Anchor Buddy is a stretch anchor line: a poly-covered bungee cord that connects the anchor you already own to your bow and stretches from 14 feet to 50, parking your boat just offshore — off the sand, off the rocks, still within reach. It is not a dock line, and there is no anchor in the package. Those two sentences settle the most common mix-ups; the rest is how the thing actually works.
The short answer: Anchor Buddy is the original bungee anchor line for temporary near-shore anchoring — think of it as offshore parking. It stretches from 14 ft to 50 ft between your own anchor and your bow, and holds vessels up to 4,000 lbs off the beach. It is not a dock line (that's Stretch 'n Slide), and no anchor is included.
What is Anchor Buddy?
Anchor Buddy is a bungee cord built for anchor duty: a stretch core inside a braided poly cover — UV and water resistant, quick to dry — with marine-grade hardware on the ends, a bow shackle and a spring snap hook. Relaxed, it measures 14 feet; under load it stretches to 50. The design is patented (US Patent 8,495,964, printed right on the yellow tag), and Greenfield invented it, trademarked it, and still makes it — the same family-owned outfit that has been holding America's boats since 1959.
The rig is simple: your anchor, a short length of chain, then Anchor Buddy to the bow, with an ordinary bow line running ashore. The bungee keeps steady tension between anchor and shoreline, so the hull floats in the sweet spot — never grinding the beach, never drifting off — and a passing wake stretches the line instead of yanking the anchor loose or slamming the hull down on sand.
What Anchor Buddy is not
It is not a dock line. A line that starts at 14 feet and stretches to 50 has nothing to offer a cleat four feet away. For no-knot docking you want Stretch 'n Slide, the multi-loop bungee dock line — the bungee dock lines guide has that story.
It is not a tow rope. Never tow a boat or pull a tube with any bungee line. That one is a flat no, with no product we'd rather sell you instead.
It is not an anchor, and it does not include one. Anchor Buddy is the stretch line between your anchor and your boat — it works with the anchor you already own. Don't own one yet? A complete fluke anchor kit covers the other end of the line, and how to choose a boat anchor sorts out which family fits your water.
The name says Anchor; the package contains a line. The anchor is the part you already own — Anchor Buddy is what goes between it and your bow.
Anchor Buddy vs Stretch 'n Slide
Anchor Buddy parks your boat at anchor off a beach; Stretch 'n Slide ties it to a dock or another boat. One is an anchor line and one is a dock line — the names are cousins, but the jobs don't overlap at all.
| Anchor Buddy | Stretch 'n Slide | |
|---|---|---|
| The job | Holds the boat offshore at anchor, reachable from shore | Ties up at a dock or rafts to another boat |
| Working range | 14 ft relaxed to 50 ft stretched | 4 ft relaxed to roughly 7 ft |
| How it adjusts | The stretch itself — motor in, step off, it eases the boat back out | Seven loops and a sliding cinch — pick the loop that fits |
| Connects | Your anchor and chain to the bow | Boat cleat to dock cleat |
| In the package | One line; anchor not included | Two lines |
| Bring it for | Beach days, sandbars, shoreline stops | Fuel docks, guest docks, rafting up |
How does offshore parking work?
Drop your anchor about 30 feet out, motor slowly toward the beach, and the bungee core stretches while your anchor stays set. Step off at the bow with your bow line in hand; as you pay it out, Anchor Buddy retracts and eases the boat back over deeper water. Tie off with slight tension and the boat rides at anchor — in view and out of reach of sand, rocks, props, and swim traffic. Want it back? Pull the bow line and the boat comes to you.
The whole system hangs off a properly set anchor, so set it like you mean it — how to anchor a boat is the five-minute refresher. The illustrated step-by-step lives in how to use Anchor Buddy.
Two more jobs it does
Save your spot. Tie a float where Anchor Buddy meets the bow line, and the rig holds your anchoring spot while you're gone — the float marks it, the set anchor defends it.
Shock absorber in rough water. Clip Anchor Buddy into your existing anchor line and it takes the jolt out of gusts and waves — the rode supplies the length for deeper water, the bungee supplies the give. That's the anchor rope that stretches, working its second career mid-line.
What size boat can use Anchor Buddy?
The Original Anchor Buddy is rated for vessels up to 4,000 pounds. Shorter versions exist for shallow water and personal watercraft, plus a corrosion-resistant model for saltwater duty, but the Original — 14 to 50 feet — is the place to start. The rating assumes the other half of the bargain: an anchor sized to your boat, set properly, with a short length of chain ahead of the line.
"[Anchor Buddy] keeps your boat off the shore and your mind at ease. It's one of those products you never knew you needed, but after you've tried it, you'll never want to go without." — David C, San Diego
Anchor Buddy is for temporary anchoring and mooring only — a beach day, a sandbar afternoon, a shoreline lunch. Don't leave any bungee line holding a boat overnight, unattended, or in severe weather; for a boat that stays out, use conventional mooring lines.
The Original Anchor BuddyPatented stretch anchor line: 14 ft to 50 ft, for vessels up to 4,000 lbs.See the line
Complete Fluke Anchor KitNo anchor yet? Anchor, chain, line, and shackles — the other end of the rig, ready to set.Pair it with an anchor
Common questions
Does Anchor Buddy come with an anchor?
No. Anchor Buddy is the stretch line between your anchor and your boat — it works with the anchor you already own, rigged anchor first, then a short length of chain, then Anchor Buddy to the bow. If you don't own an anchor yet, a complete fluke anchor kit covers the other end of the line.
How far does Anchor Buddy stretch?
From 14 feet relaxed to 50 feet under load. That range is the whole trick: set your anchor about 30 feet out, motor in, and the line stores the pull — then eases your boat back out over deeper water once you step ashore and pay out your bow line.
Can I use Anchor Buddy as a dock line or tow rope?
No to both. At a dock, a line that stretches to 50 feet holds nothing — use Stretch 'n Slide, the multi-loop bungee dock line that fits any span to roughly 7 feet with no knots. And never tow a boat or pull a tube with any bungee line; that's a hard no with no exceptions.
Can I leave my boat anchored on it overnight?
No. Anchor Buddy is for temporary anchoring and mooring only — beach days, sandbar stops, an afternoon at anchor with you nearby. For overnight, unattended, or severe-weather mooring, use conventional mooring lines; UV wear and sustained extreme loads are hard on any bungee line, whatever the brand.
Is this the original Anchor Buddy?
Yes. Greenfield invented Anchor Buddy, owns the trademark, and still makes it — the patented original (US Patent 8,495,964) from the family-owned company that has been holding America's boats since 1959. Plenty of imitations exist; the yellow patent tag is on the real one.