About Us
ABOUT DARK HORSE MARINE
Dark Horse Marine was founded by Robert "Bobby" Matos. Bobby had worked in the offshore boat racing industry in the US and Europe, and he wanted to continue serving the marine community when he returned to the US. He had a number of succesful business prior to Dark Horse Marine, even creating and manufacturing a windlass that won the IBEX innovation award.
Bobby then opened Dark Horse Marine in 2014 and originally sold a wide variety of marine products directly to consumers via its website and Amazon as well as to boat dealers and manufacturers.
In 2019, Bobby was ready for a new challenge and ownership transferred to his wife, Anna Matos. The focus then shifted to a niche market: the manufacturing of anchor rodes—the rope and chain that connects a boat to its anchor.
All Dark Horse Marine anchor rodes are spliced by hand at the shop in Clearwater, Florida. The company expanded from standard-size anchor rodes to custom ones, offering customers the ability to choose the exact length of rope and chain needed for their windlass. Custom options, such as depth marking, an SOS stop mark, and options to connect the bitter end to the boat, were added. These options help customers install their rodes and have everything they need.
All anchor rodes are designed to work with windlasses. All materials are specific to windlasses, such as medium-lay windlass rope and short-link windlass chain. The company caters to the small pleasure boat market, with most customers having boats between 25 and 45 feet in length.
Dark Horse Marine is one of the few places in the country that makes anchor rodes for drum winches. These rodes use HMPE rope, along with nylon rope and chain, to create anchor rodes up to 1,200 feet long for use on a drum winch.
In addition to selling to consumers, Dark Horse Marine creates anchor rodes for boat builders, boat dealers, marine repair shops, and fishing charters. The company also resplices rope for customers whose anchor rodes have been cut and need repair.
Since 2019, Dark Horse Marine has become known in the marine industry as a niche company for anchor rodes and it is highly regarded and recommended on most platforms and boating discussion forums. This has been achieved by guiding customers through the process of determining what they need for their windlass and helping them build their ideal anchor rode, with recommendations on rope and chain selection.
The goal is to make the customer feel confident in their choice, knowing the rode will work with their windlass. Interacting with customers is a key part of the business. Customers appreciate supporting a small business rather than a large corporation.
New boaters are guided through the buying process without the condescension sometimes encountered in the boating industry. The company prioritizes customers getting what they need, not just making a sale.
Dark Horse Marine also stands by its product. If a product doesn’t work as expected, the company works with the customer to resolve the issue. There are very few returns due to defects, so the company addresses issues quickly to get customers back on the water with minimal interruption.
If you'd like to stop by the shop, please be aware that we are a working warehouse and not a storefront. Which means that we don't have open hours to come and shop- please make an appointment if you are coming in for a service or consultation. If you are in the neighborhood, please send a text to our business line (727-489-4533) and we can let you know if we are available at that time for a drop in visit. We have a small staff and are sometimes working remotely.
While working in the warehouse, we do not answer calls because of the noise levels. We will return your calls throughout the day but if possible, please send a text as we can receive and respond to those quickly. Or if you are looking for a quote, you can send an email to info@darkhorsemarine.com. We look forward to working with you!
Dark Horse Marine, LLC
12789 60th Street N.
Clearwater, FL 33760
info@darkhorsemarine.com
Phone: (727) 489-4533
Text Us @ 727-489-4533