Tying an anchor on a Sib

[kaman]

Does anyone have a good method for attaching an adjustable length anchor line to the bow - tow/anchor D-rings on an inflatable?

I anchor at varying depths from 12 - 80ft and need a way to tie off the correct length of line to the D-rings under my bow (since there is no cleat, like on a fiberglass boat , to tie off on this can be awkward).

I'm have previously tied a section of line with a loop on the end to the D-ring rope on the bow, then tied a knot in the anchor line at the appropriate length. I use another length of rope with karaniners which I keep inside the sib.
I then use this to pull the main anchor rope aboard so that I don't have to precariously lean overboard to gather and bring the main anchor line aboard.

Just wondering if anyone uses a better system???

I know climbers use ascension devices that allow rope to pass through freely until it is required to be held in place at a set length.
Does anyone have experience of using such a device on a Sib anchor rig?
Also as I use my sib mainly in salt water it would need to be stainless to prevent corrosion.

Thanks in advance.

[palsteg]

Like this?

http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/anchor-hub-65706.html

[The Gurnard]

I just do the same as you Kaman..ie..use the end of the anchor rope as a “lazy line” to haul the anchor back into the boat. I have never found a need to use anything else ? But I don’t anchor that often as I prefer drift fishing.

Dont think an ascender would be worth it..they cost around £50 squid. I have one from my mountaineering days and it is good for getting heavy boats back up the beach on their trailer.

I tie a long rope onto the car towbar..then attach the electric winch to the boat trailer. The winch tape is only 10 meters long..so I unwind the tape..slide the ascender up the rope attached to the car.. wind up the tape on the winch.. stop.. unwind tape..slide up the rope etc..until the boat and trailer is at the car.



I was once shown how a simple shackle.. with the rope wound round the shackle in a certain way.. formed a lock knot that worked similar to the ascender..but I have long forgotten that knot.

Knot the answer you are looking for though

[kaman]

Originally Posted by palsteg

Like this?

http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/anchor-hub-65706.html

I saw this post earlier and that's what got me thinking bout my existing anchor set up.

As I've built and fitted a large bow box up front so I don't think this system would work that well on my sib.


Was looking at these earlier on YouTube


Petzl Ascension Handled Ascender: http://youtu.be/jIPONXMJlvM


Would fit this to my existing set up but as the ascender would be submerged in the water when the anchor was deployed it would need to be made of stainless steel.

Don't know if something like this would be up to the job?????

[Mikefule]

Have a single painter. If you have two D rings, then have a rope between then attach a single painter to the middle.


Then take a bight in the anchor line and use the painter to make a sheetbend. It is a basic sailor's knot, designed for this sort of thing and easy to tie and untie. If you feel unsure, use a double sheetbend.


There is no need to use karabiners or other metal fittings. They have to be attached somehow, and there's just more to go wrong.

[The Gurnard]

Yup..thats same as mine Petzl... it is a very strong alloy..seawater wont rust it.. but it has a spring in the lock mechanism that is made of a different metal ?


So I suspect eventually it would corrode.


What is wrong with a stainless shackle on the loop of rope tied to the D rings either side ? A quick knot to tie the anchor rope to shackle saves money on something that may cause more trouble than worth ?

[kaman]

Cheers for the reply Gurnard.
I was typing my response to the first reply when you posted your response.

I take it the ascender can easily cope with strain given what you are using yours for ?

Like yourself I prefer drift fishing but do anchor up every now and again.
I thought the ascender would simplify matters as I hate faffing around with knots.

Oddly enough as I fish alone mostly my anchor gets deployed most often when the sib gets launched to stop it floating away whilst I park up my car lol!!!

[jyasaki]

I used to simply tie a Mountain Butterfly knot in the rode to get a loop, then carabinered it to the front grab handle (I used a stainless steel carabiner from a chandlers.) Make sure the patches and webbing are up to snuff though.

In retrospect, had I thought more about it, I might have rigged up a bridle to the bow D rings, through the handle to a carabiner, but the above way worked for me.

jky

[kaman]

Mikefule you have solved the problem.

A free flowing 2 ft piece of rope which is looped around the painter that I have already got strung between the two outside bow rings will allow me to have an open ended bit of rope to tie a sheet bend to mate with my anchor rope .

As the anchor and rope reside in my bow box until needed, the remainder of unused rope can stay in the box.

I am pants at knots and had to Google what you were conveying in your reply.

Now that I have seen what you are saying the penny has dropped.

Dunno what you would call the knot I was tieng before (best forgetting it) but it was a pain in the arse to untie sometimes, particularly with cold hands.

Thanks for that I don't think an ascender will be required I will just practice my knot skills.

[Mikefule]

All you need to do most things with rope is half a dozen simple knots. The best knots are simple to tie and untie but are nevertheless very secure. They worked for hundreds of years before karabiners.

Look up the bowline, sheetbend, double sheetbend, clove hitch, round turn and two half hitches, anchor bend and bowline. If you look closely there are more similarities than differences and they each do a specific job quickly, securely and easily.

[The Gurnard]

I guess Im even lazier than the “Lazy line” with my knots Kaman. I have a short “bridle” between the two D rings on the outside front of the SIB. The bridle is loose enough to come over the bow..(or under it when the anchor is out).

