Anchor retrieval

[NiceAft]

Well, I found this, but it is not what I was thinking of.

We spend everyweek aboard our boat here on the Gold Coast and we have been working on various modifications over the past 6 months. Our latest and most expensive modification was an electric winch and a new plough anchor to fit.

It was quite a job and we had it done professionally with a modfication required to our anchor hatch and a new stainless steel bracket to fit our furling chain. Our new winch sits on top of the old hatch which has now been fully adapted. They had to cut down into the hatch to allow for the anchor chain to drop properly and we now have a small hatch just behind the winch so we can get into the hatch if needed and also keep our spare mooring ropes etc.

It works a treat and now us girls can also take out the boat and lift the anchor at the flick of a switch. The cost was around $4,600 Aust dollars and a major investment but we can now move around and lift anchor whenever we want to move and it is a Godsend in high winds and bad weather. Just fantastic.

Here is where I found it.
http://macgregorsailors.com/forum/viewt ... ft#p254936

Ray

[dxg4848]

what is difficult about it? breaking it free? raising it up? storing it ?

Different people have different physical abilities. What is easy for one person may not be easy for another person.

It is never easy for me to retrieve the anchor unless there is no wind and the lake is calm. Or unless I have somebody else with me who can slowly drive the boat toward the anchor while I am on a bow pulling it out. We usually anchor in 30’ to 40’ and let at least 200’ of rod out. We have mostly sand so breaking it free is not a problem. But fighting with the wind and chop on a bow (pulling the boat toward the anchor) if nobody can drive the boat is hard for me.

Ideally I would like to retrieve the anchor from cockpit by driving the boat slowly and pulling on the rod at the same time until I am directly over the anchor. Then stop the boat and pull the anchor out until it stops on bow roller. This is what I am trying to accomplish.

[NiceAft]

Have you thought of trying this.


It works like this.


The float pulls the anchor off of the bottom. I use it when I can't physically pull up the anchor.

Ray

[dxg4848]

Well, I found this, but it is not what I was thinking of.

Amazing! (Except for $4,600 part ). After reading all of your great advices I will consider installing new bow roller and run the anchor line aft to one of the winches. And see how it works in a few months!

[dxg4848]

The float pulls the anchor off of the bottom. I use it when I can't physically pull up the anchor.

Another great idea! Thanks!

[Chinook]

I went halibut fishing on a charter boat out of Sitka once, and the skipper used the round buoy-with-ring method to raise his anchor. It was pretty interesting to watch the operation, and it worked quite well. As a technique for use on MacGregors, however, I don't think it really is practical or appropriate. We were anchoring with a very heavy anchor in around 200 feet of water, and it would clearly be a major pain in the back to manually haul an anchor from such depths. After the skipper ran at high speed, with the buoy dragging behind, the anchor came up, but the deck hand still had to go up on the foredeck and finish pulling the anchor up, while the skipper kept up speed and steering, so that the anchor didn't slip back down. It looked like a pretty tricky operation, requiring two persons who really knew the drill. Given the typical anchoring depths for our Macs, the buoy technique might be novel and maybe even fun, but I can't see that it would really save effort or be necessary.

[NiceAft]

The anchors we use are not heavy anchors, so this system will float our anchors enough to enable someone to go forward and pull in the chain, even when solo sailing. It's not practical for everyday use though. When the situation does arise when the &%^#@$ anchor does not want to come off the bottom, it is a back saver The lifting power of the float never ceases to amaze me. The metal ring on mine is now quite elliptical. It started out being round.

Ray

[Tomfoolery]

We anchor frequently to go for a swim. I manually drop and retrieve the anchor.

I looked through all your posts and didn't see an anchor size and type, nor rode size and type (how much chain of what size, and the same for the 3-strand). But you did state that you're dropping the anchor to swim, suggesting it's not used for overnighting or storms. Basically it's used as a lunch hook, if I'm reading it right. If that's the case, may I suggest you use a lightweight anchor, like an aluminium Fortress, with 3/16" high-tensile chain, and 3/8" rode? The FX7, which only weighs 4 lb (and costs $116 at Wholesale Marine*), is rated by the manufacturer for 16-27 ft boats in 30 mph winds with moderate seas, which should be plenty for a lunch hook. You're probably also anchoring in sand, and that style (Danforth-ish) is very good for that. There are other brands and types too, though made of steel, and therefore weigh more but cost less for the same holding power.

Keep a heavy anchor, chain, and long rode for storms and overnighting, and as a backup, but for day sailing in fair weather and calm seas as a lunch hook so the kids can swim, you don't need ground tackle as heavy as you would for overnighting. You'll be there on the boat, and you'll know if you're dragging, after all. I keep several anchors, with a light Danforth as an every day anchor, especially since I don't overnight on the hook with this boat, but I've got a big old Danforth and heavy ground tackle stowed for easy access if I need it.

I used to use a 22 lb Claw, a Bruce knockoff, in the bow roller on a 34 ft keelboat, as my main working anchor. It was at the top of the recommended boat size range, but it held like mad and never dragged. But I kept a much larger spare in reserve, with chain and rode ready to deploy, just in case.

I am wondering if somebody did any mods to make anchor retrieval easier (than pulling it out by hand). I searched mods section with no results. Any information is appreciated.

I like the idea of running the rode to the cockpit over a bow roller. I've done that on small boats in the past, but through a chock at the bow since there was no bow roller, cleated in the cockpit. A bow roller would be nice, and many members here have added bow rollers. I'm surprised you haven't found any such mods.

