Anyone familiar with this product?

Leave it our friends from down under....

It my have originated there but sentinels, kellets, anchor angels, etc have been around for centuries I would bet, certainly the 50 years I have been boating....

This is just one more variation.....

In the old days a small cannon was tied to the cable. I use another anchor about 5-10 fathoms up from the main anchor in heavy seas, wind or current. And all chain.

It`s a NZ made "Anchor Buddy",it came with the boat, I`ve never deployed it.

Greetings,
Mr. L. "...a small cannon was tied to the cable..." From what I've seen of our Mr. mp's cannon, I don't think it would be big enough and difficult to fire underwater....Just sayin'.

I've heard it referred to an Alaskan sleeping pill.

Thank you for posting the video, Texas. I wasn't aware that the product even existed. Very cool. I'm not sure that I'll run out & order one & it's probably kind of awkward to remove from the rode while hanging over the bow while bouncing in a sea but a neat accessory ,none the less.

BruceK said:

It`s a NZ made "Anchor Buddy",it came with the boat, Ive never deployed it.

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Like he said. Basically much the same effect as letting out more chain, which is easier and quicker if there is room. Most benefit therefore for those with mixed chain & rope rode, or in those really tight anchorages, maybe..?

I think if I was going to add 30 pounds to my ground tackle...I'd carry another anchor....or just increase my regular anchor by a size or two. In high winds ( when you really need extra holding power ) your anchor line is going to be taught with or without the kellett.

"In high winds ( when you really need extra holding power ) your anchor line is going to be taught with or without the kellett."

Perhaps , but chain is so heavy it seldom stays tight 100% of the blow.

Usually it goes bar taught in a heavy gust then slackens, esp on boats that bow veer.

A kellet will not stop the chain from becoming a rod , but it usually will slow the last tightening , softening the yank on the anchor .

A delight that nylon anchor line folks take for granted, the soft stop.

I made one of those. Only 12lbs though .. but my boat's small.
I've never used mine either. Mine is not as easy to use as this one.

Re weight of an anchor rode I've always said that to be best spent it should be in the anchor. Ten pounds applied here or there .. it always produces better results if applied to the anchor. Just a heavier anchor. Of course if one followed such logic one's rode would be all nylon line. My rode only has about 4' of chain and two feet of cable. The cable is closest to the anchor. All the rest is nylon line. Still haven't dragged. It's probably like running aground. There are those that have and those that eventially will. When my luck runs out I probably will have my anchor alarm on. But my record does show that safe anchoring hardly requires any chain at all. Like it says in Chapman's book .. "a few feet of chain". It should be noted that the chain I have is one or two sizes larger than usually used w this boat. Most use 1/4" and many use 5/16". Ideally I think I'd have the heavy length of chain about 10 to 15' up the rode from the anchor. It is there that the extra weight is most effective in retaining catenary. And of course my chain is acting like a permanently installed Aochor Buddy ... usually called 1. a Kellet or 2. a Sentinel in the US.

Rex of ARA is the one that talked me into making the Anchor Buddy. This is the slickest Anchor Buddy I've seen. One could adjust easily where exactly the Anchor Buddy was along the rode .. excellent. And now it appears "anchor buddy" is a brand name.

We own one!
Used it when we had a predominately nylon rode. It is easy to deploy and it certainly works as advertised. We only used it in high winds or when we were forced to anchor with short scope.
Bruce

Made my own 30 yrs ago. Used several 2 Litre pop bottles which I filled with concrete and chain with enough length to attach a shackle and whatever needed to run it up or down the anchor chain.
ugly-yes, cheap - yes, works - yes. The plastic bottle also protects the deck when you set it down a bit hard and if dropped overboard it was only a few bucks and some time.

Drank the pop.

C lectric said:

Made my own 30 yrs ago. Used several 2 Litre pop bottles which I filled with concrete and chain with enough length to attach a shackle and whatever needed to run it up or down the anchor chain.
ugly-yes, cheap - yes, works - yes. The plastic bottle also protects the deck when you set it down a bit hard and if dropped overboard it was only a few bucks and some time.

Drank the pop.

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Glad you added that last, C/l. One hates to see waste...