Scheduling
Booking is completed through our website. With your boat name and trip details, we will determine the suitable anchor system. It is likely that your houseboat is already in our system, allowing us to allocate the correct anchor sizes.
A $250 non-refundable reservation deposit is due to reserve a set of our limited supply of rental inventory; balance is due 30 days prior to your trip. See our cancellation policy here
The week prior to your trip we will reach out to confirm pickup / delivery of your system and supply you with the necessary tutorial materials.
What's Included
- Neutral colored Anchors sized for your houseboat
- Rigging equipment needed for anchor line attachment
- intake and 2" fill hoses
- Instruction on proper placement, deployment, filling and packing
- Turn service - each anchor cleaned, inspected and professionally packed for your trip
- Our support
Not included: pump, anchor lines
Pump requirements
With our cam-lock filling method your boat is securely anchored in a snap.
You will need to have the following:
2" or 3" Gas-powered Water Pump
a simple, mobile, and cost effective solution for filling anchors at up to 250 gpm, which means in about 4 minutes...
System delivery
Antelope Point Marina: Through our NPS permit and partnership with Antelope Point Marina we can provide delivery and pickup right to your houseboat. Delivery will likely take place in coordination with your Houseboat Turn Service provider; therefore, may be delivered after your allowed boarding time.
Wahweap / Stateline: Pick up your system by vehicle or vessel from a Beach Bags Team Member at Antelope Point Marina. During our regular business hours of 6am - 6pm at one of the following locations:
- Antelope Point Marina Parking. A pickup truck is recommended and don't forget your NPS park pass.
- Antelope Point Marina small vessel courtesy slips to meet one of our team members with your gear.
Bullfrog Marina: Delivered right to your houseboat
Notes
- Your rental anchors & tackle will be professionally packed, each in their carry case ready for easy transport.
- You will be responsible for providing your own pump and anchor lines
- Return of your system will be the same method as delivery
Site Selection
Beach Bags is, first and foremost, a safety company. Therefore, the size and quality of anchors we provide you, as well as the guidelines below, are what our crews adhere in our professional anchoring service to hold your houseboat for the weather this unpredictable lake can bring, up to 70mph broadside winds.
Compromising the below guidelines could significantly reduce the system effectiveness and holding power.
Angles
Bow anchors should be placed at between 25° and 45° from each corner of the houseboat.
Stern anchors between 45° and 90°. These anchors can be at variable heights from one another (i.e. your port anchor may be on flat sand just 8' from the shoreline where your starboard anchor may be resting on a rock outcropping 20' up.
Slope
Beach Bags Patented design and structure are safe to deploy and fill on slopes up to 20°. Placing anchors on slopes greater than 20° may reduce holding power and/or cause the anchor to roll. pro-tip: utilizing a back slope of up to 20° will create exponentially greater holding power than a forward slope.
Draining considerations: It is recommended to use at least a slight, unidirectional slope to aid in easy draining. Always place the leading edge of the anchor on the most downward side so that the anchor will drain.
Surface Material
Beach Bags provide excellent holding power on both sand and rock (wet or dry). However, avoid loose granular over hard rock or thin layer of sand over rock as this thin layer can reduce holding power.
Saving Spots
In consideration of other users of the lake, we ask that you do not "reserve" locations in advance of your arrival by pre-placing your anchors or using gear such as lawn chairs. Any site selected prior to your houseboat arrival must remain occupied by vessel or person. Know that any site that is unattended, can and likely will be taken by another lake user as is the spirit of the lake.
Flop & fill
Over the past 6 years, our anchor system has been meticulously designed for simple and quick deployment, filling, draining and packing. Prior to your trip, Beach Bags will provide detailed video links for you to access before & during your trip. You will also receive printed support materials with your system.
Following our guide should ensure a seamless experience, however, should you have questions or challenges you'll have a team of support.
Pro tips
- Have all crew involved review the setup instructions just prior to action. having only person, who also may be the one at the helm can turn a fairly easy setup into a long one.
- Do not place anchors in washes and storm drainage areas. This can cause the anchor to be washed away during rainstorms.
- When placing anchors consider lake rise or fall as well as considering adequate anchor line lengths.
