Best Anchor for Pontoon Boat
Anchoring is crucial for any boat, but pontoon boats tend to be big, bulky, and buoyant. This makes it even more essential that you can keep it in place. We run down the best anchor for pontoon boats in this guide, allowing you to find a secure option that keeps you perfectly in place and gives you peace of mind on all of your boating trips. Nobody wants to be worried about drifting.
Reviewing the Best Pontoon Anchors
Though we’ve put together a list of great boat anchors for pontoon boats here, you need to make sure you consider the conditions and your own boat. It is about matching up the features you need, and your budget, of course.
Best Box Anchor for Pontoon Boat
Slide Anchor Box Anchor
Slide Anchor Box Anchor
Shop nowWhat we like
- Easy to Install.
- Galvanized design.
- Provides excellent stability.
What we don’t like
- A little pricey .
If you are looking for an anchor that can help with even a large pontoon boat, the clever box anchor design helps give you peace of mind. This anchor is not one of the cheaper models on the list, but if it is the stability you are looking for then it may be worth spending extra.
The anchor settles into the bottom condition, whether this is gravel or sand, and you don’t need to use any mechanical power to get it set up. You just turn off the engine, drop anchor, and it sets itself within a foot of where you have placed it every time.
The anchor is a clever galvanized design that actually folds up flat, even though you may have a fair bit of space on your pontoon boat it helps to be able to store it more easily. To retrieve it, you just pull the line, bring the boat to a position over the top and the anchor should come off the bottom with relative ease.
The easy placement and reliability are some of the best features of this anchor, and it can be used with sports boats and offshore boats that are 40 feet long, and cruisers that are 30 feet long.
If you need a serious anchor for a big boat, this could be the ideal choice for you.
Best Pontoon Anchor in Three Weights
MarineNow Deluxe Portable Fluke Style Anchor Kit
MarineNow Deluxe Portable Fluke Style Anchor Kit
Shop nowWhat we like
- Comes in different weights.
- Galvanized design.
- Great value for the price.
What we don’t like
- Be careful! The edges are kind of sharp.
This comes in three different weights, so you can choose which is best to suit your own needs. It is available in 5, 8.5, or 13-lb designs, so you can just match it up to the size of the boat you have and ensure a safe anchor.
The 13 lb option can handle some sizeable boats, up to 32 feet in size, and do a great job of keeping you floating on the water while you fish or just relax.
This is a durable fluke anchor with a marine-grade anchor line. You can easily cast this and recall it as required, and the chain has been hot-dipped to galvanize and keep it as sturdy as possible, so it should last for a number of years. It’s 24.5” tall, 18” wide, and 6” deep, so it isn’t too difficult to store on the pontoon boat.
This pontoon boat anchor has a great design, simple, but effective, and is relatively affordable considering what you get. The option to choose the size and weight means you aren’t lumbered with extra cargo, nor do you have to worry about the fact that it might not have the sturdiness to hold your boat.
Best Lightweight Pontoon Anchor
SandShark Supersport Anchor
SandShark Supersport Anchor
Shop nowWhat we like
- Portable.
- Can handle boats up to 25 feet.
- Money-back guarantee.
What we don’t like
- Can be a little trickier to mount.
If you don’t have a huge and heavy boat and you want to anchor from the beach or shallow waters, then you can do so using the SandShark and reliably tether for hours, not having to worry about drifting.
The anchor itself is made of reinforced nylon material, a plastic that is engineering grade in its quality, along with aircraft-grade aluminum. It has a collapsible design so it is easy to take with you on your trips.
The auger design needs you to screw it within the sand which helps to make tension or suction to allow you to hold it in place for a long time, even if you have a relatively big and heavy pontoon boat.
The design can be a bit harder to get it reliably in place, and you need to be cautious about where you are mounting. However, the fact that this comes with a money-back guarantee means that if you aren’t impressed, you can send it back for a refund.
This is a lightweight product and is best for lightweight pontoon boats, but it can handle boats up to 25 feet in size, so it is not just for little dinghies.
Best Gripper Pontoon Anchor
Extreme Max 3006.6563 BoatTector Anchor
Extreme Max 3006.6563 BoatTector Anchor
Shop nowWhat we like
- Can hold up to 25 feet of pontoon boat.
- Povides great stability.
- No chain needed.
What we don’t like
- Make sure you can lift it up because it’s a heavy-duty anchor!
The gripper design can give you a really sturdy position and prevent any sort of drift, and this heavy-duty anchor from BoatTector means you will be able to anchor on virtually any bottom with peace of mind, and you don’t even need a chain.
The product itself is 25 lbs so you will need to account for taking this on the boat, but the grip design means it can hold up to 25 feet of a pontoon boat.
It works with anchor winches like the Minn Kota Deckhand, Power Winch, and Anchor Mate, but you don’t have to use a winch if you don’t want to.
Upon dropping, you can be sure that it is going to accurately and precisely anchor you in that spot, and the flukes will dig in the sand, mud, or even rocks, to keep you in place.
It is easy to see why so many people opt for a fluke gripper design and this anchor provides you with a great level of stability.
Choosing the Best Anchor for Pontoon Boat
Pontoon anchors come in a few different designs, and of course, they all have different weights and shapes, so you need to match up the design to your own boat.
Check the Boat’s Length
Anchors will tell you how big a boat they can handle. Pontoon boats are really buoyant, so don’t try your luck with this. Instead, be sure to stick to the length suggested by the manufacturer.
Types of Anchor
There are many different types of boat anchors for pontoon boats, and they all have their own merits. Again, it is a case of personal choice.
Some common examples include:
- Grapnel Anchor: These have a grappling hook design and tend to hold onto a structure for support, like submerging and grabbing onto rocks rather than just weighing the boat down.
- Box Anchor: These hold your boat at a 45° angle from the floor and often have flukes that face down and dig in for more support, especially on sand.
- Fluke Anchors: These are usually folding designs and they are good for mud or sand, but they may drift and pull free from the bottom in some scenarios and aren’t as good for rocky bottoms.
Portability
Remember that you are going to have to keep the anchor on the boat, so you need to account for the size and weight. A lot of these designs are clever in that they fold up, or use grappling or digging to stay put, so you don’t have to worry so much about taking a big heavy pontoon boat anchor system with you on your travels.
Summary – Finding Your Ideal Anchor
The four options on this list provide a brilliant starting point, there are many different designs out there at different pricing points, but remember that you can’t put a price on safety and it is essential that you don’t drift. Safety on the water is paramount, so make sure that whatever you choose can handle your boat and the conditions.
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