Updated October 2026: I originally wrote this article about the Anchor Buddy we use with our inflatable dinghy. We still use it, and I still love it. Since then, we’ve also bought a larger one for the 18-foot Robalo we tow. You can see us using it in our Roscoe Bay and Black Lake video below.
There is a particular kind of beach entertainment that only boaters appreciate: watching everyone get ashore. There are dogs with urgent business, bags that absolutely cannot get wet, and someone trying to hold a boat still while everyone else takes considerably longer than expected to get out. Then comes the question of where to leave the dinghy.
I first noticed the Anchor Buddy while sitting on Buccaneer Bay Beach at Thormanby Island. Some of the other boaters had worked out how to leave their dinghies floating off the beach and bring them back in when they were ready to go. Naturally, I wanted to know what they knew.
What is an Anchor Buddy?
The Anchor Buddy, or “sproing,” is a stretchable anchor line that lets you bring your boat to shore, unload, and then let it move back out into deeper water. A separate line running to shore lets you pull the boat back in when you need it. Think of it as a way to keep your dinghy within reach without leaving the hull sitting on the beach.
The Greenfield Anchor Buddy AB4000 stretches from 14 to 50 feet, or approximately 4.3 to 15.2 metres. Its poly-covered bungee construction also helps absorb shock as the boat moves. The product listing describes it as suitable for boats up to 4,000 lb; choose your setup for your boat’s loaded weight and the conditions.
It works with an anchor; it doesn’t replace one. The anchor holds, the stretchy line provides the movement, and the line gives you a way to retrieve the boat.
Still a favourite for our inflatable dinghy
Our inflatable takes us exploring, gets dogs ashore, and delivers us to beach gatherings. Those are important jobs, particularly according to the dogs. What I don’t want is to finish a shore visit by hauling the dinghy back over rocks or discovering that the tide has made our departure considerably more complicated.
I still use the Anchor Buddy with that inflatable, and I still love it. That is really the reason for revisiting this post. Some products make an enthusiastic first impression and then disappear into a locker. This one continues to earn its place aboard.
Now we use one with our 18-foot Robalo, too
Since writing the original article, we’ve added an 18-foot Robalo that we tow behind our boat. We bought a larger Anchor Buddy for it, and we use that one a lot, too. With the Robalo, pulling the boat up the beach is hardly an appealing alternative. Being able to come ashore and then leave her floating off the beach makes the Anchor Buddy especially useful. The boat has changed; the appeal of keeping her off the rocks certainly hasn’t.
We have footage of us using the setup in our Roscoe Bay and Black Lake YouTube video. Check out 3.33 and 9.23:
A few details to get right
Choose the model for your boat and follow its rigging instructions. You also need a suitable anchor for the bottom and conditions, plus a bow line long enough for your setup. The stretch of the Anchor Buddy doesn’t remove the need to account for the tide, water depth, wind, or the space around neighbouring boats.
This is a temporary shore-stop arrangement, rather than an overnight or long-term unattended mooring system. Keep an eye on the boat while you’re ashore and leave enough water beneath her as the tide changes. A floating boat at arrival can become a very firmly parked boat by lunch.
Would I still recommend it?
Yes. I liked it enough to write about it for the inflatable, kept using it, and bought a larger one for the Robalo. That is a more useful recommendation than anything I could have said when it first arrived.
For our kind of boating, exploring anchorages, heading in for groceries or pick-ups, and meeting friends on a beach, it solves a recurring problem with very little fuss. I’d much rather be looking around the beach than wondering how we’re going to get the boat off it.
The Anchor Buddy keeps your dinghy off the beach while letting you pull it back in when needed. It’s great for a small inflatable or a larger dinghy. Choose the smaller version, which stretches from 7 to 20 feet (2.1–6.1 metres), or the larger version, which stretches from 14 to 50 feet (4.3–15.2 metres).
And don’t forget the anchor!
This galvanized folding anchor opens for use and folds neatly for storage in a crowded dinghy locker. Available in smaller and larger weights, choose the size suited to your inflatable or larger dinghy, the bottom conditions and your anchoring setup.
Years after spotting the Anchor Buddy at Buccaneer Bay, I still love it for our inflatable, and now we use one with the Robalo, too. Paired with a suitable anchor, it keeps the boat off the beach and makes it easy to bring back in. Less dragging, less lifting, and a much more civilized departure when it’s time to head back.
Happy and safe anchoring!
