does anyone use a Sarca anchor on the reefs

[rtp1984]

Hi Dignity.

How is is the Sarca going?

I am thinking about going that way.
I run a M’pick at the moment, as I mostly fish gravel, but get jack of swapping over to the sand anchor when needed.

Was hoping this this might cover both options.

Thanks
Rob

[Chimo]

Is this the way you do it ?




Or should I say, how your wife does it?

Chimo

[ranmar850]

Sarcas are very popular over here in the west, used by the majority of people with winches. The next most popular type is the plough. I've been using a #2 Sarca for over two years now on two different boats, and haven't had one stuck. Used on all types of bottom, from rugged coral, through limestone reef, to mud and sand. Always holds, first time, out to 45 metres, with a 6.4 m glass hull dragging on it. The problem with reef picks is that they are designed to straighten, every time you use them. So you will be climbing up on the bow with a bit of steel tube to bend them back again, every time you use them, if you are winching. Some do it. I've used all four main types, and the sarca wins hands down, every time, for an instant hook up. I use 8 metres of 6mm chain. The secret to them is to do as mentioned above by stue2, drive up as you winch so you are gettting over the top before pulling up --as you should be with any winch or anchor setup. You are not meant to use the winch motor to do all the work, anyway. Winching basics.

I've lost two anchors in the last 8 years, and I do a lot of anchoring. Both were in rugged coral country, 25-35 metres--one was a reef pick, probably chain snagged, other was an old danforth that chafed off the rode above the 6m of chain I was using in a heavy swell and fresh wind. If you have ever dived on snagged stuff, you know there are a multitude of ways to get hung up, and it isn't necessarily the anchor itself that is stuck. Chain falls down into a crevice in light conditions, then the boat swings away with a change of wind, and the chain gets dragged under a ledge. I've seen divers comment that a significant percentage of the snagged picks they recover or find while diving tend to have a lot more chain on them than the average, and that the chain itself is stuck. Or they have just fallen down a hole, then got dragged into a crevice running off it, any pick will snag if that happens.

As to being dangerous, the worst situation I was ever in was with the reef pick I lost--straight over it in about 25 metres in a swell, taking 2 turns around the bollard ( 6m ally centre console) by hand and holding to try to straighten it, couldn't get the weight off the turns quick enough as we went up over a swell, damn near pulled the bow under before the 12mm rope snapped....

[Dignity]

Im back to the mba pick. Lost the Sarca on the first trip out in some reefu country.

[Crunchy]

Im back to the mba pick. Lost the Sarca on the first trip out in some reefu country.

I'm laughing with you not at you!

[Crunchy]

But yeh reading through all this I was thinking....nope not me, not doing it... I paid $500 for my rode so not risking it.....fishing with a bloke who lost one a few years ago....the language!

[Chimo]

A comment after reading ranmar85' s post.

With the Vag I tend to use as small a reef anchor as possible with around 6 m of chain and 12 mm silver warp, very unsophisticated I know
I use a foam ball 300mm float and a ss split ring that the warp and chain will run thru.

First time the anchor is lowered it is tied off around the bow bollard.
From then on whenthe anchor is retrieved using the ball the warp is hand over handed into a bin on the aft deck. If the pick prongs are bent; they often are, they are straightened on the deck. No climbing onto the for-deck / bow.

From then on anchoring is done from the aft deck with the ball and ring just left to bob about by the bow until the anchor is balled up again.

I often am alone and there is no way I could retrieve an anchor by doing it the "correct " way of motoring up to above the anchor in 120 ft of water and then pulling the warp chain and anchor up.

My deckies were never all that keen either!

Maybe I'm just lazy but for more than 20 yrs at my present location this system seems to work. I have an old sarca but I don't use it as I just use as small an anchor as I can get away with and 12 mm silver as its kind to my hands too.

Dignity do you still have your ball etc ?

Chimo

[Dignity]

A comment after reading ranmar85' s post.

With the Vag I tend to use as small a reef anchor as possible with around 6 m of chain and 12 mm silver warp, very unsophisticated I know
I use a foam ball 300mm float and a ss split ring that the warp and chain will run thru.

First time the anchor is lowered it is tied off around the bow bollard.
From then on whenthe anchor is retrieved using the ball the warp is hand over handed into a bin on the aft deck. If the pick prongs are bent; they often are, they are straightened on the deck. No climbing onto the for-deck / bow.

From then on anchoring is done from the aft deck with the ball and ring just left to bob about by the bow until the anchor is balled up again.

I often am alone and there is no way I could retrieve an anchor by doing it the "correct " way of motoring up to above the anchor in 120 ft of water and then pulling the warp chain and anchor up.

My deckies were never all that keen either!

Maybe I'm just lazy but for more than 20 yrs at my present location this system seems to work. I have an old sarca but I don't use it as I just use as small an anchor as I can get away with and 12 mm silver as its kind to my hands too.

Dignity do you still have your ball etc ?

Chimo

Chimo. I still have it and carry it on board. Once in a while the anchor winch won't shift the anchor so resort to using the ball. Only twice since the winch 3 years ago so not too bad an average.

[ranmar850]

A comment after reading ranmar85' s post.

With the Vag I tend to use as small a reef anchor as possible with around 6 m of chain and 12 mm silver warp, very unsophisticated I know
I use a foam ball 300mm float and a ss split ring that the warp and chain will run thru.

