AnchorShade Alternatives
 

I absolutely love the AnchorShade for about 2-3 days until it (inevitably) breaks and leaves me cursing like a mad man at the sand bar. I am on number 3 now, and would like to find a more reliable solution. A fixed bimini is not an option, nor is something that takes up a huge amount of space.

That said, can anyone recommend an alternative to the Taylormade AnchorShade?

Don’t know what your boat is and how ugly you’re prepared to make it (I think all tops are hideous :)) but this looks like an alternative. Pretty similar design to the anchorshade but maybe a bit more robust......?


RR

I bought a 10' diameter beach umbrella for $70 off Amazon, use a couple plastic hooked bungee cords and works fantastic. Has telescoping pole and flaps with good grommets for anchoring. I use it as a bimini extension but would also work free-standing in exact same way as the anchor shade.

Have a bimini top made. Ours just lays on the engine hatch when not in use. When we park we can put the bimini up 3 times faster than we could the anchor shade.

love our anchorshade - no idea how we lasted this long w/out it. but yeah, it's a hassle and not very durable... but it works... for now at least.

Are you saying it breaks within the first couple of days of purchase? They are warrantied for a year, why not just return it and get another? At least you don't have to shell out cash for another one.

I have the anchor shade 3 and it is pretty well put together and stands up to some pretty strong winds.

Ill have to check out that Tucci shade. It looks like a viable option, if its not astronomically large to stow. I'm not terribly concerned with the "look" of the shade at the sand bar, and it will never be used underway. The amazon umbrella idea sounds solid as well.

As I said in the original post, a bimini is not an option; I absolutely will not put one on this boat.

They have warrantied the shade both times, but its still a hassle.

Anchor Shade is a great concept made out of s***y materials. I think I'm on number 4.

You said "fixed bimini is not an option" . Thought maybe a fold away would work. Good luck.

An Italian street cafe style beer umbrella is a cool and classy look. I might try on one of my boats.

Possible option?

https://tacomarine.com/canvas-shade-boat-shade-t10-3000

You`re welcome. Glad I can help

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I didnt want to deal with the hassle of putting the anchorshade up and down, plus having that vertical pole in the middle of the cockpit would bug me. So I bought made of stretch lycra type material and these flagpole sockets (https://rb.gy/quzcqb). I cut a hole in 4 tennis balls and mounted each on top of a varnished wooden dowel, so they have a nice rounded profile to interface with the lycra sunshade. Tied some nylon string to each corner with a loop on the end of each which hooks over clips for the cockpit cover, and the tension of the lycra keeps it up even in fairly high winds. I can put it up or take it down in around 15 seconds. It looks decent enough for me and im very happy not to be baking out there in the sun anymore. I might swap out the dowels this summer for carbon fiber poles just to look flashier, or I may never get around to it, they are fine as is.

Someone in a similar post somewhere on OSO had hypothesized that these stretchy beach shades might work well for this purpose, so whoever that was kudos to you and thanks for the idea.


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Blown - that is a terrific looking. I love the fact that there isn't a pole in the middle of the boat! I just ordered one of the large shades from Amazon, I think once I figure out the pole situation it will be perfect for us!
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...317e8b91c8.jpg

Here's another alternative I've seen "pop up" (pun intended) recently. Cup holder / umbrella holders. Pretty slick. I'm thinking of swapping out the cup holders on the side of the rear bench in our boat for these.

Here's a shot of Barrett Custom Marine installing one in the center console of a Doug Wright. For the ones that are actually mounts (not cup holders) they have plugs that plug in to secure the hole when not in use.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...d4d01cd946.png


DCB has been putting these in nearly every new boat recently. The 1st pic you can kind've see the umbrella deployed with Tony from DCB sitting under it.



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Those look like a really clean option as well, though I'm not sure where I would put them on my boat specifically.

Tank what’s the vendor for the umbrella holder?

Your boat looks great, I can understand why you’ve ordered a shade rather than making lots of holes in her.

I did say earlier that all tops look pretty awful but at the risk of been called a hypocrite, I always have a top made for whatever boat I own. It’s essential in some climates. I had a conventional Bimini made for my 27 Donzi and here’s a pic of a shade I hade made for the bow section of my old 34 Fountain CC.


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4 stainless poles with stainless fittings made so the poles just slide straight in. Sunbrella shade with stainless clip to just clip onto the poles. Worked well at anchor but the poles might be a bit long to store on a Pantera.

Good luck with the shade you’ve ordered, hopefully it’ll solve the issue.

RR

I'm not sure who DCB is using for their mounts but if you search flush mount shade holder you'll see a few different manufacturers.

I was thinking actually the cup holder / shade mount like in the first pic I posted would work perfect in your cup holders on the Pantera.

https://gemlux.com/collections/fishi.../products/6730

I have been using the Gem Lux brand for years in the center console of my Skaters for years. It is a screwless design which is super clean. They come in SS and used to have them in Titanium also if you had an unlimited budget! I also used a Hydra Shade umbrella which would twist and lock into place in seconds then stow in the sides. Worked great but they quit making the umbrellas last year.

I have a natural sunshade, it`s called the midwest sun

AKA sun burn :grinser010:

i was just told they are mate rod holders. Cup combo and flush ones.

AnchorShade 3...also overnight dew shade (in Florida).
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