Anchor Retrieval

Moonshiners

Moonshiners

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Joined
20 Feb 2008
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590
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Solent-ish
www.speedandstrip.co.uk
Hi Folks, I'm the proud owner of a Leisure 20 Bilge Keeler based near lymington and sailing most/all year round.

I've done a bit of research, but really struggling to figure out the best way to heave the anchor. With no windlass and a heavy anchor with chain and rope, I'm practically putting my back out every time i lift it.

Also I'm trying to find a fairly simple safe way of doing this while single handed. as it's not ideal having a long heavy haul while on the bow, close to shore with no-one at the helm.

I'm aware of the Alderney Ring and Lazy Lines, Both have their merrits.

But has anyone figured out a safe and "easy" way to retreive anchor - especially if there is a way with out spending much time on the bow.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be great.

Thanks. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
I dunno about methods, as I have a windlass. But when it was broken I needed huge amounts of strength to get the bu$$er up manually.

Get yerself to the gym and work on your upper body so's you'll have brute strength, and not do yourself a mischief come the season.
 
Unlesss you have an enormous anchor and masses of heavy chain, most of your effort is going into pulling your boat against wind and/or tide. I would say heave in quite small amounts and pause to allow the boat to move forward. If you are wind-rode (lying with your bows to the wind) you may be able to take the load of the chain just by putting your engine (I assume you have one) in gear slow ahead, even with no one at the helm the anchor rode will keep your bow up into the wind until the anchor comes off the bottom.
 
Before fitting an electric windlass which I can operate from the cockpit - which solves most of the single handing difficulties - I fitted a chain "grabber" (not sure of the correct term). When the chain is let go this holds it, so you can shift position or let go the chain without having to hold the static load or risk letting it run. I found that it helped quite a lot.
 
It sounds as though your ground tackle is way to heavy for a 20 footer. I can manage to lift mine if I have to and mine is a 40-footer!

What you should have is either 6kg or for belt and braces 10kg of a modern type, e.g. spade or delta, 5-10m of 6mm chain and some 10mm nylon warp. With that you will be quite secure and able to manage the gear quite easily.

What have you got at present? I'd guess it would be an oversize CQR and all-chain rode?
 
A small boat like that can't have a very heavy anchor so you shouldn't need a windlass unless you are disabled or very elderly. In any case, windlasses are very slow. I fitted one a couple of years ago but I don't often use it just because it is so slow. I am 67 and have no real problem handling a 35 pound anchor with chain cable. Eric Hiscock, author of "Cruising Under Sail" etc. reckoned a fit man should have no problem recovering a 45 pound anchor.

Are you perhaps trying to haul the boat up to her anchor against the wind and tide, instead of motoring or sailing up to it?

If you do need a mechanical aid, the easiest solution would be a ratchet chain stopper costing less than £30. This enables you to take a rest as you haul, or to nip back to the cockpit, without losing what you have gained.
 
The following assumes you have a bad back. In a nutshell all of these previous ideas together will make you happy.

If you anchor consistently in mud you can use a lightweight anchor like a small Fortress. If on otherwise bottoms, go for a small Spade, in aluminium or Manson/Bugel.

Keep your chain on the small side for a 20 footer and the length between 10 and 20 metres followed by as much as you need in thin-ish nylon. The thinnest you can comfortably handle will absorb more jerks on the anchor and help it hold in bumpy conditions.

Lastly ensure you have a means of resting as you pull the anchor up, such as a cleat between you sitting on the deck with your feet braced and the bow roller. Standing is asking for back trouble.

Have fun. Anchoring successfully is a very satisfying activity.
 
"Also I'm trying to find a fairly simple safe way of doing this while single handed. as it's not ideal having a long heavy haul while on the bow, close to shore with no-one at the helm".

