another anchor question

W

westward

New member
Greetings and happy Thanksgiving!
West Marine has a 15%/free shipping sale today so I pulled the trigger on my anchor, a Rocna 6. I'll try to describe a setup I read about on another forum and would love to hear your thoughts:

What you do is attach your terminal anchor chain via a shackle to the forward retrieval hole rather than the normal shackle hole on the back of the shank. You then run the chain back and attach to the normal hole via 2ea. 175# zip ties run through a link in your chain. You anchor and retrieve as normal, but if your anchor gets fouled you reverse the boat against the direction of your anchor set. The zip ties break with enough pressure, and you're able to pull the anchor out with your ground tackle via the anchor's retrieval hole.

Aside from the obvious need to keep an eye on the zip ties for wear, it seems like an idea with some merit. A few of the anchor manufacturers have added a slide slot in the shank of some of their anchors to facilitate easier release of a fouled anchor, but then they warn against using this mode for overnight anchoring.

Call this a question for the "hot stove league" of winter project boating.

Cheers! Mike
 
What you describe is a variation of a technique used by some who anchor in areas of coral reefs, cables (logging) on the bottom, or rocks which trap anchors. We have discussed this and other ways, such as running a short length of chain down the anchorrode and around the stock of the anchor, and pulling the oppoosite way, using a trip line from the crown, using a "reef" anchor which has bendable tines, or using the slot, as in the Manson Supreme or Boss (boss has a bolt which will allow the terminal tackle to slide or be fixed.

Out of thousands of nights of anchoring, I have never lost an anchor. But I have had anchors hang up--occasionally on big trees or cables, once on a batttle ship chain--etc. Always I was able to get the anchor clear.

As you noted, there are risks of this pulling free with overnight anchoring. Not sure how one decides what is a 175# ziip tie...but it is an accepted technique for anchoring when fishing or day use.
 
Mike-

My understanding of the consensus over the years here on the C-Brats is that:

1. The sliding slot is nice for use as a lunch hook style or fishing anchor during the day.

2. Attaching the anchor to the lower hole and then tying the chain to the upper hole in the shank with breakable cordage or electrical ties is useful for somewhat more secure anchoring,
but should not be trusted overnight in any situation where a large change in wind or current direction would break the anchor loose, and

3. The only real secure method is to tie the chain to the far end of the anchor shank with a suitable shackle. period.

If you're concerned about reversing the pull on the anchor for retrieval, add a second line to the lower hole with its own buoy that you can retrieve and apply reverse directional pull for retrieval. Be sure that line strong enough to do the job.

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Since most of my use will be either fishing or day use, I think I'll rig this way, but make sure I change the shackle location if I ever decide to anchor overnight. This technique would not allow the anchor to re-set if it ever broke loose. In the dark, and in conditions sufficient to break the ties loose would not be the time to make the switch.
 
Plastic zip ties are OK in a pinch, although there isn't a reliable way of telling what the release pull is...you just guess "maybe 3 x 1/8" zips will do".
The commercial fishers use the same anchor rigging, and attach the chain to the shank end with stainless wire. It's common to use SS for safety wiring nuts and bits on aircraft and racing.

As a general guide: 304 SS; annealed, .032, tensile strength is 145 kpsi
316 SS; annealed, .032, tensile strength is 130 kpsi (although much more corrosion resistant and not prone to pitting failure)

If I remember correct, the commercial guys would put 4-5 wraps on (6 packs). I do the same, and have slept just fine off the 'Nados and Catalina. We use a stern anchor for overnights as well.

Cheers
 
If you want to use the anchor at night, and way assurance that it will not pull free, then use a separate "D" shackle thru the anchor shank and the chain. Remove it when fishing.

But the number of times you hang up in most circumstances will be minimal.
 
When I am diving, it is not uncommon for me to find two or three lost anchors a day, most with a short length of line.... usually that yellow plastic line that degrades under sunlight... these are anchors from small fishing boats that have hooked up in debris and wedged between rocks... some just came untied. Once I found a nice new anchor, chain,and 125' of anchor line, with the spool from WM that the anchor system came on.... Ha ! they lost the whole system overboard... I bet that ruined someones day.... sometimes it looks like a hardware store underwater....Years ago I found a deep water tube leading to the aquifer that feeds the lake..... the powerful current coming thru this 8' wide hole was just huge rocks lining the tube, all the small stuff and sand was gone, any anchor entering the hole was swept sideways into the rocks never to be retrieved ...... except by me... only went down into that hole about 20' as it was dark and somewhere down there is a river...not something I would like to get sucked into... Once got too close to the outlet of a dams turbine and came way to close to the vortex of the outlet.... would have been a wild ride into the lake....

Joel
SEA3PO
 
Joel, you are right the inlet side is probably more dangerous than the outlet. We have a dam in Cambridge(Ont.) that used to have sluiceways at the bottom of it. Kids used to dive down to enter the sluiceways and get shot out into the river. In 1998 a 13 year old was attempting this but a tree had become wedged in the tube and he became trapped. A police diver was sent down and he too became trapped - unable to fight the current going through the tube. Up to 50 responders pulled on his safety tether until it broke. His oxygen ran out before they were able to shut down the water flowing through the sluiceway. He was found with the young boy in his arms. A sad day for many people. You can google "Parkhill Dam Cambridge 1998" for the full account of the incident.

Diving - not my cup of tea! Take care.
Rob
 
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