I do it this way because I am in the habit of checking the bridle is inboard of the bow before I put the engine in gear. Its easy seen and I then know all ropes are in the boat. If using a painter..make sure its not long enough to go under the length of the boat and get caught in the prop.

The bridle is well tied and taped to the D rings so it cant come loose.. as is the very far end of my anchor rope. It is secured to a shackle on the floor. When I chuck the anchor over and enough rope is out..I just use a quick round turn and half hitches or something loose.

If the knot does slip... and it never has yet.. it will only lengthen the anchor rope..if that makes sense. I guess everyone has their own way of doing things. It is similar to Mikes suggestion.. except he uses real knots.

I should add..the anchor is not out in this photo.. its my painter that is tied to the bridle here .. I don’t use the front under bow ring at all... and the spurry was put back to live another day.. they taste even worse than squished squid bait.

[Peter_C]

For redundancy I use both d-rings and have a loop in the end of my line so if a d-ring rips off my anchor is still attached to the boat. A half hitch is simple for most anyone to tie, and with a locking Black Diamond carabiner thru the loop of the anchor line it is not coming undone. A bowline would be preferable though. The carabiner has gotten sticky on me before when I didn't lube it, say every 20th time out, so I took it back to our local store, REI, where it was purchased and warrantied it for free. They last a few years and at $8.00 US each it is not of concern to me. The whole thing can be easily pulled back on board by the trailing line in the anchor crate. Storage is accomplished by clipping it to the anchor crate. One could easily braid the ends in, but the knots give us a nice way to carry the bow when needed.

Works great for "me".

[kaman]

Cheers guys for all your help.
My anchor set up was 90% there in the first instance.
The way I was attaching my adjusting anchor rope to the bow painter was all wrong.
The knot I was using was all wrong and a pain in the butt to untie!
I'm going to retain my set up as is.
I will add an 2 ft open ended single length of rope.
This will slide freely along the painter with a fixed loop tied in it.
The open end I will use to tie a sheet bend with the anchor rope.
Been practicing with a couple of bits of old rope and works a treat.
I should have pitched this question a few years back instead of faffing around with my home made knotting system.

I really should have went to the scouts!!


Cheers all.

[The Gurnard]

Glad you got yourself sorted Kaman

I dib dib dibbed my way through boy scouts and also a short time sloshing with the sea scouts. So I knew the knots at one time. My problem is my memory now.

However I now remembered the sliding shackle lock knot that I was gibbering about earlier.

Its a cheep sailor’s version of the Pritz ascender used in mountaineering..under tension..it locks onto itself..take off the tension..and it slides along the rope.

Ok.. it is now totally irrelevant for your anchor..but a knot worth remembering..until I forget it again ..

[kaman]

The only knot I can remember to tie with any surety is a shoe lace knot.
As they say practice makes perfect.
No doubt in time I will struggle to do this also lol!

[jyasaki]

Butterfly knot is useful as it is very quick to tie (form a loop in the middle of the line, twist twice, then take the bottom of the loop over the twists and feed it through the eye formed by the two twists), it's quite secure, and it is easy to untie, even after stress and when wet (push on the two "ears" - the loops on the outside - and the whole thing loosens up.

I saw that you do this, but for others reading, always keep the bitter end of the anchor rode secured to something solid (mine ties to a large eyebolt in the anchor locker.) Twofold: Keeps the line on the boat should you get a little overly aggressive about putting out scope; and keeps the boat on the anchor line should the scope-limiting knot/hardware fail.

jky

[chris.moody]

I never tie the bitter end of the anchor warp directly to the boat, I attach with a small piece of thinner rope. In use the anchor warp should always be tied or cleated off before you get to the very end, and the thinner rope is easier to cut with a knife in an emergency if you need to ditch the anchor and warp quickly.

[jyasaki]

I've seen 3 people lose the entire ground tackle overboard (That's one of the few gaffes I have yet to do) from not having the line secured.

Assuming you are on a smallish boat (say less than, oh, 22 feet) the anchor line is likely to be 3/8" rope. It's not going to take much to cut that (assuming you have a knife handy at the bow.) And you still want the tackle to hold if you do end up hanging by that bitter end. It's not to use a normal thing but rather in case a knot comes undone or a cleat or carabiner fails.

In any case, if you (like me) clip the line off with a carabiner or similar, it doesn't take long to disconnect and toss it all over. I have a float attached to the end for just that scenario (though it's not so much a "move or die" type thing I was looking at, rather than a "need to go retrieve a drifting diver".)

jky

[Peter_C]

Like JKY I keep my line clipped off to my anchor crate with a carabiner. Of course the crate is only held in with four 3/8" bungee cord, to keep it quickly removable.

[azzurro]

My solution is made out with things already written in this thread.
- Use 2 rings so if one fails the other can do the job.
- Painter with carabiner, short enough so that if it falls down it doesn't mess with the propeller. I also use this carabiner when mooring, to attach it to my buoy (not exactly the buoy but a lace to the mooring line to avoid cracking it).
- Butterfly knot in the anchor line.
- Anchor rope tied to wherever in the boat to avoid silly loses.
- Small buoy so if the anchor gets stuck in a rock, I can leave it there and return later to recover it.
- I keep the anchor line and anchor in a rubber bucket.