Making an anchor trip float + line

tudorsailor

tudorsailor

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There I was about to launch my not shiny new Rocna when nearby English yachty yells that there is some sort of cable on the sea bed and suggest I should set a trip line on the anchor. Having never done this before I realise that I do not have a length of thinnish line and a small float. Attaching several mooring lines to a fat fender was a possibility or simply anchoring away from the hazard.

For future purposes, what size & composition of line should I use for my trip to be strong enough to pull on a 40Kg Rocna? What size float would go with this?

Thanks

TudorSailor
 
On the occaisions that I set a trip line for my 35Ilb CQR (sorry luddite) I use 6mm line with one end tied off on the anchor the line threaded through a small pick up buoy and then tied off on a heavy shackle ~2Ilb weight which is then closed around the line to the anchor ie it runs up and down the tripping line and keeps the buoy above the anchor with a taught line at all states of tide. I suppose if need be I could lift the anchor and chain with it preferably using the winch but have never had to.
 
tudorsailor said:
There I was about to launch my not shiny new Rocna when nearby English yachty yells that there is some sort of cable on the sea bed and suggest I should set a trip line on the anchor. Having never done this before I realise that I do not have a length of thinnish line and a small float. Attaching several mooring lines to a fat fender was a possibility or simply anchoring away from the hazard.

For future purposes, what size & composition of line should I use for my trip to be strong enough to pull on a 40Kg Rocna? What size float would go with this?

Thanks

TudorSailor
Click to expand...


You don't pull on a trip line with the boat lying to the anchor. Head the boat up towards the anchor till the chain is straight up and down and then lift. The tripping line is attached to the opposite end to the chain an just bodily lifts the anchor the wrong way up so it does not foul wires, moorings etc. The tripping line only has to be strong enough to lift the weight of anchor and chain. I use old topping lifts and bring the tripping line back to the boat rather than clutter the anchorage with buoys . Just leave enough slack so the chain does its job. Never had a problem!
 
tudorsailor said:
There I was about to launch my not shiny new Rocna when nearby English yachty yells that there is some sort of cable on the sea bed and suggest I should set a trip line on the anchor. Having never done this before I realise that I do not have a length of thinnish line and a small float. Attaching several mooring lines to a fat fender was a possibility or simply anchoring away from the hazard.

For future purposes, what size & composition of line should I use for my trip to be strong enough to pull on a 40Kg Rocna? What size float would go with this?
Click to expand...
12 mm polyester would do the trick.
Don't use something that floats.

Use a shackle on the anchor's trip attachment point if it's not obvious, rope will chafe.

Any size buoy really, just get a small buoy that's brightly colored and easy for you to collect with a boat hook or whatever. It might be an idea to mark "This is not a mooring buoy" or something more colorful on it to discourage less erudite boaters.

www.rocna.com/kb/Buoyed_retrieval_line
 
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Petehb has the right approach or at least the same one I use, my main difference is that my marker buoy has a little bit a writing on it telling anyone who picks it up and tries to moor on it that the fee is $150 per day.
Have had several numpties try to moor on it, mainly in the Grenadines and Bequia and the only thing that worked was the thought of coughing up large chunks of money. The boat boy moorings are $25 a night. Anchoring in most bays is free!

6mm polyprop is well upto the job of breaking out our 20kg Delta.

Mark
 
Something like this:
untitled.JPG
 
When I set atripping line ,I stop it to the chain using lightweight cable ties,up to max HW ,any spare line coiled at that point.When retrieving anchor,cable ties are easily snapped when necessary.I use a lot of cable ties ,but I don't have to worry about propellors fouling a buoy,or some numpty picking it up!
 
If you have not got a suitable trip line buoy, pop round to B&Q and buy a toilet cistern ball float and a 2" brass screw.
Replace the pin in a shackle with the 2" brass screw and screw into the ball float.

Much cheaper than anything from a chandler (but not as cheap as a used 6 pt milk container) ;)
 
LadyInBed said:
If you have not got a suitable trip line buoy, pop round to B&Q and buy a toilet cistern ball float and a 2" brass screw.
Replace the pin in a shackle with the 2" brass screw and screw into the ball float.

Much cheaper than anything from a chandler (but not as cheap as a used 6 pt milk container) ;)
Click to expand...

Would a toilet ball really support the weight of 10+m of 12mm poyester line? Surely not

Tudorsailor
 
tudorsailor said:
Would a toilet ball really support the weight of 10+m of 12mm poyester line? Surely not

Tudorsailor
Click to expand...

