Is this anchor worth €4300?

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I went on to the Ultra Anchors http://www.ultraanchors.com/ultra_anchors.html stand at the Dusseldorf show where they had a very nice demo showing how an Ultra anchor sets better than a Delta (my existing anchor) and where the guy seemed very knowledgeable about anchor construction and anchoring techniques generally. I got quite keen to try one of these things expecting the price for a like for like 60kg Ultra replacement for existing 60kg Delta to be maybe €1000-1500 but when the guy told me the price was €4300, I nearly fell over. These things are manufactured in Turkey btw.
Now before I dismiss the Ultra anchor as overpriced tat, I have noticed that a few top end boat manufacturers like Fleming fit them and everything I've read about them seems very complimentary. Not only that but the logo of Pantaenius Insurance is shown on some of the Ultra literature which implies that Pantaenius recommend them although I'd have to do some more digging on that one.
So is this Ultra anchor or any other anchor really so much better than the more common and traditional designs like Delta, Bruce, CQR etc etc that they can justify charging 3 times the price?

 

[Whitelighter]

Saw the same demo yesterday at Batmassan and it was very compelling. 10m boat was €1400

 

[noelex]

The Ultra anchor is beautiful. Stainless steel anchors have always been very expensive. More than they should be, given the cost of the material.

In terms of performance, I have not seen the Ultra in action quite enough to fully evaluate its abilities. My impression so far is that it is a very good anchor, significantly better than the Delta, but with not quite the top performance of the very best anchors.

Most of the larger Ferretti models I have seen have a retractable bow sprit and I think would have some difficulty fitting the roll bar anchors. The steel Spade is a great choice if this is the case, with excellent performance. If you are happy with a galvanised finish this will be much less expensive. In SS the savings may not be that significant compared to the Ultra depending where you are buying the anchor. Also factor in that the Ultra has a lifetime warranty that will replace the anchor if it is bent (the Spade does not). If the Roll bar anchors will fit there is is a much wider choice of top performing anchors.

Here is a couple of Ultra's on the bow of a larger Ferretti:

This is Ultra underwater. Not a good substrate but it does show the beautiful anchor design clearly:

 

[Firefly625]

if my anchor cost that much and looked that pretty I wouldn't want to use it as I might scratch it!

 

[Lloydroberts]

For that price I'd expect it to be beautiful.
Those anchors, on that boat, look absolutely terrible, imho.

 

[jfm]

Mike I used an ultra on a bareboat charter in Croatia and liked it very much. My feeling is that it is a but better than delta but not hugely so, though I admit that is a gut feel not science

I tried to fit on to match 2 but classification tables required 50 kg and the ultra was a weird number like 48 kg. ultra went on about their 48 or whatever being better than everyone else's 50 kg but of corse that cuts no ice with a clipboard wielding surveyor. So I abandoned it and bought a delta which is perfectly ok as you know

That 4300 price is ss not galvanised and is only small premium over delta. Maybe 10% or so. If you want galvanised pricing you have to take ultra off the short list anyway.

Delta is perfectly fine. In any wind that will pop my delta I'm gonna be up and awake a likely left the anchorage an hour ago! Ain't worth worrying over imho. Buy the galvanised delta if you don't want ss pricing imho

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Most of the larger Ferretti models I have seen have a retractable bow sprit and I think would have some difficulty fitting the roll bar anchors.

Thanks noelex. Actually my boat has a fixed bow roller so I think that the Ultra would fit fine

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

That 4300 price is ss not galvanised and is only small premium over delta. Maybe 10% or so. If you want galvanised pricing you have to take ultra off the short list anyway.

Wow I didn't realise that the ss Delta cost so much! Maybe Ultra's prices aren't out of order. I already have a galvanised 60kg Delta which despite being apparently oversized for my boat did drag a couple of times in Sardinia last season in situations where I really wasn't expecting it to drag, hence a slight loss of confidence in the Delta and my interest in the Ultra. Yup they do try to sell you a smaller anchor because they say their anchor is so much better but I didn't buy that. If you're going to spend so much money on an anchor you want it to be appreciably better than what you've got already so there's no point in downsizing

 

[Dave100456]

Had a Delta for 2 years, changed to an equivalent Ultra and have spent one year revisiting most of the same anchorages. I'm in warmer waters so 99% of the time I swim and inspect the anchor.

