Anchor Retreval

[copie]

Hi all when using an anchor retreval ball the type with the ball short rope and stainless ring, do you simply put the anchor rope through the ring then steadily drive around and away from the anchor, assumingly sliding the ball all the way down or along the rope to the anchor and keeping it afloat making it easyier to pull in.

Mark.

[STUIE63]

basically yes that is correct I drive off at about 60 degrees so I make sure the anchor rope is not fouling the prop
Stuie

[STUIE63]

here is a link with an explanation
http://www.bla.com.au/index.php?fn=productGroupView&dId=1&id=3368&eId=10&sId=4d3f0da08ffbbaf774a5912341bd0237
Stuie

[Chimo]

HI Mark

The biggest issue when starting your retrieve is to ensure that you have enough anchor line out and there is slack at the top for the ss split ring and ball to start to slide along the line.

As you drive off initially and the ball starts to move you can steer 30 45 or 60 degrees or whatever to make sure the prop is clear.

As the anchor reaches the surface, the float will bob under and I just use a boathook to catch the line before coming to rest and end for ending the line chain and anchor and float into a fish bin on the rear seat ready to deploy at the next spot. Dont have to go near the bow as the line is still made fast.

Cheers
Chimo

[SunnyCoastrunner]

After the anchor is pulled free from the bottom a good idea is to hold anchor rope slack in hand if possible and you can feel when chain runs thru ring then you know when to turn around and start retreiving without anchor plummeting to the bottom again

[Jarrah Jack]

Pretty straight foward as everyone has suggested. Practice in daylight first. You have to be more careful at night in rough conditions especislly when on your own. The main thing is to drive off in the right direction, 60 degrees will do as someone suggested ,so at night you need to line something up cause you don't want that line round the prop with the anchor holding the stern of the boat down.

[therapy]

Good question there Mark. I have one of those things that came with my Sportfish but have never used it. I have been on a charter boat and saw how they used and agree it looked easy. My question for you more experienced blokes out there is, what happens if your reef pick is stuck solid!?? If you felt it wasn't coming off and back off what are the dangers?? I know I have left a few anchors around the cape and Curtain because the nose near pulled under trying to drive picks off?? Sorry to hi-jack the thread Mark but these might be questions you would like answers for too. Would certainly be a handy thing if by yourself or in deep water......

Cheers...Terry........

[Chimo]

Hi Terry

IMHO there are many people who use reef anchors that are too big made with rod that will not easily bend. These are the anchors that if used on a smaller boat could have the potential to pull the bow under a wave. While this may not sink you if the line was attached to the stern it certainly would.

This GOM uses as small a reef anchor as possible ( I have several sizes on board) with at least a full boat length of chain (6.2m ). It rarely (never) has let go and with the correct length of warp out; which I rarely use as I feel it grab and then add another 20 or so m and then tie off .

The float with stainles split ring always (so far) gets it up, which is handy when theres a stiff breeze blowing, there are white caps all around and your on your own in 130 ft of water.

Good luck with it

Cheers
Chimo

[Noelm]

sometimes trying to retreive and anchor with a ball and lots of line out is harder than just driving to above it and "jiggling" it off, what happens is when you drive around, you in fact re-anchor again, or the chain goes around a rock and your doomed! I have used a ball a million times, and find they are OK, but I find a drive up to the anchor while pulling in the slack, untill you are directly above it, then a bit of a yank and jiggle will get it off almost every time, but whatever works for you and you feel comfortable with is fine.

[nidrac]

I agree with Noelm in that most of the times alls thats necessary is getting above it and giving it a little bit of a pull and it generally just falls out but you still have the problem of hauling it all the way up... even though we have the float we still do this in shallow water (15m or less) where it becomes a pain because the rope is so short and its a lot easier to get it stuck in the prop and you don't have the room to maneuver around but when your fishing in 50-60m of water and you have 100m+ of rope out is when the float comes into its own...

Nidrac

[Noelm]

yep, thats what I was getting at, most times, take the slack out and jiggle the rope and the achor is free, sometimes if I am in deepish water and no one else is around, I just drive off and yank the anchor off (no ball) and keep driving untill the anchor is way up high in the water and then pull it in as you drift back on it.

[Chimo]

Well said Noelm, as I said in 8

"It rarely (never) has let go and with the correct length of warp out; which I rarely use as I feel it grab and then add another 20 or so m and then tie off ".

So my warp never has slack to take out and I agree if you have 3 times the depth out and start off doing cirlcle work you sure could get yourself hooked up and with a thick rod reef anchor you would probably not get it back,.

Cheers
Chimo

[Noelm]

I only have 1 reef anchor (well two if you count the spare, but they are both the same) 1/2" prongs cut really short, hooks up like a dream and will hold in any wind or current, and my boat (6M cat) will straighten it out with a bit of effort, I have once got the anchor back all twisted, as if you grabbed the prongs and straightened them out, then twisted them all together, christ knows how that happened, but it was stuck pretty good that day.

[hakuna]

If you weld a u shaped piece of steel at the front of your anchor, ensure you place the chain end in it when you weld it off.
Run it down the anchor to the end and tie off with a zip tie, join from there to your main chain with a d shackle.

If it gets stuck on retreaval the zip will break and pull your anchor out backwards the way it held in the first place

You can get a one way clip on your lifting ball, so as when you pull it ,it will go towards the anchor and cannot come back towards the boat if you stop, works a lot better than the open loop ones.

cheers

[nidrac]

the idea of the one way clip is good however i have heard of a few people who have had the anchor rope break (or forced to cut it) when it is really stuck and if this is done once the float has been pulled from the surface you loose the float as well. also could become a snagging hazard for other people in the future if close to the surface..

Nidrac.

[Chimo]

And those one way clips dont do the lay of the warp / line/ rope any good. Really makes it look untidy.

Chimo

[therapy]

Thanks for the reply Chimo. That one way jobby is the one I have. As I say, I have never used it so not confident at all. It would have been handy to anchor when around the cape by myself the other week as I found the snapps on the sounder but couldn't keep on them drifting. With the current out there it's just a bit daunting. The drive up and jiggle method would be great if it works and I have gone back to lighter gauge reef pick since losing a couple so might be ok?!?! Will have to give it a go as I grow some nad's!!! Thanks again for this thread Copie and all the advice guy's...

Cheers....Terry..........

[Chimo]

Terry

I stopped using the one way and now use a stainless split ring.

Much easier on the warp / line and the chain goes right thru it so the anchor just hangs at the ring. Never drops back.

Cheers
Chimo

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