Anchoring a big boat offshore

[Beeracudda]

Does anyone know the best way to anchor a big boat 32' 5 tonne+ offshore on a reef without using the plough anchor with winch (not enough chain anyway). Is it a matter of a seperate reefy and rope, if so will it hold? or what do other biggens do.

ps sick of driffing off fish and can't burly

[Noelm]

a reef pick will do the job, you just need to get one with suitable sized "prongs" keep them nice and short, some good chain and your done, the size of the Boat (within reason) has no bearing on whether you can anchor or not.

[Horse]

Our 56'er holds ok with a 1/2" reef pick in good conditions. A tripped mallooolaba style reef pick would be better but a lot of people even use tripped ploughs

[Angla]

I would make sure it was a tripping anchor.

Chris

[Beeracudda]

Our 56'er holds ok with a 1/2" reef pick in good conditions. A tripped mallooolaba style reef pick would be better but a lot of people even use tripped ploughs

Do you use an anchor bouy to pull it up or do your deckies have long arms ;)

[goldfish]

i used to hold my 30fotter 6tonn with a small reef pick just on a little chain then a heap of rope. lift up by hand & if it was stuck i would just tie it off to a rear cleat & nudge forward till it freed. worked well for me.
cheers
rick

[TimiBoy]

What are you folks using as a trip? I found using two really big cable ties next to useless - a good breeze and they'd break. Hell, that's only in 2.5 tonnes of boat.

Love to know,

Tim

[bbss]

cable ties have always worked well for me. We use 3 or 4 heavy duty ties to hold a 4.5 ton kevlacat in ordinary weather. You can use wire as well.
Cheers Damien

[Angla]

Tim, There are cable ties and then there are good cable ties. Go to an electrical wholesaler like Haymans or Ideal and ask for some large quality ties. Try one then two then three if you need.
I used to use just a piece of 2.5mm solid copper wire from the cable we use as power cable ( there are 2 types, stranded 2.5 and solid 2.5. you need the solid one. 16mm wire uses seven strands of the solid 2.5). I twist just 1 piece in fine weather and 2 in worse weather.

Chris

[goldfish]

What are you folks using as a trip? I found using two really big cable ties next to useless - a good breeze and they'd break. Hell, that's only in 2.5 tonnes of boat.

Love to know,

Tim
i don't use a trip . i make my own reef picks & use soft enough spikes so they just straighten when there stuck then bend them back by hand when the anchors up. so strong enough to hold but soft enough to bend is the trick for me.
seems to work so far.
cheers
rick

[Hornet Rider]

i don't use a trip . i make my own reef picks & use soft enough spikes so they just straighten when there stuck then bend them back by hand when the anchors up. so strong enough to hold but soft enough to bend is the trick for me.
seems to work so far.
cheers
rick

rick, do you fill the core of your reef picks with extra weight (lead?) or anything? Any chance of a pic with the dimensions please? Pick attached of the type I have, & use 5m of 8mm short link chain. The core is hollow. Always keen to try a better option. cheers

[backlash08]

I always like to have anchors filled with lead, gets the anchor down before the chain so chain and anchor dont tangle up,
cheers

[coucho]

I always like to have anchors filled with lead, gets the anchor down before the chain so chain and anchor dont tangle up,
cheers
If you don't let your anchour free drop and keep a little wieght on the rope as it feeds over the side you don't have this problem.
Filling you anchor with lead shouldn't help as your chain will still sink faster I think due to the parachute effect from the prongs of the anchour draging through the water and the low surface area of the chain offering little resistance.
Just my opinion though never tested it just my thoughts. but keeping wieght on your anchour rope defenitely stops it.

[backlash08]

dont disagree Coucho however dont fully agree either, when anchoring in deep water with some run on it can take a long time to feed anchor down (if anchoring on small area) and therefore miss the target, in my experience you certainly get less tangles with very heavy anchor compared to non weighted anchor but I guess Ive never jumped over the side to watch (and dont plan to) LOL
cheers

[goldfish]

rick, do you fill the core of your reef picks with extra weight (lead?) or anything? Any chance of a pic with the dimensions please? Pick attached of the type I have, & use 5m of 8mm short link chain. The core is hollow. Always keen to try a better option. cheers

no i don't fill the core with anything the total weight of the anchor is about 1 kg or so . about 1ft of 2inch pipe & 8mm rod passed through & welded. about 1 meter of 6mm long link chain. so all in all if i need a house to anchor up i really don't want to be there. i dosn't take a lot to hold a boat in 1 place. but as another post said keep weight on the rope as you feed it down, don't let it free fall. try it only costs $10 & if it dosn't work for you then you havn't lost much.

[liltuffy]

I'd reckon Noelm would be on the money here. I've got one of those lead filled reef picks that John Palermo used to do with 6 metres of heavy duty chain on it. I very very rarely ever have any trouble holding on even gravel bottoms. The anchor and chain setup weighs a heap and goes down like the Titanic, I reckon no worries holding a 32' er

Craig

[Matt_F]

Quote
i used to hold my 30fotter 6tonn with a small reef pick just on a little chain then a heap of rope. lift up by hand & if it was stuck i would just tie it off to a rear cleat & nudge forward till it freed. worked well for me.
cheers
rick

Rick,
Towing an anchor off the bottom from a rear cleat/bolard is the quickest way to sink your boat, particularly a small trailer boat. Always, always, always tow from the bolard on the bow or it could turn nasty very quickly, especially in bad conditions. Sorry if it sounds like i am preaching.

[backlash08]

good point Matt - true and something that i used to do until i understood the risks! - thanks Craig

[goldfish]

Quote
i used to hold my 30fotter 6tonn with a small reef pick just on a little chain then a heap of rope. lift up by hand & if it was stuck i would just tie it off to a rear cleat & nudge forward till it freed. worked well for me.
cheers
rick

Rick,
Towing an anchor off the bottom from a rear cleat/bolard is the quickest way to sink your boat, particularly a small trailer boat. Always, always, always tow from the bolard on the bow or it could turn nasty very quickly, especially in bad conditions. Sorry if it sounds like i am preaching.

yes this is true however i am talking 1000-1500 revs or so ( a nudge) maybe i should have made this a bit clearer in my post. and yes this would not be a good plan in a trailer boat.
ps: no i don't think it sounds like your preaching & it is a very good point to bring to my & anyone's attension that may read this.
thank you
&
cheers
rick.