Anchor retrieval techniques?...

[MystyBlue2]

Now i know on here this is going to be a "here we go again" thread BUT please bare with me...

I have a 14ft seahog trio and cant access the bow manually though a hatch or anything so i use a lazyline shorter than the distance to the prop that is attached from my D ring in the hull and permanently tied off to a side cleat which, When i drop anchor...I clip my anchor line to this, Remove from cleat and therefore im anchored in the correct manner...From the bow.

NOW MY QUESTION...

Is the Alderney ring anchor retrieval technique a safe method on a boat this small?

A lot of bigger warrior/wilson flyer type boats use this method but they are larger boats.

I'm worried if i use this method am i risking my bow being pulled under the surface by the tention or snatch if my anchor is stuck to the seabed? Or worse again ripping my D ring clean out of the bow and leaving a huge hole that is under the waterline meaning a definite sinking scenario or am i over thinking things?

The technique I'm currently using is slowly trolling toward the anchor and bringing on the slack over the side until im directly over the top of the anchor then tugging hard and snaps a cable tie and bring my anchor vertically up until the whole thing is onboard. Now even that has it's issues as if a slight lapse in concentration or miss judge throttle control, And dont bring in the warp in quick enough then the slack that's in the water tangles in the prop and that brings its own issues! Done it twice now! So my current way works but is not ideal.

Would it be a safe method for a boat this small to execute the Alderney ring technique safely or not?


Cheers folks

 

[BruceK]

You can do it safely. Dont use a continuous circle ring, use a split ring. ALWAYS attach the anchor rode to the bow. If you are anchoring where you can snag use the appropriate anchor eg. rebar fishermans grapnel anchor for rocky areas.

 

[MystyBlue2]

You can do it safely. Dont use a continuous circle ring, use a split ring. ALWAYS attach the anchor rode to the bow. If you are anchoring where you can snag use the appropriate anchor eg. rebar fishermans grapnel anchor for rocky areas.

Nice one Bruce thanks ? ?

 

[CliveF]

That video is excellent advise and has saved me a load of typing. that is exactly how I used to do it with one minor exception.

He quite rightly says NEVER tie off to a cleat at the side or rear.
But with experience I did start RESTING my rope on the gunnel inside the rear cleat.
This helps give a little bit of elevation to the rope to help prevent prop snag.
If things start to go wrong there is enough time to flick it over the side.

I only developed that change after I got it wrong once and wrapped the anchor rope round the prop in a 4 kn ebb tide. ( before the anchor had broken out )
It took two of using all our strength braced on the transom to eventually haul in enough slack to use my lazy line to re anchor from the front.
10 min to get our breath back, however long it took to manually pump out the 2" of water over the full deck that had come in over the back, followed by being thrown around over the tipped up engine ( with a safety line on ) to eventually get it free. Scary times.

Like he says practice somewhere safe and make sure you NEVER get the rope near the engine, even if you have to abort and start again.

It is a good technique but needs your full attention.
Mine was on an Orkney Strikeliner 16 with a 25 hp 2 stroke Mariner, So I think you should be perfectly ok in you Seahog with appropriately sized ground tackle.

regards Clive

 

[Hurricane]

We used that technique at our sailing club.
Mainly for speed of recovery - done off the back of a RIB when recovering ground tackle for racing buoys.
The water was often about 80 feet deep so it saved quite a lot of hand pulling.

 

[jrudge]

Someone should invent something. A WInding Nil Crunch Hammer. We could call it WINCH for short!

 

[MystyBlue2]

Someone should invent something. A WInding Nil Crunch Hammer. We could call it WINCH for short!

On a small 14ft GRP boat?....Dont think its the norm for this kind of setup is it?

There mostly on 18ft+ and they are extremely heavy for what they are and expensive. A must on huge vessels with heavy ass anchors and chain and 100's of metres of warp to pull in.

I'd get laughed out of my harbour if i had an anchor winch on the bow on my small 14fter for definite.

 

[ST840]

The video @BruceK has offered is spot on. Alderney is probably the best and safest way to retrieve your anchor in a small boat. If your unsure about it try practising in shallow water first so you can perfect the technique before going in deeper water. It does take 100 % concentration.

 

[MystyBlue2]

Brilliant guys thanks for all your comments. Think i will practice in the bay a good handful of times before i put it into practice on my fishing marks. Cheers