A lateral way of looking at this could be to try anchoring by the stern instead of the bow - you might find that this is much easier, as then you can stay in the cockpit.
You could perhaps fit a roller on the transom (many Scandinavian boats have them for when they put out stern anchors and tie the bows to wee islands) and perhaps even have the anchor self stowing in this roller, while keeping the chain and rope cable in a stout bag or large heavy duty bucket.
And has been suggested above, a relatively small high holding power with a combination chain/rope cable should be able to hold your vessel very effectively.
 
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A lateral way of looking at this could be to try anchoring by the stern instead of the bow - you might find that this is much easier, as then you can stay in the cockpit.
You could perhaps fit a roller on the transom (many Scandinavian boats have them for when they put out stern anchors and tie the bows to wee islands)

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Anchoring by the stern in strong tidal flows is NOT recommended as there is a strong possibility of being swamped and sunk in short time (especially a small boat). There are usually several instances of this a year in UK waters. Check with anyone who has fouled a prop in a strong current.

Doing the anchoring from the stern with the anchor line made off to the bow is a different matter - back to Alderney Rings and lazy lines again /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

A.
 
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...I'm practically putting my back out every time i lift it...

[/ QUOTE ]

Then look to your technique!

Seriously, if you carry on doing this, one day you *will* 'put your back out'.

You need to take the strain with your legs and arms, not your back. It's hard to explain in writing, but ideally you need to pull the chain through a point which is directly between your feet, and use your leg muscles to get things moving - easiest sitting on deck, leaning back, with your (bent) legs braced against the pulpit, or similar. If you can feel 'pressure' on your back, then you're doing it wrong.

Try bending down to 'touch your toes', and hold that position for a few seconds - the feeling you get in your back doing this is *BAD* and should act as a warning if you feel it when you're lifting, pulling, or pushing anything. If you can't feel anything in your back when you do this, try gently lifting something from this position - N.B. this is bad for you, but teaches you what 'bad' feels like.

Andy
 
There is somethng seriously wrong if you are finding it that hard to lift the anchor on a boat that size. There are plenty of boats up to 40' without a windlass.

In addition to the comments above, the key is to take it slowly, often very slowly, watch the angle between chain and boat and allow time for the boat to respond. Unless it is blowing a gale, most of the time all you should be doing is puling in the chain, if you are fighting the boat you are simply trying t do it too fast. The same applies to the final break-out, let the boat do the work! take in slack, and take a turn, and wait, pull in another 6 inches, repeat, let the motion of the boat break it out. All of this is perfectly possible single handed under most circumstances and without breaking a sweat.
 
All last season we man handled a 45lb CQR on 10mm chain with no problems.

Motor up to the anchor and haul away the slack, then when the pressure comes back on give another little nudge with the engine to take the slack up again.

You shouldn't have to haul the boat to the anchor (although it is possible to do, but take it slowly and let the boat gain its own momentum).

I think a lot is technique, I sit on the deck, feet either side of the bow roller, and use my leg muscles to do all the work.

We're in the process of getting a windlass installed - but only because we are intending to a serious amount of anchoring. For infrequent anchoring I would still be happy to do it by hand.

Jonny
 
Hi Guys thanks for all the input, there's been some great suggestions and I'm sure i can improve my technique, but with hand of hand, i still have the problem of not really being able to motor up to the anchor and hand haul when single handed.

I think when I have crew I'm sure there's a better way of me hand hauling, but what is the best and safest way to do it single handed?

Alderney - Arkward to store a large bouy on a small boat
Tripping line?

Any more suggestions/tips for reteiving single handed without leaving the cockpit?

I would prefer when on my own to haul the warp and anchor in to the cockpit where i can control the helm, then stow it later when moored.
 
Moonshiners, you say you have a rope and chain to your anchor. Mine is like this and from the bow roller, I can take the rope to my Genoa winch in the cockpit. My young lad can easily wind in the rope until the chain reaches the winch, then its just a short lift for me on the foredeck to raise the last bit of chain and break out the anchor.
 
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