Anchor Warranties

[noelex 77]

Anchor warranties have changed recently and now more anchor manufacturers are offering a lifetime warranty on their anchors. This was pioneered by Fortress.
I am interested in manufacturers that offer to replace the anchor (or the part of the anchor) no questions asked. Stuck under a rock when its pulled up, it is still covered.

A warranty on breakage is almost useless as this is very unlikely to occur

Please add to the list or make any corrections. I am only starting it with this post. Try and be specific. Some manufacturers only offer this warranty on some models or only when purchased from some venues (such as West Marine)

I will update the this list as we get more information.

There is lifetime no questions warranty on these models:
Excel (All models. Original purchaser only. Some delivery charge depending on location)
Fortress (All models. Delivery charge one way only)
Mantus (All models. No delivery charge)
Rocna (All models. Original purchaser only. Not covered if undersized for the boat)
Super SARCA (All models. Original purchaser only. Some delivery charge depending on location)
Ultra (lifetime. Delivery costs both ways.Not covered if undersized for the boat )


Almost no warranty on these models: note some may be different if purchased from certain suppliers such as West Marine)
Delta (breakage only nothing on bending)
Manson Boss (breakage only nothing on bending)
Manson Supreme (breakage only nothing on bending)
Spade (90 days and manufacturing defect only)





No information found on these anchors (probably means no warranty on bending, but maybe I have just not found the relevant information):

Claw (lewmar)
Kobra

[GordMay]

All Lewmar Delta anchors are guaranteed for life against breakage.
Damage by deformation or bending is not covered by this guarantee.
Whoopi. ):

[noelex 77]

Thanks Gord
I have edited my list to included your information
Thanks

[Mantus Anchors]

guys we warranty bent shanks and ship the replacement on our tab....
Wanted to make sure all our customers know

[sailorboy1]

I wonder what else on a boat everyone believes should have a no question anything goes replacement warranty?

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I wonder what else on a boat everyone believes should have a no question anything goes replacement warranty?

I don't think it is something we should expect, rather its something we should acknowledge and take into account when its offered.

I like to think I am up to date with anchor products, but I thought for example the Manson Supreme and Boss were covered. They are not. Bend one and you have to buy a new anchor.

There are a lot of manufacturers that don't make their policy very clear from their website. I suspect this means there is no coverage, but perhaps they offer a guarantee against bending and don't announce it very well.

I am hoping this thread will clarify the policy of different manufacturers.

[congo]

Noelex please define:

What is the expected lifetime of anchor? what is the expected lifetime of the user, what is the expected lifetime of the company that’s going to come good upon a claim?

What do you decipher as a life time warranty?

Regards Rex.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

Claw (lewmar)

Lifetime warranty. I do not know what covered though.

b.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by congo

Noelex please define:

What is the expected lifetime of anchor? what is the expected lifetime of the user, what is the expected lifetime of the company that’s going to come good upon a claim?

What do you decipher as a life time warranty?

Regards Rex.

Rex, I am only trying to ascertain the warranty provided with different anchors. This basic information is not clear from some manufacturers and I think consumers should know before buying.

If you could provide the warranty details on your anchors (Super SARCA and the Excel) I will include it in the list.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Lifetime warranty. I do not know what covered though.

b.

Thanks I will do some searching and see what I can find.

[congo]

Noelex,

Your question is a bit more complex that what you may think, anchors in the past have mostly been full welded constructions, other than the Fortress, warranty claims are much easier to deal with when individual parts can be replaced rather than the whole anchor.

Simply this is why you find a major difference with the fine print on warranty, a fully welded anchor with no removable parts is expensive to replace and freight, further when you challenge these warranties on a forum where as some manufactures are advertising you will never be sure of their claims as to their warranty, yes we all want to been seen in the right light and be seen to be saying all the right things, so a direct comment from Greg is expected, removable parts easy to freight, all this from accompany that has yet to be tried and proven as to the credibility of the design strengths then subjected to rigorous applications in the real world over some years.

Ask Greg about his warranty in five years time, I say this simply because we have a problem with roll bar anchors here in Australia the roll bar bending from being caught up on rocks coral reef excetra , once bent it's performance is hit and miss, one particular brand had the roll bar snap of from one side and twist rearward, the customer could not get a claim on this anchor.

