Home / Boat Improvement Projects / Anchor Alarm / Purchase Information
Since I wrote about the prototype anchor alarm and its successor I have received a number of inquiries about purchasing a unit:
"Can I buy one of your anchor alarms?"
"Have you put the anchor alarm into production?"
"Are anchor alarms for sale?"
"Do you have any units available for sale?"
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
And yes.
To date, I have produced several small batches of the devices, which I have been selling for my cost of materials in exchange for comments and feedback. Comments from existing users have all been positive (see below) and they have yielded a number of suggestions for improvements that I will be considering for future batches.
Since I still have a real job that is necessary to pay the bills, production of the anchor alarms has remained a hobby. I will be investigating the requirements to redesign for manufacturing but for now I will continue to build in small batches. Unfortunately, there are few economies of scale when producing in small batches.
My cost of materials in each unit is $175.00.
I'll keep the quantity in stock on this page updated. If you are interested in buying a unit and are willing to provide comments and feedback, just send me an email using the link on the Contact Us page.
Again, the cost for a unit is currently $175 plus shipping and handling, and you can pay using PayPal.
I'll keep this page updated with future developments. Thanks for reading.
Hi Rick,
I used your gadget for several weeks during a recent trip to the BVI.
... Overall, I liked it and it worked really well, thanks for making it
available.
- S.J., Colorado
Rick,
... the only problems we have had have been purely operator induced. It
woke us up last night because I had set the allowable swing pretty tight but
that was deliberate because the wind forecast was bad and we're in a tight
anchorage so I wanted to know if anything was even possibly happening.
It also woke us about a month ago, before we had ever used it. That time it
was letting us know that we had a corroded output on the pass through from
the inverter. I doubt you knew that it was capable of warning about that
and it took me a while to figure it out too.
- R.E., Washington
Hi Rick,
I just returned from two weeks cruising in Long Island Sound and Block Island Sound... We anchored out every night, with the exception of one night when we stayed on a mooring with some friends. I was very pleased with the performance of the anchor alarm. I wired the 12 volt power cable into the lighting circuit and placed the alarm on a shelf in the vee berth. The GPS antenna cable was led out through a nearby porthole and the antenna was placed on the cabin top. This arrangement was very convenient and when I was ready to mark my position I was able to pass the alarm box out through the porthole.
On different occasions I tried setting the alarm at the point where the anchor was set (as recommended in the instructions) and also at the point where the boat had backed down on the rode (in order to get an alarm should the wind shift). Once the proper distance was set the alarm worked flawlessly. I especially liked the ability to check my distance from the original anchor point during the night (on those occassions when thunderstorms blew through the anchorage). I hope to use it a few more times this season and then my friend will bring it to the Bahamas for the winter (he anchors out all winter so it will get some good use)... I think your GPS alarm is excellent! I think you have an excellent product!
- A.T., New Jersey
Rick,
I received the Anchor Alarm yesterday... thank you for prompt service.
Once unpacked, the first thing I noticed was that it was a neat looking
unit. I quickly switched it on and could set it no problem after having read your
article... Well done and I hope it goes well commercially...
- G.Y., Australia
Hi Rick,
We are currently anchored... The winds have been out of the south (right down the channel) averaging 15 gusting to 25. Tonight they're supposed to go to 20 gusting to 30. Because of the anchor alarm. I am not constantly looking out the window to make sure we're not drifting. I can sleep like a baby at night knowing the alarm will alert me if necessary. Even my wife is sleeping and relaxing.
Thanks again for inventing the alarm.
- B.S., Florida