Super MAX Anchors

"There just isn't a better anchor made!"

We hear this from many boat owners who have owned Max or Super Max anchors for years. (We believe them!)
Super Max anchors were designed to set quickly utilizing a 5 to 1 scope (adjustable anchor), set quickly in virtually all bottoms from coral to ooze,
dig deeper into the bottom as pressure is applied and as a result hold better than any other anchor. The holding action of an anchor is based upon the
area of the fluke that opposes the bottom. The Super Max anchors have the largest fluke areas of any modern anchor, and because they are also the
only anchors designed to penetrate deeply when put on a strain, they ARE the best holding anchors. Pointy anchors do not have anywhere near the
fluke area so their holding is limited. They cannot penetrate deeply either, so they become plows on the bottom as pressure is applied.

Super Max anchors penetrate deeper when using an all nylon anchor rode which is recommended. An all nylon rode will provide stretch in storm conditions
which is what a boat owner needs, for with an all chain rode the boat will ride ultimately back and forth with wind alterations causing the rode to snap at its
peak load, then lag. When the chain snaps, the pressure on the entire anchor system doubles. When the strain with an all nylon rode is at 6,000 pounds,
the strain with an all chain rode when it snaps would be 12,000 pounds. The nylon rode will never snap because stretching is built into it!

Because the Super Max anchors perform better with an all nylon rode, the anchor and rode becomes the
least expensive and the lightest weight system available.

Super Max anchors are made of high tensile steel averaging 120,000 pounds tensile strength. They are hot dip galvanized which provides seven mills of zinc,
whereas most other galvanized anchors are zinc electroplated providing only three mills of zinc. Super Max anchors will outwear the others by a 3 to 1 margin.
Stainless steel anchors are soft by comparison and would prove to be quite dangerous in a severe storm.

We have used Max anchors for over 15 years. We've had the opportunity to anchor in 7 hurricanes, 4 of them over 120+ knots, countless storms, gales and squalls using Max anchors. We have been very happy with them and recommend them widely.

Some people have questioned the veracity of our endorsers and testers. They think the statements made are too good to be true, that no anchor can do what we say the Super Max anchors can do, that it's just pure hype similar to what the other anchor manufacturers say. However, we have letters and emails from the endorsers and testers, and in some cases phone calls by them. We can make copies of these for unbelievers and give phone numbers for one to call and ask for their comments by telephone if necessary.

The Practical Sailor/Powerboat Reports tests of the past several years have resulted in good reports for setting and holding capabilities of our anchors.

Other anchors have tested marginally better in sand and hard bottoms, but the testers used scopes equivalent to 100 to 1 with the rodes laying on the bottom. The rodes were in each case led ashore. Those anchors designed for 7 to 1 scopes or greater obviously had the advantage over the Max and Super Max anchors designed for scopes of 5 to 1 or 3 to 1. Thus the results were skewed. The ABS tests reported on this website used correct scopes as recommended by the manufacturers and as can be seen the results were dramatically different.

Laird Cogburn: I anchored with my brand new Super Max 15HD Rigid anchor in a bay near Galveston that no other anchors normally hold in. It set immediately and two other boats rafted alongside my boat with the Super Max holding all three. About 2 in the morning a storm came through with winds a steady 60 knots. All the other boats in the bay were dragging anchors. One dragged over my anchor rode. Now the Super Max 15 was holding four boats in a 60 knot wind! I had the two alongside me break away. Then because untangling the two rodes would be such a problem at 3 in the morning, I cut the anchor rode and motored back to Galveston. Then I ordered another 15HD Rigid anchor! It has just unbelievable holding power!

J. Burke, Boca Raton, FL: In tests over one week anchoring with the Super Max Rigid 15 in the Bahamas, I dove at each
site which included seaweed, coral and coral sand. I watched this anchor set immediately at every site, penetrate deeply
and hold in bottoms that most other anchors don't even set in. When reversed with a 180, the anchor followed around and
did not become dislodged. An amazing performance!