So indeed what part of the anchor is covered other than the shank, so if the Mantus guarantee their roll bar, what if used on a trawler, they anchor amongst some of toughest terrain where the roll bar sometimes is the only part that is hooked up, we at
Anchor Right have had twenty years dealing with the roll bar down sides and that is why we have a patented design ROLL BAR THAT IS OF SOLID STEEL NOT TUBE totally supported at the top of the roll bar as well, if we didn’t have this our warranty claims would be huge.

I am not having a go at Greg but going by his warranty statement he doesn’t mention the roll bar, in its present state they would be like the Australian boomerang going backward and forward at a great rate if used on heavy trawler type boats. And Greg hears your chance, please correct your statement as to the removal of the hoop on Mantus having no ill effect on it’s performance, as you and I know this could lead to a tragedy.

And rightly so if an anchor manufacturer has gone through the pains of testing to acquire Super High Holding power by the Marine Authorities then that should be warranty enough, regalvanising in most cases is simply whare and tare, for Gods sake our wives ware out, biggest investment we will ever make, try claiming on them and see how you go, ask to see conformation of their test certs that’s the best start, there is no way any one will never bend an anchor shank or some part of the anchor some times, but with a properly certified tested anchor these occasions are rare to be honest, don’t buy anchors that are not tested or certified and chances are you wont have a problem.

How successful you are at claiming is how long you have had your anchor, and how you approach the company, so what about our warranty, well we simply give all customers a guarantee, all dealers if they have an unsatisfied customer then they relay the customer straight back to us, if for what ever reason they are not happy with our product then return it for a full money back guarantee.

No its not on our web site but we have an impeccable reputation so much so many purchase from us knowing we stand by what we say. We have never refused a claim and cannot remember the last.

CEO of Anchor Right Australia.

[Mantus Anchors]

Rex, Noelex, community...
It's very simple we warranty every single part of the anchor, shank, fluke, roll bar
for life which means that if you damage the anchor for whatever reason, even if it's because you hit a piling, call us and we will take care of it. Period!
Roll bar bending is an exceedingly rare event and Google knows it best. Try googling a picture of a bent rollbar on any roll bar anchor design and compare that to a Google image search for bent shank. You will see scores of images; the reason is because this is the most common way an anchor gets damaged.
Not only will we replace the shank, we will ship it anywhere in the world for free.

As far as using Mantus without the roll bar, we do think it's a reasonable option.
Mantus without the rollbar sets even deeper than the fully assembled version. Mother Nature will always find a way to foul up an anchor. An anchor with a roll bar can get a rock stuck in the the roll bar and fail to set or reset (P.S. we opened up the opening to minimize that risk) and the anchor might not set solely due to its inferior setting ability. Mantus is designed to be difficult to flip. Bruce can end up upside down but it does not prevent half the cruising community from using the anchor because it is an exceedingly rare event. The customer has an option of using the anchor in either configuration and each has its merits. What we do know is that after hundreds of attempts to anchor on the Mantus with and without the rollbar, we have never had a failed set even in areas where other similar designs fail.
In short, we believe Mantus is the best setting and the most reliable way to anchor in either configuration and has a LIFETIME warranty on all its PARTS.
I was amazed at how responsive and helpful the staff was at FORTRESS when I needed help back during my cruising days so when we started the company we said we will do it the FORTRESS way!

Greg

[noelex 77]

Rex, as part of this thread I want to pin anchor designers down, so Cruising Forum members know exactly what is covered and when.

As Sailorboy says, there is no obligation to provide a lifetime warranty against bending. If I drop my GPS and break it, no manufacturer will replace it even in the "warranty" period.

However, there are companies that offer replacements for anchors under similar circumstances. Fortress pioneered this. I have never had a claim myself, but I have spoken to cruisers that have. If you bend any part of the anchor, under any circumstances, they replace it at no charge. You don't have to even send the part back or provide receipts etc under normal circumstances. An email and photo of the damaged part is enough for them to ship the part out to you at no charge. This warranty is covered in writing on their website and Brian from Fortress has confirmed this on the forum. This is excellent service above and beyond what is supplied with many other marine products and great for us as consumers.

Mantus also offer an identical warranty on their website and Greg has confirmed in this thread that they will ship the replacement part at no charge, including delivery. Great service as well.

Rocna will also replace the anchor if any part bends. They have the caveat that it cannot be undersized (according to their sizing chart), which seems very reasonable. You also have to be the original owner so there is no warranty if you purchase a second hand boat with a Rocna. You have to return the anchor to a dealer (this can be a pain for a cruising sailor) and collect the anchor, or have it shipped at your expense. Not quite as good, but still a great offer and much better than the Manson alternative.

