Anchor Saver: is it useful?

davidej said:
I have seen the same thing being done with a cable tie!
Click to expand...

Thw cable tie arrangement is what we have on our fishing boat which anchors in all sorts of places a yacht wouldn't venture.

The trick is to:

a. use a good thick cable tie and
b. work out how many ties you need to put on to avoid tripping unnecessarily.

However, I wouldn't use this method for anchoring a boat on which I was sleeping. If I was concerned about a foul bottom I'd tie a trip line to the crown of the anchor and put a float on it to manually pull the anchor out backwards if needed
 
Salty John said:
I certainly wouldn't deliberately build a weak link into my anchor system.
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Agreed, looks daft . . . we usually check our anchor is set by using full throttle astern, so presumably that would break the weak link every time - otherwise how do you break it when you need to?? (I suppose you could start to winch the boat underwater on the windlass if you have one . . . )

Mad.

- W
 
The effect that is achieved by the demo can be nearly replicated by letting the chain out, motoring to the otherside of the anchor then pulling it slowly away ...
 
webcraft said:
Agreed, looks daft . . . we usually check our anchor is set by using full throttle astern, so presumably that would break the weak link every time - otherwise how do you break it when you need to?? (I suppose you could start to winch the boat underwater on the windlass if you have one . . . )

Mad.

- W
Click to expand...

In practice, with cable ties you can set the anchor at full throttle without tripping the cable ties (because the pull is in-line with the ties). It is only when you pull directly above the fouled anchor that the ties trip. I do this kind of thing almost everytime I go out fishing over foul ground.

But, note my earlier cautions.
 
I have also seen the same thing done with a short piece of rope. I had the same reservation mentioned above. I considered using a tripping line but led back to the bow using weighted rope.
Allan
 
I think my concern would be that there is no way to prevent the system from releasing under a sudden shock load or an out of line pull applied by someone dragging over the chain. All sorts of scenarios. Once released that anchor is useless until a new shearpin is fitted!

An anchor tripping line is still about the best idea. The only worry I have about anchor tripping lines I have seen used is that people tend to use weedy little lines tied to a small bouy. With a 25 kg anchor stuck under a big rock I could see the trip line breaking especially the way my crew treats the anchor :)
 
From the FAQ:
Q Can I rely on Anchor Saver in a heavy blow wind conditions?


A Anchor Saver uses a concept we call “indirect anchor pressure” which means that under a normal 5-1 or 7-1 scope condition there will be minimal pressure on the release pin. However, in a blow over 30 knots, which might include contrary wind and tide conditions, we suggest disarming Anchor Saver by replacing the release pin with a steel pin the same size.
Click to expand...

Also, it would cost 95 quid plus delivery from Florida.
 
I think this must be among the most dangerous things have ever seen for a boat.

Why go to all the trouble and expense of fitting a decent anchor etc. if it can be broked free by 'a good pull' on its chain?

A decent wave,or even the wash from a passing boat could be more than enough to cause your anchor to break free.

I wonder what the insurance companies would say were they aware this was being used?
 
I agree with most of the conservative comments above, if the rode in any way can 'automatically' reverse the pull on the anchor, it's a serious issue. The cable tie idea is fine, but only when there is a constant anchor watch.

A more sophisticated solution is this variant on the anchor chain loop recovery idea:
www.anchorwitch.com

Watch the video.

This obviously doesn't compromise the anchor but still has a lot of caveats that come with it and I wouldn't consider it 100% reliable. The only thing that is is a buoyed retrieval line.
 
Salty John said:
I certainly wouldn't deliberately build a weak link into my anchor system.
Click to expand...

Absolutely!

When moored in the med and relying upon your bow tackle to keep you off the quay in a F8 blow in Hydra, the last thing you want is a deliberate "weak link"

My "Chum" has always helped me out of the few difficult anchor fouling situations I've experienced in 45 years.

Madness, nothing else. Even when on a swinging moor who want's the unpredictability of not knowing when you're going off on a journey to disaster.

Much sooner loose an anchor than the boat. I carry two spare anchors but admit to the negligence of only carrying one hull, one rudder and one keel!

Who posts these absurd ideas and what is their motive?

Chas
 
Last edited:
paulrae said:
Well, if it was a troll or an attempt at backdoor marketing it seems to have misfired.

Whoops!
Click to expand...

I am not a troll and I don't have any type of connection with the product.

I only wanted to have some qualified opinions/confirmations on my own personal doubts.

Thank you

Maurizio Dal Re from Italy
 
Don't worry - the only trolls started posting at the end of the thread ...
Yours is a good question to ask - I hope you got the right answers!
 
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