A. Jones, Hudson, FL: My first ten days of using the new rigid anchor was remarkable. We anchored in sand, grass, mud and sand over coral pavement. It set the first time in each bottom and didn't budge except once when we did a 180 and it came free of the coral and reset within a few feet. One night anchored in sand we had two fifty footers rafted alongside us with only our rigid Super Max holding all three. The wind piped up to 25 knots overnight and we never moved.

P. Youngblood, "After spending 4 weeks on an 800 mile trip on the ICW, we never had the slightest reason for concern
whenever we anchored out. Even anchorages that are noted for poor holding posed little problem. It is great to get a
good night's sleep with the feeling you will wake up in the same spot in the morning."

In tests by Captain Wil Andrews in May 1998 on the new Super Max Pivoting Arm anchors: "The Super Max sets quicker than the original Max, I believe it sets quicker than the Bruce... The capacity of this anchor when put under load 180 degrees from where it was set may be one of its most desirable characteristics... The Super Max passes the 'Emergency Test' with a grade of A+. I have never seen an anchor do as well in this test... The Super Max indicates it will truly be a "Super Anchor."

Kurt Hocker, Pegasus, 50' Crealock Cutter, Costa Rico: "Everything you claimed is true, we sleep well now even in poor holding grounds, a welcome change. The short scope and lack of chain required is incredible. It also breaks out easily, even when buried in 20' of silt. We love it, and love it more each day. We realize that the only reason everyone else isn't using the Max more is that new things catch on slow, and we've all heard that if it seems to good to he true, well... But it is true!"

Frank Adshead, Falmouth, ME: "Each night we rafted together and usually alternated which boat would set their Max anchor. The anchor set for each of us on the first try, virtually 100% of the time. We anchored in conditions varying from sand to mud to eel grass (where my Fortress is useless). Even in 30+ knot winds and mud conditions, one Max held two 37 footers secure all night. We used the settings recommended by Creative Marine usually, but even when they were not set correctly, the anchor dug in and held. We can give the Max an unqualified thumbs up for its performance on our cruise

Stan Simms, Washington, NC: "The Max has outperformed every rig I have seen to date. During a routine weekend cruise on Pamlico Sound (noted for poor holding), we rafted with two other boats for the evening. Each vessel set their anchors by backing down appropriately. During a minor blow we discovered that the Max was the only anchor that held! This included our 35 Endeavour, a 33 Pearson and a 39 O'Day."

Peter Terletsky, author of Weather and Anchoring for the Yachtsman "In soupy jello mud near Miami, where a CQR, Bruce, Danforth HT and a Peckney Northill all dragged forever, the Max set in less than ten feet. Trinity was unable to make the Max drag once she bit. In hard coral the Max was able to penetrate the surface while the HT Danforth danced on its tips and the Bruce just scraped up a little sand, and the CQR plow just skidded along. In what I call a good bottom (medium sand and gravel) the Max bit so fast and so hard that Trinity squatted and Rosemary and I had to hold on. Some anchors that hold well never seem to want to let go. However, the Max comes free with very little effort, and to top it off, even in mud she cleans up easily. I recommend the Max as the primary anchor for any boat.

In April 1990 tests performed by West Marine and Fortress in San Francisco Bay in soft mud, a prototype Max anchor weighing 38 pounds is the equivalent to the middle arm position of the present Max or normal mud position, tested 800 pounds of holding pressure before beginning to creep while the Fortress 37 held an average of 579 pounds before dragging, H-1800 Danforth 514 pounds, T-4000 Danforth 488 pounds, Plastimo 35 Plow 475 pounds, Rule P-1800 Plow 425 pounds, CQR-45 358 pounds, Bruce 44 247 pounds and Simpson-Lawrence 35 Delta 222 pounds. If the Max had at that time had the upper arm position available for ooze, it would have held over 2,000 pounds!

In July 1991 Underwater Capabilities, Inc, ran a series of tests near Pensacola, FL with the Max adjustable, the CQR, Bruce and Fortress anchors. In soft sand the Max held 1,050 pounds, comparably sized Fortress held 600 pounds, the Bruce 600 pounds and the CQR only 375 pounds. In soft mud the Max held 975 pounds, the Bruce 173 pounds, the CQR 175 pounds, and the Fortress refused to set after five attempts!