*I have no connection to them - it's just the cheapest price web site that google suggested when I searched on 'Fortress anchor'. http://www.wholesalemarine.com/p/FOR-FX-7/

[JohnCFI]

I have two anchors aboard, one is a Fortress FX7 which I use with lighter winds, the other a 14KG Danforth for heavier conditions. I have two rodes, a light one with 5mts of 8mm chain and 50mts of 12mm line. and the heavier with 5mts with 10mm chain and 50mts of 16mm line. rarely do I anchor in anything deeper than 10mts, and to be honest I have never left her overnight on anchor, if I did it would be on the Danforth and heavy rode paid out as far as possible.. The bottom around here is mostly mud or sand..

[Russ]

After the skipper ran at high speed, with the buoy dragging behind, the anchor came up

Ahhh.... THAT's how the buoy ring thing works. I was thinking it was just used to dislodge the anchor. It actually pulls all the rode up.

I see how that might be good for some folks. I've got no room on my boat to store that buoy float.

I have 2 working anchors. A small danforth "lunch hook" for short periods. Then a 22lb claw that I used on my 34' Hunter that held that boat in a storm. This thing is solid but heavy to pull up. But I sleep well knowing it's not going anywhere.

--Russ

[NiceAft]

I believe the skipper of the charter ran at high speed because there was a lot to pull up. Without looking back to Chinook's post, I think he wrote two hundred foot depth. Could we even hold fourteenhundred feet of rode.

The lift of the float, not the speed of pulling away from anchor, is what will dislodge the anchor. It's still not for everyday use, but for those occasions where you need it, you will want it. “ A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse" [ King Richard III, V/iv]

Ray

[Russ]

I believe the skipper of the charter ran at high speed because there was a lot to pull up. Without looking back to Chinook's post, I think he wrote two hundred foot depth. Could we even hold fourteenhundred feet of rode.

The lift of the float, not the speed of pulling away from anchor, is what will dislodge the anchor. It's still not for everyday use, but for those occasions where you need it, you will want it. “ A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse" [ King Richard III, V/iv]

Ray

Yes, now that I understand it, the float slides down the rode and finds its way above the anchor. Then boat operator powers back causing the float to pull above the anchor as the operator maintains reverse movement which pulls the anchor up to the surface. The exact opposite of an anchor weight which increases the effective scope.

I guess you have to keep pulling back on the rode to lift it up, else the anchor will simply be dragged along the bottom. Clever idea, I didn't realize you can power lift the anchor.



Have you ever found the float was not enough and it got pulled under? I hooked a large tree once. It wouldn't come up no matter what. I eventually brute forced the whole mess to the surface to see this tree snagged on my anchor. We also have a cove named "anchor cove" because so many boats snagged rocks and had to cut them free. A release line works for this. I've thought of diving for anchors. Might pick up a few hundred dollars worth of ground tackle there.

[Baerkanu]

Does anyone have a photo of their setup that allows the anchor rode to be led aft from the roller to the cockpit? My roller (2013 M from BWY) is just that - a roller - with no "keeper" to keep the anchor or rode in place if the boat swings too far. In fact, I worry that the rode will pop off the roller in the time it'd take me to uncleat the rode at the bow, put it on the roller, and go aft to pull the rode up from the cockpit. Not to mention the chain on the rode for the last 25', of course. It'd be great to have a roller that did away with chafing, would allow the chain thimble to pass, and keep the rode in place on the roller while anchored.

- Clay

[trdprotruck]

what is difficult about it? breaking it free? raising it up? storing it ?

I can relate to the difficulty of raising the anchor. The difficulty is actually none of the above reasons. I usually have trouble when I anchor at Catalina Island. I use a 16lb claw or a 22lb delta with 30 ft of chain and a lot of rode for at least a 5:1 scope. The main difficulty is not with the effort of actually retrieving the anchor, but trying to maintain my balance on the deck/bow when the wind and waves have started getting unruly. I think a windlass would be wonderful in these situations since it can make it safer to retrieve and reduce the effort to a 1 man/woman operation. The only problem is I don't think there would be a good place to store all the rode for those type of conditions with a windlass.

-Randy

[drams_1999]

Does anyone have a photo of their setup that allows the anchor rode to be led aft from the roller to the cockpit? My roller (2013 M from BWY) is just that - a roller - with no "keeper" to keep the anchor or rode in place if the boat swings too far. In fact, I worry that the rode will pop off the roller in the time it'd take me to uncleat the rode at the bow, put it on the roller, and go aft to pull the rode up from the cockpit. Not to mention the chain on the rode for the last 25', of course. It'd be great to have a roller that did away with chafing, would allow the chain thimble to pass, and keep the rode in place on the roller while anchored.

- Clay

I have spent many nights at anchor in various conditions, and have only had the anchor come loose from the bottom once (it was very windy- 20mph+, and it was happening to everyone around us too). I have about 20 feet of chain and then my anchor line. I dont have a picture of it but the line has never popped out of the roller once I set it there. I dont have a keeper or anything else, it stays there due to the angle downward on the line from the bow and continuous tension in wind and waves. The boat swings about 90 degrees in each direction (normal for MacM) and the line stays in the roller without chaffing. Maybe one day it can happen but I havent seen it happen yet. I leave it on the roller at all times when anchored or even when moored to a ball. Never seen any chaffing, still have the original line after 5+ years. To retrieve, I pre-set the line at the winch and lock it in. Then I go forward and undo the cleat. The boat will drift a few inches and set on the line that I already secured to the winch. I return to the cockpit and pull it all in, even the chain passes over the roller with no problem. However, I must point out that I only pull on the winch when the line is within 20 degrees or so of forward so that I dont damage anything while swinging. All the other ideas are great, but may not be necessary on a boat this size if you plan out what you want to do when you anchor. I only need the winch when there is a strong wind and/or current fighting me, or nobody on board able to drive the boat while I pull it in. Usually I can just pull the boat over to the anchor and pull it up myself. Winching it in may only happen once or twice a year.

Good luck!!