- Draining the anchors is historically the most challenging. The best success for this is consider how and where you will be draining the anchor when you first place it a the setup.
- Allow adequate time and patience for draining and packing. Weather providing, you likely can start with your bow anchors and inboard anchors in advance of your departure time. Allow one hour for your first go at this.
- We recommend you transport your anchors on the bow of your houseboat, not on small vessel, especially for departure.
- Review the how-to on draining and folding the anchor
Maintaining your anchorage
It's A Team Sport - We're Partners At Powell
Beach Bags™ anchorages are engineered to hold your houseboat in up to 70 mph broadside winds when properly placed and maintained.
You have a critical role to play in keeping your family, friends, and property safe and secure too–it's how our partnership thrives. As the Captain, and boss of your boat, it’s critical you diligently implement the mooring maintenance information we share with you. Always:
- maintain proper bow position
- maintain proper anchor line tension
- be aware of rapidly changing conditions
- respond quickly and accordingly
Drain & pack
Beach bags patented design and internal structure is optimized not just for maximum holding power but also for efficient draining.
Keeping the leading edge of your anchor on the most downward side will do the trick and most anchors will drain in under 5 minutes. Keep in mind that every gallon of water that remains adds 8.5lbs to the carry weight. Therefore, some intuitive manual manipulation of the almost empty anchor will likely be necessary to completely empty.
packing: you will want to fold the anchor in the manner we instruct for a perfect fit back into the carry case.
Other Important Stuff
Service & support area
Beach Bags™ operates out of Antelope Point Marina with a CUA from the National Park Service. We operate on the shorelines between Warm Creek and Wetherill Canyon.
Due to logistical considerations, we DO NOT provide anchoring service or support in: Wahweap Bay, Lone Rock, Navajo Canyon, and between Mtn Sheep and Bullfrog.
If you are using our Rental option, keep this in mind when traveling to canyons outside of our support area. Of course we are available by phone during operating hours (6am - 6pm)
By choosing our DIY Rental option, you've chosen to be responsible for your anchoring. however, should something significant happen that you need more support than we can offer over the phone, we may be able to have one of our up-lake crews assist. Keep in mind that all of our up-lake crews operate with a fully committed schedule with our full-service customers so it could be a significant amount of time before help can arrive.
Minor pin-hole leaks can occur from time to time, mostly due to excessive abrasion. These are considered normal wear and tear. Most of these are at such a small flow rate to not impact your anchors holding power for the duration of your trip. However, you will receive a patch kit and instruction on how to repair.
In any case we ask for you to notify us at the end of your trip if any leaks have been detected so that we may repair them during their next turn service. This is considered normal wear and tear and will not affect your security deposit.
Obtaining & returning the anchor system
Antelope Point Marina: Through our NPS permit and partnership with Antelope Point Marina we can provide delivery and pickup right to your houseboat. Delivery will likely take place in coordination with your Houseboat Turn Service provider; therefore, may be delivered after your allowed boarding time.
Wahweap / Stateline: Pick up your system by vehicle or vessel from a Beach Bags Team Member at Antelope Point Marina. During our regular business hours of 6 am - 6pm at one of the following locations:
- Antelope Point Marina Dry Storage A pickup truck is recommended.
- Antelope Point Marina small vessel courtesy slips to meet one of our team members with your gear. A PWC is not adequate.
Bullfrog Marina: Delivered right to your houseboat.
Notes
- Your rental anchors & tackle will be professionally packed in our custom carry cases ready for easy transport.
- You will be responsible for providing your own pump and anchor lines
- Return of your system will be the same method as delivery
Reservation & security deposits
A $250 Reservation Deposit is required at the time of booking and is applied to your rental fee. The Reservation Deposit is Non-Refundable.
The balance of your trip's Anchoring and Piloting Fees is due 30 days prior to departure.
Credit card payments will incur a 3% processing surcharge.
You may also pay via ACH (bank transfer) with no additional fees.
In addition, a credit card will be on file to ensure the return of rental equipment.
