Anchor Action

[Getout]

Nearly lost an anchor last night. I have a CQR with 6m of chain and 10mm rope. Must have wrapped around a bombie cause it just wouldn't come off. Went close to pulling the transom under water! Got lucky in the end, just as I was about to cut the rope. We did a big circle and it let go.
I usually rig the anchor with zip-tie trip setup. Better do it next time.
Anybody else nearly sunk their boat pulling the anchor up?

[juju]

Better to pull from the bow if needed....from the rear is very risky...

[Getout]

Better to pull from the bow if needed....from the rear is very risky...
Chopped the rope last time I tried that one.

[leezor]

Had this happen attempting to lift a reef pick a few weeks ago \/

[finding_time]

Chopped the rope last time I tried that one.

You have got to pull from the front Getout, If you pull from the stern you will one day sink your boat.;)

If the anchor sticks and your pulling from the bow all that will happen is that you'll pull your bow around, no real danger here . But if you pull from a rear cleet the boat will stretch the rope till either the anchor frees or the stored kinetic energy in the rope will pull the back of the boat backwards and under, this is bad:o I doesn't matter if you have a breakaway on the anchor as sometimes it the chain or rope that sticks.;)



There must be a reason your cutting the rope, is the bow sprite got a sharp edge on it or did you hit you anchor rope with the prop.?

Retrieving the anchor with the rope tied to a rear cleet is very dangerous and will get you in big strife, and it sounds like you had a near miss:o

Ian

[Greg P]

Never pull your anchor from the rear of the boat :o

[Getout]

Forgot to mention that I busted the pulpit on a 45 ft yacht pulling up a pick by motoring from the bow once, also.
I know that rear cleat pull-ups are risky and I usually take care. From the nose, I once cut the line with the prop.
I use a CQR because I got sick of the reef pick letting go in any decent swell. Also, I have found that a reef pick is much more likely to foul in the chain when you drop into deep water so it drags and you have to do it all again!
I fish in fairly deep open water.
What do others use for anchors?

[Matt_F]

To prevent cutting the rope with the prop, pull as much slack out of the rope as is possible so that the rope is almoast up and down and then try and steam it off from the bow.

Never steam it off from the stearn, it will be a disaster for sure.

Matt.

[snelly1971]

There has been a couple of people drowned here over the years doing exactly what you was .....never pull from the stern....we do ourselves sometimes...but we only take a few turns so it need be you just let the rope go and all is safe...but we have been towing fish farm cages for years so we have alot of practice.....

cheers mick

[finding_time]

Dont use a reef pick any more, even on reefs , just use a triped plough, very good at holding and am yet to loose one yet.

When you head off, head at angle to your pick so as the anchor rope stay clear of the boat on the drivers side this way you see the rope the whole time and wont cut it. Once you get this down pat even on the darkest of nights you'll be able to retrieve your anchor.

Breaking a bow sprite or rope is still better than sinking your boat imho


Ian

[Kerry]

Why would anybody want to drop a CQR and 6 metres of chain anywhere near a reef? Perish the thought! but if your looking for trouble then trouble you will obviously find.

Maybe some should do some research on the "mooloolaba pick"!

As for zip ties and/or slip anchors? Again perish the thought! Thousands of dollars hanging off a 5 cent zip tie !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[snelly1971]

We make our own up...similar to the fishermans morris anchor...500mm long 100mm galv pipe with 16mm rio bar welded across one end protruding about 100 wider than the pipe...a bar across the other end..and add a shackle...thats it....if you do manage to foul it then a quick tow or jolt usually just bends the rio bar...grab a 12 inch shifter and he presto ...away you go again...

Cheers Mick

[finding_time]

Why would anybody want to drop a CQR and 6 metres of chain anywhere near a reef? Perish the thought! but if your looking for trouble then trouble you will obviously find.

Maybe some should do some research on the "mooloolaba pick"!

As for zip ties and/or slip anchors? Again perish the thought! Thousands of dollars hanging off a 5 cent zip tie !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
\
Well mate

Not all the reefs down here are as expansive as yours up there and more often than not they tend to be rocky/ reefy outcrops with large expances of sand in between.

Now being a clever fella i'm sure you can see the problem;) How do you accurately anchor over or just up current of your structure when where your going to drop the pick may be sand or may be reef. see the problem!:D solution....secure the chain to the head of the cqr with a shackle and then loop the chain to the top of the shaft and secure there( i use 300lb mono).

I fail to see the risk. if the 300lb mono ( or zippy ties) breaks then you start to drift and drag the pick then you will have to reanchor and resecure the chain to the top of the anchor shaft, the chain is still securely attached via shackle to the anchor. Where is the risk? Any anchor can drag and you have to be alert to this why is this way of doing it any differant?

Have used mooloolabah picks but they dont grab as well as a plough on all surfaces and in 2 years i'm yet to loose a plough so it seem to work very well for me. If i lived further nth i would use a reef pick more but there not that great here unless your fishing right ontop of the major reefs down this way.

Ian

[Kleyny]

We make our own up...similar to the fishermans morris anchor...500mm long 100mm galv pipe with 16mm rio bar welded across one end protruding about 100 wider than the pipe...a bar across the other end..and add a shackle...thats it....if you do manage to foul it then a quick tow or jolt usually just bends the rio bar...grab a 12 inch shifter and he presto ...away you go again...

