Clearing Kelp From Anchor

The boat hook works well enough for me. I just stab away at the dangling anchor and lift the kelp up, eventually it all falls away.
 
A bit of fast forward and then reverse with it a few Metres down?

Did you know that if you shove a load of kelp off your anchor just as you're motoring away (out of Bull Hole, to take an example wholly at random) you can get a sodding great lump of it round your propeller and have to spend half an hour cutting it free with a knife lashed to a boat hook?

I do. Now.
 
What's the best tool for clearing kelp from an anchor.

I use the boathook to lift the eye that's intended for a tripping line; that gets most off.
A little bit of patience, or a touch of astern if the engine's running, lets the weed float away to avoid fouling.
 
I have used most of those except the hoe but I was really struggling last week when the bruce brought up most of the seabed. 7 rocks all tangled together with a kelp root on each. It took about 20 minutes to clear it all. I was wondering if one of these would work http://www.lawnmowersworld.co.uk/p/...campaign=PLA&gclid=CPvA2OyIhLkCFfHKtAod3yYA0g

I watched a boat take six goes at setting his anchor in Canna, each time he was coming up with a big ball of seaweed. He was using a bruce as well, other boats were coming in and setting first time. He was using a combination of this hands and the boat hook to clear the weed from his anchor.
 
The Boat Crook has a shepherds crook end. It's very easy to pick up a mooring buoy and clearing weed from the anchor is a doddle. :)
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In Patagonia where hauling kelp up on your anchor is a constant problem the tool of choice is a sharpened hoe on a long pole. Works a treat since you just cut and thrust and it falls away in no time.
 
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