anchoring techniques

[The Jackeens]

On the Pac ? or were you sailing Des?

missus

[Scary Des]

Originally Posted by The Jackeens

On the Pac ? or were you sailing Des?

missus

On the Pac I was interested in these because if you do get an engine failure where it is too deep to anchor you are at the mercy of the wind the Pac just goes round and round With a sea anchor it gives you some control until you can anchor or repair the boat Des

[The Jackeens]

Well if they will hold a Pac I guess they will hold most things (even with us on board ).

I have thought about getting one for the very situation you describe. Losing the engine in open sea (& big seas) worries me at times. Not a big fan of flooding Ribs

Cheers Des!

[Scary Des]

this one £25 ish Des

[The Jackeens]

Cool dude.

It just looks so flimsy.

But then Yotties always carry them. (Said with great respect ! )

I am convinced. Could be a useful piece of kit if only for peace of mind.

Thank you !

missus

[Mark Halliday]

I have a sea anchor, which I mostly use as a prop bag.

There is a 10kg CQR somewhere in the bilge and a small grapnel, both have almost enough chain.

One idea. If you find you do not have enough chain, you can always stick a weight on the warp to keep some of it on the bottom.

[timboli]

Originally Posted by jellis

I use a lightweight Fortress FX7 anchor, 30 feet of chain, 150 feet of anchor rope.

It's Danforh style, but about half the weight

Experience so far is it seems to hold well and not too bad to handle

I have also used a fortress with success for both a sailing boat and rib,I also got a copy for very little money from a boat jumble that seemed to work well.
I used them with a small size chain and no warp though,as I had trouble setting the fortress occasionally with 10 feet of chain and warp.
The fun thing with the fortress is when you toss it over the side,it appears to fly to the bottom .

[tim griffin]

I carry Danforth and Grapnel and sea anchor

[wavelength]

Whatever you carry it needs to be ready for immediate use - if the s***t hits the fan one needs to have the option to be able to apply the handbrake immediatly without searching around for it!

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by codprawn

The Fortress is probably the ultimate for a RIB but there is no way I would spend that sort of money on something you may have to leave on the seabed!!!

I mostly boat for diving. Occasionally, I need to be able to get the boat moving quickly while anchored (drifting divers, medical emergency, etc.)

One little trick that comes in very handy is to have a float and a quick release of some sort at the bitter end of the rode. If you have to get going, simply untie (or uncleat) your rode from the boat, disconnect the bitter end, and toss the whole mess overboard. Tend to business, and come back later to retrieve.

This also works for non-divers who foul their hooks on the bottom: Leave the anchor and rode, and go looking for a diver to unsnag it for you.

jky

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by jyasaki

This also works for non-divers who foul their hooks on the bottom: Leave the anchor and rode, and go looking for a diver to unsnag it for you. jky

Excellent advice, Andy, Ricky and me are just waiting for the calls

[DGR]

Originally Posted by The Jackeens

Cool dude.

It just looks so flimsy.

But then Yotties always carry them. (Said with great respect ! )

I got one when I thought I needed one for coding - and it isn't flimsy at all. I've got the same one as Des, but it might be the bigger one (70cms?) that I have. I've never used it, but it lives in the anchor locker with the ballast anchor...

I intend to have a play with it over the winter, to see how well it works.

D...

[dgpw]

Have used all the anchors suggested in these threads. My favourite by far is the Dan fourth. It stows flat and has good holding in most conations. It is unlikely to capsize. I would always use some chain what ever boat I was in. as well as creating a better curve and stopping as much snatching it also stops the line being cut through by crap on the bottom. I have tangled with old drain pipes or rocks so many times it is defiantly worth having some chain. A tripping boy is a bonus if it is a crowded anchorage. allows you to lift the anchor backwards when an idiot drags across your line. (Make sure you writ tripping boy on it NO MORING0 People love to more up to empty boys. An angel / chum is a really good idea. they create the effect of having lots of weight as well as making an ideal lump to hang between a tow to stop snatching. A sea anchor is great at holding a boat head to wind but be wary about retrieval. You may find that you have to give up and cut it free if it is windy. You also need a rope that is strong enough to hold the weight of the boat if you are in breaking waves.