Will Andrews of New Bern, NC: The Max is the quickest setting anchor we have ever seen. It sets immediately and at a very short scope and it does so in any bottom we have tried. In 50 feet of water in the Cooper River, 75 feet of rode was let out and it was made fast. The Max grabbed the bottom with gusto and we remained fixed until repairs had been made. When we retrieved the anchor, it had evidence of gravel on it which told us that it had penetrated 48 feet of soft mud and dug into the hard gravel bottom of the river! The Max is a masculine brute and just doesn't give a damn how you set it. It will dig into the bottom and fight it like a professional football defensive tackle, no matter what the circumstances.

Dick Wilkens of Largo, FL tested the anchor for PRACTICAL SAILOR and POWER BOAT REPORTS. In a storm off Marathon he deployed his Max after both his CQR and Danforth had dragged forever. The Max was dropped with only a 2 to 1 scope, and it held in winds up to 40 knots. He said it saved his boat, it ending up only 20 feet from some rocks. Said he in PRACTICAL SAILOR/POWER BOAT REPORTS, "Do we endorse the anchor? You Bet!"

Dave Corbett of Coastal Cruising Magazine: Over a period of three years, anchoring in practically every bottom type between Norfolk and Georgetown, Bahamas, and in winds to 80 knots, one anchor stood head and shoulders above all the others, the MAX. In 1994 I performed my own testing of the MAX 17, Bruce 44, Danforth 25, and Fortress FX37. The results indicated the MAX to be the only anchor to consistently set and hold under all conditions. The MAX would initially roll onto a single fluke, and with more tension it would roll to a center position and dig its entire surface area deeply into the bottom. It was the only anchor I tested that had any penetration power in a weed bed. When all is said and done, every captain wants an anchor he can trust. This is one sailor who would not think of cruising without a MAX aboard.

During the winter of 1998, I was sailing the Bahama Islands aboard Bifrost, a 41 foot Morgan sloop. I'd been spending my winters in these waters since 1991, and during that time, had become a complete believer in the setting and holding power of my MAX 16 Pivoting Anchor. Late in November, I sailed from the Abacos to Royal Island for my jump to the Exhuma chain. Unfortunately, the remnants of a hurricane (I can not remember the name.) turned from the Central American coast and headed straight for me.

It was time to batten down the hatches and prepare for the worst. I set MAX as my primary anchor in good sand and mud holding ground with 35 feet of chain, and approximately 200 feet of nylon rode in eight to ten feet of water. I also set a CQR 35, with the same amount of chain and rode, on a sixty degree spread, knowing that I would ride to this anchor when the storm passed overhead. I backed down on each anchor individually, at full reverse power. Completing anchoring drill, I stripped the rig of anything that might blow away or rip apart.

The wind started to pipe around 0900 the next morning, with winds gusting to 25 knots. By noon, I was seeing gusts to 45 on the wind speed indicator. Around 1500, as I remember, the masthead transducer blew away at 65 knots, never to be seen again. Bifrost was riding well on the MAX, and I spent the day reading a novel and listening to howling winds whistle threw the shrouds. Around 2000, I'd had quite enough of wind and rain, but did one final check on MAX's rode and chaffing gear. All was well, and I headed to bed, knowing that I'd be safely riding on the CQR in the morning.

The wind shifted, as expected, deep into the night. I grabbed a flashlight and trudged forward to check the CQR's chaffing gear. Not so fast Skipper Dave, we were still riding to the MAX, and she was holding just fine. Back to bed. Next morning, I found the same situation, Bifrost was lying to MAX, and that just could not be, not with the 60 degree spread I'd dug in the morning before. I could not figure out what had happened. I checked for a crossed or fouled rode . . . not the problem. However, since the storm had past, Bifrost and crew were safe, and MAX was still on duty I just went about replacing all the gear I had stowed.

