it is, so you just have to live with it. In time, once the Excel is well established, the Super bit might be dropped. Who knows..?

Peter said they are all SARCA's. Thought it stood for "sand and rock anchor" ... But what's the C in there for? I thought there were two anchors. The SARCA and the Excel. Must be more to it. Before I go any further it looks like I need to go to SARCA school.

Yes, hence the above. It stands for Sand And Rock Combination Anchor.
So now Eric, you know about as much as any of us users about the Sarca anchors, except for the pleasure of using one, that is. If you get one, you could cover the cost by selling off all the others, except maybe the Manson Supreme you you 'de-supremed' - if I can coin the term.

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Here endeth the Sarca school lesson for Eric and any others who had questions...

OG Good Peter,
Now I am straight re SARCA anchors .. been to SARCA school.

When I put my Claw on the bow roller it's quite the opposite of yours .. angle wise. Looks like yours is'nt all the way up on the roller platform. Do you go out on the bow to launch the anchor? I suspect not and think that self launching is the reason for the mounting angle but I wonder how you stop the retrieval so the fluke tip dos'nt slam the hull. My mounting angle is odd too but the opposite from yours .. pitched up instead of down. And I need to push the anchor a few inches fwd so when I rotate it down the fluke tip clears the hull. Easy to do and of course I need to push down on the shank a bit for a full retrieval. The idea for me is for a minimal overhang.

Yea I forgot the "C for combination" part. I like the full description part but think acronyms are a PITA or at least elusive.

I put two of my almost unmodified anchors in the marine store at the marina but took the Claw 33 back and the big Dan still has'nt sold.

Sorry Eric, I should have commented, that slightly tilted position of my anchor is not how we travel. I had it in that position to illustrate how the hinged roller helps in the launch, I think. It does retract right to horizontal, hard against the retaining bolt, as in the pic below, yet still self launches, even from the fully retracted position. From your bow shot, ideally to launch a Sarca of either type, you'd be best to mount a blunt platform or bowsprit, horizontal to the waterline, to make sure the anchor did not damage the bow gelcoat/paint, and would self-launch, etc. However, I think they actually enhance the look of the bow to have one there. Then the mounting of the proper roller for the Sarca is a breeze as well.

I went to the website to research prices, but it says it is under construction . ..

Today the friendly UPS guy dropped this off at my house.

dhays said:

Today the friendly UPS guy dropped this off at my house.View attachment 53713

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Congratulations!

dhays said:

Today the friendly UPS guy dropped this off at my house.


View attachment 53713

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Welcome to the club........

Nomad Willy said:

Speaking of bow pulpits what's the purpose of them other than to mount two anchors? Seems to me one could cut them off and pay less moorage .... And mount any roll bar anchor. Why not?

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Our pulpit is slotted, only for one anchor. I'd prefer two, but it is what it is...

Anyway, another purpose... i.e., in addition to holding the flukes off the hull... is that I can often maneuver the pulpit to be right over the top of many docks, easily right next to pilings or right over cleats, to make it easier to attach lines ashore when we're docking...

-Chris

dhays said:

Today the friendly UPS guy dropped this off at my house.


View attachment 53713

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Yep, it's about time some others get to enjoy the benefits of the Sarca Excel. What size anchor did you get?

Moonstruck said:

Yep, it's about time some others get to enjoy the benefits of the Sarca Excel. What size anchor did you get?

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Whatever size it is, it will no doubt be enough to anchor his boat better, and for less money, than those hearing aids you tried to anchor your boat with Don.

Peter B said:

Whatever size it is, it will no doubt be enough to anchor his boat better, and for less money, than those hearing aids you tried to anchor your boat with Don.

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Yeah, Pete, it would have been cheaper to let the radar pedestal fall into the water. hmmmmm, wonder if the holding power of a heavy radar pedestal has been tested.