Rex, I am still no closer to finding out what happens with an Anchor Right anchor.

Let's take the scenario that a cruising sailor has an anchor that is caught under a rock and some part of the anchor bends. There is no question of a "manufacturing defect" with the anchor, but it's bent nevertheless.

Would it be replaced at no charge?

If yes, are there any restrictions? (Do you have to be the original owner, is it lifetime or is it age restricted etc)
Does the anchor need to be returned? Anchor Right have very few dealers. Does it need to go back to Australia?
What about the delivery cost of the new anchor? Would it be sent from Australia?
Does the warranty cover all models such as the SS and aluminium versions?

Please note I am not implying that you need to meet any of these conditions. It is above and beyond the call of duty that some companies do offer these fantastic warranties. For us as consumers it is a point of distinction between different anchors that is taken into account when choosing which anchor to buy. We need to know the important details to make an informed decision.

Many anchor companies spell the warranty out clearly on their website. Manson for example say "deformation is not covered". While this is not good news, it is clear and obvious to anyone before they buy the anchor. Some manufacturers do not include any details at all and one of the advantages of a forum like this is we can ask manufacturers directly.

Those that don't I will try and get some answers via email.

[noelex 77]

I am trying to pin down Ultra anchors on their policy. Another Cruising Forum member reported that they were covered if bent, but the most I can get out of them at this stage is:


The Ultra Anchor is supplied with a LIFETIME WARRANTY against manufacturing defects under normal conditions and use.

This sounds suspiciously like its not covered for say bending when caught under a rock. The company can claim (quite correctly) that it is bent, but there is no manufacturing defect.

I have sent them an email.

[congo]

Well Greg you are a braver man than me making a statement like that, and yes making it public, it all seems very simple, if only it was.

This comes back to what I said before of having your anchor tested and certified, problems in past anchor designs have been identified for creating situations whereas the anchor would simply not self-right in a normal situation, the Bruce anchor compared to your design is very heavy where it is needed for low centre of gravity, and yes it is possible for it to drag upside down, difference being if you take the original Bruce you would find it all most impossible to have this happen,(not so the copies) And unlike your Mantus upside down on sand the original Bruce will right itself.

Once again to obtain certification whether it be high holding power or Super High Holding Power an anchor must be tested, set up in its worst possible position and then right itself within a given distance for alignment of correct orientation otherwise you will simply not achieve this. Why would you think that both Manson and Rocna have roll bars.

You can have the best setting anchor in the world but it means dust if it is on it's back, anyway way I dissagree we have the best setting anchors.

Check your Lloyds, DNV, and National marine Safety Committees rules and regulations on boat anchors, testing of anchors.

Now as you know and admit the Mantus will lay on its back if it should find itself in that situation, big difference being with an origional Bruce if this should happen it is almost impossible to pull it at length before it turns over and digs in, your Mantus on even sandy bottoms upside down will drag in this position until the cows come home.

Now you know the old saying and that is if it can happen it will happen, so once again for everybody’s safety retract your statement( Mantus is OK without the roll bar) You didn’t spend many hours developing your design with a roll bar to simply discard it. I ask your customers for their own safety to try their Mantus anchors on sand upside down without the hoop and watch what takes place, and then if they are comfortable with the results, by all means it is then on your own heads should the anchor end up Upside down at a critical moment.

You want to be like Fortress you say? MY Greg you have a long way to go, goggling roll bars and never seen them bend , well just maybe customers at this stage haven’t bothered, but believe me after twenty years in the business I have seen many, and yes we have to seen our roll bars bent to even though they are welded top and bottom.

Difference being in most situations the small anchor hoops can easily be knocked back into shape and the very large ones can be heated before reshaping, most of the trawler guys will do this themselves and not bother us with the warranty, you have a huge roll bar perched on top of a thin section relying on all of this to take the leverage when hooked, well there are always lesson’s to be learned in this business, you will find it no different.

I am not knocking your anchor just responding to your statements, we sell approx. seven thousand anchors a year, some anchors weighing three hundred kilos and plus, if you are not up to this level then when you are I am sure some of my criticism will hit home, others will have tried your anchor in all configurations not hundreds of times but many thousands of times.

Rex CEO of Anchor Right Australia.