Cancellations
We understand unforeseen events occur such as last minute mechanical issues or family emergencies. Therefore, we intend to make cancellations as easy and “pain free” as possible. If you need to cancel your reservation, at any time, just let us know to receive a refund for any payments made beyond the $250 deposit.
Terms and Conditions
When anchoring with Beach Bags™ Anchors, you adhere to the Terms & Conditions outlined here.
Rental System FAQs
Dive on in, we're here to help
Is renting the right thing for me?
Do you have a capable crew of multiple people to help with both setup and patience needed for proper draining and packing at the end of your trip? If you have been burying fluke anchors 3 feet deep for years, and you come prepared to work a pump this will be a piece of cake… The most physical part is carrying the anchors from your boat to their proper location, oftentimes up hill. You will be responsible for knowing how your pump works. If the crew is on the lighter side or you are just not up for the phyisical work or time, you may want to consider our Full-
Service Anchoring instead.
Can Beach Bags™ safely anchor my houseboat?
Over the past seven years, we've invested millions of dollars developing, meticulously engineering, and improving Beach Bags™ within our 22-year-old, award-winning product development business. To date Beach Bags™ have successfully anchored over 3,6000 houseboats of all shapes and sizes, establishing a remarkable track record of over 20,000 anchoring days enhancing Lake Powell houseboating vacations. Beach Bags™ have made houseboating easier, more enjoyable, and safer for families and friends, even in the most challenging weather conditions. Their ingenuity has been recognized with four US patents (additional patents pending), and they have successfully passed a National Park Service-approved, 3rd party validated, wind load testing program demonstrating their ability to hold the largest houseboat on the lake, a 120-foot-long, five-story vessel, in winds of 70 mph.
Is filled anchor weight what matters most for safely anchoring?
No. While the "wet" (or filled) anchor weight is important, it's not the only thing to consider when selecting an anchoring system to safely anchor your houseboat. The most important consideration, by far, is "holding power".
Holding power is made up of numerous factors including, but not limited to, wet weight, under-load integrity, placement angles, and surface conditions influencing the anchor's coefficient of friction.
We'll help you select the right anchors for your boat informed by a combination of:
- professional engineering and +7 years of product refinement
- real-world and third party validated wind-load testing in Lake Powell storms
- professional experiences anchoring +3,000 houseboats spending +19,000 days successfully anchored on Lake Powell
How many and of what size Anchors do I need?
Beach Bags™ systems will range from 4 - 10 anchors depending on the size of your houseboat.
Lake Powell weather is extreme and our recommendations will include a professionally engineered system for successfully anchoring your houseboat in 70 mph broadside winds. Note: proper placement of anchors is critical for reaching maximum holding power.
Refrence:
Rental houseboats: four 6500lb anchors
75' houseboats with minimal screening: six 6500 lb anchors
75' houseboats with full screens or glass: six 8500 lb anchors
How will I fill my Beach Bags?
Beach Bags™ anchors support 3" cam-lock fitting. This means:
- 2-3X faster filling (250 -400 gpm) with simple, hands free operation
Our recommended pumping options include:
- Gas powered portable pump (250 gpm recommended) with 2" or 3" cam-lock fittings.
- 75' + hose with 3" fittings.
- Intake hose for pump.
How easy it is to carry Beach Bags™?
Beach Bags™ "dry" weight is between 40 lbs. and 80 lbs., depending on anchor size. Weight gain after use results from improper draining and cleaning. We'll teach you the tips for keeping your "dry" anchor weights low.
Each anchor is supplied with an innovative carrying case designed for compact and convenient deployment, retrieval, and storage. The case features several ergonomically positioned handles on either side to facilitate single or multi-user carrying.
How do I store my Beach Bags System when not in use?
Beach Bags™ are designed to fold and pack quickly and compactly They also come with an innovative carrying case to facilitate deployment, retrieval, and storage. Packed anchors are as small as 3x2x1.5. Your Rental system is ideally stored on the bow of your boat when underway for quick and efficient off/on loading
What do I do if I have a problem setting up my anchors or during my trip?
Beach Bags™ will supply you with detailed instructional videos as well as paper instructions. However, if challenges occur, we have a phone support team as well as crews out on the lake every day working with our full-service customers between 8am - 3pm and can help when able.