First time the anchor is lowered it is tied off around the bow bollard.
From then on whenthe anchor is retrieved using the ball the warp is hand over handed into a bin on the aft deck. If the pick prongs are bent; they often are, they are straightened on the deck. No climbing onto the for-deck / bow.

From then on anchoring is done from the aft deck with the ball and ring just left to bob about by the bow until the anchor is balled up again.

I often am alone and there is no way I could retrieve an anchor by doing it the "correct " way of motoring up to above the anchor in 120 ft of water and then pulling the warp chain and anchor up.

My deckies were never all that keen either!

Maybe I'm just lazy but for more than 20 yrs at my present location this system seems to work. I have an old sarca but I don't use it as I just use as small an anchor as I can get away with and 12 mm silver as its kind to my hands too.

Dignity do you still have your ball etc ?

Chimo

This is exactly what I used to do. But with a fluoro inflatable and easi-lift clip. Works really well with a centre console. More of a problem with a cuddy. I had a workaround, left a rope permanently attached to the bow bollard, with a loop spliced in, tied the anchor rope to that when I thought I had enough out. worked OK, but a real PITA to adjust the length when the wind was howling. And fraught with risk when fishing alone. So I went to the winch, just so much easier , particularly when alone, or in strong wind. Putting cable tie trips on the shank of a reef pick (or any pick) doesn't really work when you have a winch. The sheer strength of them will snap the ties most times, and then you have an anchor coming up backwards, and you have to climb out on the bow to fix it. And there is something else to consider, too--if you are broken down, *rse to the breakers, and the wind is picking up, you really don't want that anchor to "trip"

If I snag mine, I won't lose my entire rode--my last 20 metres is 12mm silver rope, which is the weakest part of the whole lot ( rest is dyneema and double braid)
I can't believe you lost the Sarca the very first time, Dignity, that has to be some kind of record .

[Lovey80]

I’ll be using Sarca/Manson’s exclusively unless I’m know I’m going to be in real rough country. I nearly lost one on the Hards in about 75m of water once. About 45mins of back and forth with pressure in all different directions eventually freed it. Got so sick of Reef and M’ba picks dragging off marks.

[Dignity]

This is exactly what I used to do. But with a fluoro inflatable and easi-lift clip. Works really well with a centre console. More of a problem with a cuddy. I had a workaround, left a rope permanently attached to the bow bollard, with a loop spliced in, tied the anchor rope to that when I thought I had enough out. worked OK, but a real PITA to adjust the length when the wind was howling. And fraught with risk when fishing alone. So I went to the winch, just so much easier , particularly when alone, or in strong wind. Putting cable tie trips on the shank of a reef pick (or any pick) doesn't really work when you have a winch. The sheer strength of them will snap the ties most times, and then you have an anchor coming up backwards, and you have to climb out on the bow to fix it. And there is something else to consider, too--if you are broken down, *rse to the breakers, and the wind is picking up, you really don't want that anchor to "trip"

If I snag mine, I won't lose my entire rode--my last 20 metres is 12mm silver rope, which is the weakest part of the whole lot ( rest is dyneema and double braid)
I can't believe you lost the Sarca the very first time, Dignity, that has to be some kind of record .

ranmar, I still run a rope up the front with a clip that will go through the chain. when the ties break you still have to go up front but its much easier to pop the head out the hatch, clip on your rope, go back drop the anchor and pull it up from the rear of the boat with the rope. once zippy tied I just drop it back down, winch her back up and then pop my head out the hatch and unclip the rope ready for next time. I've found that much easier than trying to zippy tie an anchor in heaving deas, even im a slight swell and much safer.

[Dignity]

I can't believe you lost the Sarca the very first time, Dignity, that has to be some kind of record .

Ranmar, that was the second anchor I'd lost on the first trip out. I've lost a Mba pick, dropped it and must have misread the drift as I suspect the rope ended up around some sharp coral, as I went to pick it up the float went down and then it popped up again minus the anchor and chain(I was still using the float method then), and this was the first drop of the day. Had a spare reef pick and anchor chain so managed the rest of the day ok but cheesed off never the less.

[ranmar850]

I'm off out to the Montebellos Islands End of next week. Camping on the boat and anchoring, so I'll definitely have a spare pick along

[Dignity]

I'm off out to the Montebellos Islands End of next week. Camping on the boat and anchoring, so I'll definitely have a spare pick along

In BIL boat off North West Island one year fishing at night and saw a float go sailing past. Turned out BIL didn't tie off the end of the anchor rope and the knot he'd done for anchoring had untied itself with the bit of swell and movement. We hunted around but couldn't see the rope anywhere. We had a chopper coming over the next day to pick up one of the guys who had to be back in Melbourne urgently and had him fly over the area but they couldn't spot it either. 2 days later another of our crew was fishing the same area and came across some rope floating on top of the water and retrieved our anchor for us. It must have bee just luck as there was no tide or current running that day.

[NAGG]

I have a couple of Sarca anchors with the slide rail on the top and was wondering if anyone has used these on the reefs. I have upgraded the anchor winch to a Stressfree and thought I would give it a go or am I about to lose a good anchor.

I've come close to losing my Sarca on reef a couple of times ..... so now aside from spot locking most of the time - i use the Maloolabah pick zip tied - i'm less stressed about it & it holds pretty well.

Chris