Verdict; the Ultra sets more reliably and more quickly. In my experience the Ultra is a much, much more effective anchor and aesthetically it wins hands down too!

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Verdict; the Ultra sets more reliably and more quickly. In my experience the Ultra is a much, much more effective anchor and aesthetically it wins hands down too!

Dave thanks. That's the kind of experience I was hoping to hear. Did you change your Delta for the same weight of Ultra or smaller? In which kind of sea bed conditions does the Ultra outperform the Delta?

 

[jfm]

Yup, Dave's observations ring true with me even though I have but one week experience of the ultra, in clear Croatia waters btw. Thing is, in my book it makes no difference in the real world. The ultra might hold me in 70 knots of wind while delta makes only 50 knots, say, but I'm outta there at 30 knots anyway. I've never known the delta not hold me when I want to stay anchored. So you have to ask whether you need what you're getting for the extra 3k Mike

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Yup, Dave's observations ring true with me even though I have but one week experience of the ultra, in clear Croatia waters btw. Thing is, in my book it makes no difference in the real world. The ultra might hold me in 70 knots of wind while delta makes only 50 knots, say, but I'm outta there at 30 knots anyway. I've never known the delta not hold me when I want to stay anchored. So you have to ask whether you need what you're getting for the extra 3k Mike

A little bit more peace of mind, I suppose jfm! Then I might not need an expensive Pants insurance policy

 

[J Neeves]

The Ultra is an excellent anchor in most substrates (or works as well as most other in most substrates). its not going to do too well in heavy weed, but because it has no roll bar will do better than some modern anchors. It also works well in seabeds with loose rock, stones and coral as again there is no roll bar. Very good in sand seabeds. The sealed shank is buoyant and helps it to self right. It is not as good as a Fortress in very soft mud - but much better then most other anchors. Being 'similar' to a Delta in shape it will fit on most bow rollers. The shank is now well engineered with an interior horizontal fillet to engender strength.

There are a number of very positive owners who have posted in a variety of Forum.

I've tested it against a Spade, Rocna, Supreme, Kobra, Delta, Bruce

I'm not too keen on the matching swivel. The swivel increases the effective shank length, thus increasing the lever arm length, and when it was tested and passed by ABS the swivel was not part of the test process.

Basically it is as good, or better, than most modern designs - but is more versatile. Its downside is its cost but many do not appear to be deterred - jewellery for your yacht. If you are to buy matching chain you really need to ensure the chain is of the correct strength and I'd look at G50 (again of the recommended size).

I have heard if you are in the eastern Med the Ultra can be bought more cheaply there than further west - but this is anecdotal. I might have the vessel name engirded onto the anchor, somewhere - they look eminently desirable!

If you can stomach the cost and you buy a model of the recommended size you will not be disappointed.

Jonathan

 

[Nick_H]

I already have a galvanised 60kg Delta which despite being apparently oversized for my boat did drag a couple of times in Sardinia last season in situations where I really wasn't expecting it to drag, hence a slight loss of confidence in the Delta and my interest in the Ultra.

I suspect you were just unlucky Mike, and dropped on a patch of sand over rock or something. In eight seasons with the Delta, with lots of time at anchor and in some very windy conditions, we've not dragged once. It just sets, first time every time. The Ultra looks a fine anchor, and would also look nice in SS on the front of your boat, but I can't help thinking that a Delta will always do the job in reasonable ground, and neither will do the job if you get unlucky and hit some rock. Maybe at the extremes the Ultra is more effective, but I agree with JFM, when are you going to test that?

 

[wakeup]

I can't help thinking that there just aren't enough points of difference when looking at the spade of the delta and the Ultra. Seems a bit emperor's clothes to me. In fact would you really want a hollow stainless shaft that could let in water at the joint where crevasse corrosion could develop unseen?

 

[noelex]

its not going to do too well in heavy weed, but because it has no roll bar will do better than some modern anchors.

Heavy weed is is the substrate that most commonly causes trouble for modern anchors. The specialist weed anchors all have limitations so performance in weed is an important parameter.

The roll bar anchors have a thin chisel tip that is generally better at cutting through weed and reaching the substrate below than the much thicker ballasted tips that are necessary on the non roll bar anchors like the Delta and the Ultra (the ballast is necessary to orientate this style anchor).