Cheers Mick

can you show me a photo of your wounderous anchor

thank

neil

[Kleyny]

Finding time
I tried the zippy thing but every second use of the anchor (sand) the blades/prongs would get caught on the chain and it wouldnt hold a cannoe.
any sugestions.

neil

[Kerry]

The problem with having zipped up anchors on board is that people will use them in critical situations and quite frankly zip ties should be kept for less critical things!

Regards, Kerry.

[snelly1971]

I will take a few pics for you to have a peek at...you should be able to gather enough scrap material to make one up...cheers Mick

[Angla]

I think the trouble with pulling from the rear cleat is the freak wave that turns the boat and tightens the rope then the next wave jumps in the back of the boat.
Ask yourself what the time span is between waves and figure that you have less than two of those before she's gone.

I tried it once in the old 5.2 metre rumrunner and it scared the shite out of me.

I will only ever pull from the bow and just keep going in a wide circle, keeping the rope just to one side of the boat(visually) and this has always worked out fine. I always use this method with the retrieval buoy as the buoy is what puts the pressure on the anchor.

Chris

[Mr__Bean]

I will only ever pull from the bow and just keep going in a wide circle, keeping the rope just to one side of the boat(visually) and this has always worked out fine. I always use this method with the retrieval buoy as the buoy is what puts the pressure on the anchor.

Chris

Me too Angla.

I have had the pick stuck very hard at times and have found that success lies in letting out more rope not pulling it in.

Like you, I then power up on a very slow arc around the anchor, boat pulling just slightly off centre so that the boat starts to circle the anchor.

And yes, only ever off the bow.

- Darren

P.S. One of the worst was when I had snagged someone elses abandoned anchor which had itself been fouled on an old trawlers cable. We actually pulled up 2 big anchors with their chains and the old cable.

[Getout]

Good advice chaps. Will try the bow thing again ( using the zip ties).
Yes, our reef is mostly low profile stuff in deep water. Very difficult to get acurately on a spot. I gave up reef picks ages ago because the chain beats them to the bottom and gets entangled. Kerry when you keep dragging the pick in deep water you quickly get tired of repositioning.

[Noelm]

OK, lets start at the beginning, a PROPERLY constructed 'reef pick" with the correct size diametre prongs, and if they are kept short (not like the store bought ones, they are useless" will hold almost anything! we used to use one on a 45 footer in all sorts of weather, now, one of the most common things in an anchor being "snagged" is either setting it by not driving (say) in reverse directly with the wind/current so that when it takes up, the boat will then continue to move onto the true "lie" and by doing so can pull the chain under a ledge, and practically no boat will break the chain, the next most common thing is a wind change while you are anchored, it can do the same thing, if that happens, try to retrieve the anchor in the way it was moved when the wind has pushed you off your original position (get what I mean??) I have seen this when diving, the chain is pulled under something and unless you can move off in an arc to mimic the direction it was most likely to have been dragged, you will need a lot of patience to get it back (and some luck" and I might as well stress as every one else has, do NOT tie off to the stern to get your anchor off!

[JB]

Geezus, your a nut kerry... how about putting a zippy to good use and zipping up that mouth of yours.

Nothing wrong with using a zippy to trip ya pik, i've done plenty of times and it works a treat. I must admit i have gone back to the standard 4 pronger cut down, seems to hold that bit better.

[Noelm]

I think what Kerry is getting at is IF you need to anchor in a dire emergency (storm, breakdown way offshore, or whatever) you are trusting your (maybe) life on a 5 cent zip tie and is that worth the risk?? not taking any sides here, but I think that is what he is saying, personally I just connect the chain to the anchor, no trip "gizmos" at all, but I can see maybe it could be an advantage.

[Noelm]

hey JB, Kerry has not responded to your comment yet, I think he must be thinking of something really bad for you! (just thought I would add that) hope it does not start a war again!

[Getout]

I use 10 cents worth

[finding_time]

I think what Kerry is getting at is IF you need to anchor in a dire emergency (storm, breakdown way offshore, or whatever) you are trusting your (maybe) life on a 5 cent zip tie and is that worth the risk?? not taking any sides here, but I think that is what he is saying, personally I just connect the chain to the anchor, no trip "gizmos" at all, but I can see maybe it could be an advantage.


I think your right Noelm

, But in this case i think he was a struggling a little to find something wrong with the set up;)

If i was in a storm and had to use a pick not a sea anchor well i would just undo a shackle and re attach it to the proper place, A least i would have the pick as i wouldn't still be stuck on a bit of reef some where.;D I agree with you on the shortened prongs being good , but just not good enough on those sandy reef areas when trying to put your self right over a spot, the tripped plough rule;)

[Kerry]

hey JB, Kerry has not responded to your comment yet, I think he must be thinking of something really bad for you! (just thought I would add that) hope it does not start a war again!

Why comment? Why bother talking to idiots like these JB characters. If JB wants to be an idiot and use zip ties then who really cares!

[finding_time]

Hey kerry


Could you spell out exactly what your problem is with using zippy ties to anchor using a trip system on a reef? Your previous response was a little cryptic for me! I'm struggling still to see a problem with it.

ian

Ian

[Dean1]

Hey Ian just curious if you still use the plough when fishing on really solid reef bottoms as in no sand whatsoever?? And Im staying out of this little war 8-)

[finding_time]

Hey Ian just curious if you still use the plough when fishing on really solid reef bottoms as in no sand whatsoever?? And Im staying out of this little war 8-)


Yes i would but i really dont fish right on top of reef structure , i prefer fishing the little bits of structure off to the side of the main reef. Better results;) Hence the plough:D

Ian

Ps. It not a war , just a police action!!! And Kerry is the internet police;D