Three days later, when the water had cleared of the stirred-up mess it had become, I found the answer to BIG question . Why and how could I still be hanging on MAX? There, in the now crystal clear waters, lay MAX dug in to her chain. The CQR had scribed a perfect half circle from where it had been set to where it now lay. If I had not been a believer already, I sure as heck would have become one. Sometime in the night, the wind, still gusting above 40 knots, had shifted 180 degrees. The boat started its swing "dragging" the CQR with it. Thank goodness for my MAX! That big beautiful hunk of galvanized steel held the line like a Marine assigned a fighting hole.

If you want an endorsement on any MAX anchor, call me at 252-639-6095 and I'll give you an ear full for an hour or more. I'm in the process of buying yet another sailboat, and you can bet your bottom dollar, it will have a MAX hanging from her bow . . . I don't sail without a MAX period!

Tom Dove, Chesapeake Bay Magazine: Last winter we got a 25 pound Max anchor in Florida. We were happy with our Delta, but we thought we would try this out on our return trip to the Chesapeake. The Max is now a permanent fixture on our bow roller. In a month of use, more than 1,000 miles, it set instantly and held every time through winds of 35 knots and changeable currents of up to 6 knots. We used it on hard clay, oozy mud, grass and sand, with scopes ranging from 3 to 1 up to 7 to 1. It always held. The Max is simply the best anchor I have ever used.

Tommy and Emily Brown's Slocum 43 was anchored in Destin (FL) harbor during Hurricane Opal. Their Max 17 was on an all chain rode and ended up holding their boat by itself after their second anchor's rode had been cut by a dragging boat in the storm. "With tears streaming down my face, I got out of the car to take one last picture of the boat and to tell it goodbye, because I knew this would be the last time I would see it in one piece. No anchors could hold under these conditions... After the storm died, so did our hopes that the boat had survived. Thursday morning a friend from Destin had phoned with the unbelievable news that our boat was still floating in the same spot! Only a handful of boats remained; the rest had sunk or landed on shore with holes. We cannot praise the Max enough. [The Max 17 had to have had from 9,000 pounds to 15,000 pounds pressure on it to have held their boat in steady winds of 125 knots with gusts to 147!]

Karl Dieckman: I have now spent two seasons cruising my native Maine coast, and my Max 17 has stuck, rock solid, first try, every single time I dropped the hook. And as I do all the anchor hauling, an absolutely delightful bonus was the unexpected ease of breaking it out. I have slept a whole lot better hanging on to my Max. I am immensely satisfied with the Max's performance, would not use anything else, and am proud of taking a chance on this new kid on the block, a true champ from day one.

Gordon Siefferman: I have a Max 17... I have never had it not set on the first try. During a recent cruise on the ICW, my Allied Seawind II was struck by a severe squall. The winds clocked over 50 MPH and a lee shore was only yards away - scary stuff. The Max was steady as a rock. The anchor quite literally has never failed me. Frankly, I think it is the best small boat anchor made.

In Hurricane Ivan our Kadey-Krogen 42 was the only boat left at our anchorage, all the other boats were on the beach. The winds were up to 146 knots but our Super Max 17 held us firmly to the bottom. I don't think we budged more than a few feet during the whole hurricane!
- Beverly Rock

Super Max Anchors are A.B.S. Certified and approved to 1,500 pound weights which should provide holding pressures up to 60,000 pounds. Patented Super MAX Anchors are sold directly to you by Creative Marine Products. Each anchor is warranted for one year against defects. Because of limited production capacities, it is advisable to order a Max anchor well in advance of when it may be needed.
"If you do not believe the new Super Max anchor is the best anchor you have ever used,
return it within 60 days for a full refund!"

"This boat DID NOT have a SUPER MAX Anchor!" and with Hurricane Charley, Francis, Ivan and now Jeanne, you need the best anchor to help keep you safe*

*In Hurricane Ivan our Kadey-Krogen 42 was the only boat left at our anchorage, all the other boats were on the beach. The winds were up to 146 knots but our Super Max 17 held us firmly to the bottom. I don't think we budged more than a few feet during the whole hurricane!
- Beverly Rock