The Ultra designers have cleverly incorporated quite a streamlined ballast chamber into their anchor, but the considerable bulk of the ballast chamber still needs to forced between the weed roots before the fluke has any grip on the substrate below.

This photo shows the Ultra doing poorly in only light weed. It was dropped by a 56 foot cat in 8m @ 6:1. The anchor had dragged about 15 m. It had moved about half this distance, dug in then broken out and dragged another 7m (judging from the drag mark). It was still slowly dragging with a large weed ball in only light/moderate wind. You can see the puffs of sand given off by the moving anchor. It was only one example and I would like to see more of the Ultra performing weed before coming to firm conclusions.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I suspect you were just unlucky Mike, and dropped on a patch of sand over rock or something. In eight seasons with the Delta, with lots of time at anchor and in some very windy conditions, we've not dragged once. It just sets, first time every time. The Ultra looks a fine anchor, and would also look nice in SS on the front of your boat, but I can't help thinking that a Delta will always do the job in reasonable ground, and neither will do the job if you get unlucky and hit some rock. Maybe at the extremes the Ultra is more effective, but I agree with JFM, when are you going to test that?

Maybe Nick but on both occasions I was anchored in very popular anchorages in the Maddalenas albeit in gusty winds this summer. I don't count myself as an anchoring expert but I like to think I roughly know what I'm doing! For example we do try to drop the hook in a nice sandy spot rather than on top of weed. On the first occasion, the anchor started to drag after a few minutes and I tried resetting it a couple of times but the same thing happened so we just cleared off to another anchorage. The second occasion was more disturbing because the anchor was solid for a couple of hours and only dragged after the wind got up a notch. On both occasions there were plenty of other boats safely anchored in the same anchorages. The common factor was that both anchorages were off the island of Caprera and I suppose it's possible that the sand there is very soft and churned up by other anchors which just didn't allow the Delta to get a hold. Everywhere else in the Med I've been with a Delta on various boats such as the Balearics and Croatia, the Delta has performed faultlessly but my confidence has been dented a bit by these two occurences

 

[Nick_H]

Heavy weed is is the substrate that most commonly causes trouble for modern anchors. The specialist weed anchors all have limitations so performance in weed is an important parameter.

The roll bar anchors have a thin chisel tip that is generally better at cutting through weed and reaching the substrate below than the much thicker ballasted tips that are necessary on the non roll bar anchors like the Delta and the Ultra (the ballast is necessary to orientate this style anchor).

The Ultra designers have cleverly incorporated quite a streamlined ballast chamber into their anchor, but the considerable bulk of the ballast chamber still needs to forced between the weed roots before the fluke has any grip on the substrate below.

This photo shows the Ultra doing poorly in only light weed. It was dropped by a large cat in 8m @ 6:1. The anchor had dragged about 15 m. It had moved about half this distance, dug in then broken out and dragged another 7m (judging from the drag mark). It was still slowly dragging with a large weed ball in only light/moderate wind. You can see the puffs of sand given off by the moving anchor. It was only one example and I would like to see more of the Ultra performing weed before coming to firm conclusions.

That's interesting, thanks. I hadn't grasped that the roll bar was an alternative to tip ballast, though I suppose it's obvious when you think about it.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

The roll bar anchors have a thin chisel tip that is generally better at cutting through weed and reaching the substrate below than the much thicker ballasted tips that are necessary on the non roll bar anchors like the Delta and the Ultra (the ballast is necessary to orientate this style anchor).

Thanks noelex, that's interesting. The conditions in your photo look similar to what you might find in many Med anchorages. If we take your statement above at face value, why aren't all anchors of the roll bar type? I suppose that's another way of asking under what conditions are roll bar anchors at a disadvantage to ballasted tip anchors, if any?

 

[jfm]

That very nice pic above of the ultra anchor dragging in weed shows, I think, a lightish anchor eg 15 or 20kg. I do not agree that the ballasted Delta and Ultras are too blunt to get through weed when you are talking about a 50-60kg job. Anchors this size are very heavy indeed and in my experience+intuitively do cut through the typical weed carpet you get in many med anchorages. If the substrate under the weed will allow the point of the delta/ultra to penetrate, then the carpet of leaves and the support of the roots network generally doesn't stop proceedings when you get to 50/60 kg pressing on the tip