[wavelength]

Over the years we have anchored more than most people will ever do I suppose as our cod fishing here is all at anchor-at least it was before the rest of the EU wiped out our fish stocks Not keen on danforths, or CQRs for that matter-dont like anything with moving parts that can trap your fingers on a cold february day! Rigging a tripping line is more cordage to tangle-trip it by fixing at the base and then zip tying the chain to the top. We do that for routine anchoring as long as we are staying onboard but always run with a shackle in to disable the trip in case we have to anchor in an emergency-ya dont want it to trip out when you are already in trouble. For fishing we always used a fishermans anchor-a much maligned bit of kit but in practise its great although doesnt stow well. In the ribs we use bruce anchors-one piece so no finger trapping bits and they hold well enough.

[dgpw]

I agree for any hard boat about having a fixed anchor but this is a rib forum and I like to be able to stow an anchor flat under a locker lid. There are loads of boats that have damaged the hull, tubes or people by not stowing there anchor properly. Most rib anchor lockers cant accommodate a fixed anchor. I would rather have it out of the way. As for tripping lines. To many times I have been out at 3 in the morning to untangle morons who have dragged over the lines of other boats. It makes a hell off a difference being able to lift the anchor from a different angle then pull it back again. Tying the chain to the shackle at the end of the shank does work and you are rite it does eliminate the need for a tripping boy and line. As for moving parts on Anchors most fisherman’s anchors have stock that moves and hinges so it can be stowed flat and yes I have trapped my fingers in feb to! The fisherman’s is not a good all-round anchor. there is not enough surface area on the flukes. they work well in rock and weed but not is soft sand or mud as they just pull out. Having said that you can anchor with a baked been can if you put enough ground tackle down.

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by dgpw

Having said that you can anchor with a baked been can if you put enough ground tackle down.

Introduction to anchoring.

Many moons ago we moved from kayaking to a wee sib. Cool feeling, no more paddling! But beaching and recovering it became a hassle at lowish tide.

What we need is an anchor.

Since this is the Outer Hebrides pre civilisation, (Just joking hebridean folk.) what can we find to use as an anchor? Went raking in the dumps which were prevalent at that time and came up with a nice chunky car wheel. What more could you want? Anyway, rigged it up with rope fixed to one of the bolt holes and reckoned it would sink nicely into the sand and we felt happy with this wonderful piece of ingenuity. Well you would, wouldn't you, when you knew feck all about anchoring. Every time the boat gave it a wee tug, it took off like a flying saucer and landed a couple of yards away. Even settling it into the sand seemed to make no difference.

Wot a nobbur.

[dgpw]

with enough chain it would work!

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by dgpw

with enough chain it would work!

Well of course it would.....

[Shaggy]

Great article in Oct/Nov RIB International, lazy line, Alderney Ring etc.

And neat trick on pulling ur snagged anchor out..

Shaggy

[wavelength]

The fisherman’s is not a good all-round anchor

Thats what absolutely all the books say but I'll agree to differ- theres a million pounds worth of lifeboat just down the road - and what does it use ? a fishermans. By moving parts I'm talking hinges not removable bits. The removable tripping bar was welded in our fishermans so it didnt remove itself whilst in use and it didnt matter that it didnt stow cos it didnt stay on board that long at sea! But a fishermans is not suitable/practical in the confines of a rib. However given a decent anchor locker an anchor can always be ready for use. We have bruces snugged down and cushioned on the rope in the anchor lockers in the ocean pros and they are no problem at all. Not that easy in something like a searider with no locker though.
Twenty odd years ago my ageing and very traditional next door neighbour and I were both out at sea and fishing anchored over sand with fisherman anchors on a flooding 10m tide with a wind blowing in the same direction. As another boat drifted thru between our boats with the skipper desperately trying to get the anchor to hold old Harry asked him over the radio if he knew the best thing about those modern compact anchors. When he answered "No" Harry's reply was that they didnt take up much room in the dustbin when you threw them away