Help- to not lose another anchor

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Elza_Skip

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A little while ago we anchored Wispy off Barry in about 4M into mud for a lunch stop.

When time to go we could not free the anchor which is a 6kg Delta on 8mm chain. We took up all the scope and went forward and backwards, seized the winch and 2 of us could not shift it so we cut the chain.

(tip- if cutting a chain link make sure you wash away all the iron filings before they rust on the gel coat doh!)

So we now have a shiny new anchor and want to make sure we do not lose it again. What sugestions does the forum have for rigging a tripping line whilst keeping it all simple and untangled?
 
If you are just down for a lunch stop then a line with a fender on the end should be sufficient.
There are a couple of problems with this though:
It is antisocial in a crowded anchorage where you could expect someones boat to be sat close to your anchor
Another boater could come along and try and pick it up thinking it is either a free fender or mooring buoy.

If anchored for a tide/wind change or two it is possible that the line would become entangled with the chain.
 
Hi vernon
Bristol channel is the worst place ive ever anchored using a 15 kilo bruce ive pulled up rocks bigger than footballs
Loads of anchors in the drying bit on the nrth east of steep holm
Ive never lost a anchor there but seen fishermen going astern a remarkable speed in order to free them selves
Just par for the course I reckon in the area
You could try fitting a tripping line but if your stuck your stuck
and only thing ive been able to do is give it a bit of welly in every direction i can
Good luck
 
Not helpfull but anyway. We had managed for years with just 20 mtrs of chain. I got from the forum 60 mtres. Installed it whilst on the hard, then dunked in water.

First time I used it was complicated. Not going into it now. Thing was, the anchor got stuck. I was on my own.

Only bought the chain the day before, so did not fancy loosing it.

Chain was taunt. 10 mtrs of water. Ten mtres of chain out.

Eventually, I got the chain free and let out 30 mtres by hand. Swung the boat round 180 deg and backed out to windward.. Then tried the anchor. It came up no problem.

Not saying this will always happen. Just that taking the wieght off the anchor, then pulling it out the other way, might do the trick!
 
I always use a tripping line unless I know I can dive to the anchor and attach one if needed, clear water and not too deep.
You can always bring the tripping line back to the boat, leave it slack, then even if it does get a few turns as the boat swings round its easy to unwrap. In practice it is unlikely th eboat will perform more than a few turns even overnight.

Bouyed anchor has never been a problem either, it stops boats anchoring directly over your anchor so that if you have to leave you can pull up to it to break it out. Just mark it and leave a weight on a pulley so that it is always directly over the anchor with a tight line.

If you do have to cut an anchor away in an emergency, mark it and come back later with a diver?
 
shackle the anchor at the business end, then lay the chain along the shank and fasten with a heavy cable tie or cord, if it fouls again motor up to it until up and down then either a good heave or a pull will break the tie and the hook will come up backwards. If this fails you will have to do as H says and motor around it, but the weak tie will give first and give a fighting chance.
 
Agree with hlb. We had an instance last season where our anchor got well and truly wedged under a rocky shelf. No amount of pulling and going forward/astern would free it. In the end, I let a whole load of more chain out, motored around 180deg the other side of the anchor and pulled from there. Basically letting more chain out changed the angle of pull enough to be able to rotate it and eventually free it
 
I use a tripping line but..........

If all else fails try one of these

www.anchorsup.com/

I was told to tap the anchor with it and it would know not to get stuck! up to now I have never used it although I have to say I can count on one hand how many times I anchor in a season!

There is also some very good information on the site re picking up an anchor.

Tom
 
Can be V difficult to remove an anchor from mud - particularly if there is a clay sub-base.

The two succesful techniques I use are:

1. Shorten chain so that you are vertically above the anchor. As the bow bobs down into the trough of a wave, take in the slack around your winch or a cleat (don't be tempted to hold it). As the bow bobs up again it should start the anchor out. You may need to try this a few times.

2. Whilst on a reasonably short scope of chain, motor backwards in the direction opposite that the anchor is lying. Important that as soon as it has broken out that it is retrieved.
 
We got ours stuck this year in Studland.
It picked up an old chain.
We were well away from and buoys as well.

Tried the let more out and motor round etc - didnt shift it.
So we lifted it as high as we could with the winch - swam down the chain and looped a mooring line round the rogue chain and back up to the boat. Fixed both ends of the mooring line to the boat and then lowered the anchor so that it cleared the chain - worked a treat so all that was left to do was to slip the mooring line and we were off.

Wouldnt like to do it again though - I do like the rewinding anchor trip buoy above - would HAVE to label it "No Mooring PLEASE".
 
I am with fluffc if it's just stuck in the mud and hurricane if it's looped around a chain (I think I was actually in Studland watching him that day; later on most boats had gone etc..........)

Another thought, especially in such shallow water, would be to greate a loop of chain around your rode attached to another rode and lower it down. Ideally using a tender work the chain back along the main rode with the boat lying to the anchor on a reasonable scope. Then dump all the main rode, collect the new one from the tender and head of 'upstream' pulling the anchor out backwards (if you are lucky - sideways if not!)
 
Agree with Duncan and fluffic

Clay/mud

Take up the slack.
Usually a rising tide that will do the work for you.
Even if tide is falling the waves/ wash will lift out the anchor.

I never struggle, nature has far more power than I , I just organise the crew to bring another beer and wait.

If there is plenty of safe water I usually take up the chain to almost tight before I get ready to leave, by the time I start the engines we have usually broken free with no effort.
 
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