I reckon it would in calm conditions but probably not with 3 knots of current running, but if you have an anchor that needs a 12mm line to lift it then I guess you wouldn't notice the cost of a larger buoy :rolleyes:
6-8mm would do for 'normal' anchors.
 
One of the reasons that I use Poly Prop is that it is buoyant! so it will not need to be supported by the float but the weight will need to be heavy enough to keep the excess down in the water column.

Great graphic Shmoo, exactly what the doctor ordered!

Mark
 
tudorsailor said:
Would a toilet ball really support the weight of 10+m of 12mm poyester line? Surely not
Click to expand...

A couple of months back I lugged a three seater sofa out of a 3rd story flat on 8mm polypropylene, don't you think your trip line might be a tad over-specced?

From a rope seller on poly rope:-
Code: 
Size  Approx Breaking Strain
6mm    550 Kg
8mm    960 Kg
10mm  1425 Kg
12mm  2030 Kg
16mm  3500 Kg

Anyway, for 12mm polyester rope (2.2 tonnes breaking load):-
Weight per metre - 0.09545kg

So 10M would be just shy of a kilo so your cistern ball must displace ~1 litre approximately a 12cm diameter sphere, unlikely to be a problem especially with submerged rope.
 
You need the thickness partly for comfort of handling. You probably could trip and lift an anchor with braided kite line, but it would be like a cheese wire!
 
xxyyzz said:
Anyway, for 12mm polyester rope (2.2 tonnes breaking load):-
Weight per metre - 0.09545kg

So 10M would be just shy of a kilo so your cistern ball must displace ~1 litre approximately a 12cm diameter sphere, unlikely to be a problem especially with submerged rope.
Click to expand...

To that you need to add the weight in Shmoo's diagram that holds the line taut. That weight must be more than the weight of the line on the other side - so add another 1 kg.

I make it that the cistern ball must now be at least 16cm in diameter (less a bit because things weigh slightly less in water).

I would be tempted to use 12mm line for mine. Not because it is necessary, but because I have plenty of it (eg. from a former halyard).:p
 
Angele said:
To that you need to add the weight in Shmoo's diagram that holds the line taut. That weight must be more than the weight of the line on the other side - so add another 1 kg.

I make it that the cistern ball must now be at least 16cm in diameter (less a bit because things weigh slightly less in water).

I would be tempted to use 12mm line for mine. Not because it is necessary, but because I have plenty of it (eg. from a former halyard).:p
Click to expand...

Good point, a quick google suggests that a B&Q standard ball float is 11.43cm in diameter so is insufficient if you want line thick enough to exert 2 tonnes of force to trip your anchor. ;)
 
xxyyzz said:
Good point, a quick google suggests that a B&Q standard ball float is 11.43cm in diameter so is insufficient if you want line thick enough to exert 2 tonnes of force to trip your anchor. ;)
Click to expand...

Agreed.

In that case we should revert to the 6 pt (= 3 + a bit litres) plastic milk bottle suggested by LadyInBed, which has the advantage of requiring no modification, since the carrying handle will act as a block! :)
 
I have seen boats drag becuse another boat (or even the anchored boat) has swung and caught the anchor bouy. I therefore incorporate a weak link (I use a cable tie) between the float and the main line. The weak link normally sits a couple of meters below the surface, but there is enough slack in the main line that the section below the weak link can be reached if the anchor needs to be pulled out backwards.
It also removes the risk of someone mooring to the anchor float.
A bit of beachcombing will reveal some suitable floats and it helps get rid of some litter.
 
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If a weight is used to keep the line taught not only will its weight be correspondingly reducing the effective weight of the anchor (e.g. a 4 lb weight would reduce the effective weight of a 24 lb ancor by 17%) but also upsetting it balance. What sort of weight has proved suitable in others' experience?
 
The only problem with anchor trip float and line out here (Greece) is the busy anchorages. Summer is full of charter boats that do not have a clue, most enter day or night with no consideration for anything.
There's always the risk of someone snagging and loosing your line and float or getting a fouled prop on your trip line and then drifting about aimlessly and a chance that it's your own boat they hit.

IMO it's far better if possible to take the line up with the chain or getting ones self a tripping hook.
Ours is like a large stainless steel hook with a 10mm line to it's eye as in a fishing hook with a another eye just after the radius with a 6mm tripping line.

Just in case someone asks, how does that work...........

If you get snagged, let's say on an anchor chain raise your anchor till you can see the snagged chain and hook it and cleat off the 10mm line, then lower your anchor till free and stow, now lower the 10mm line till the weight is of and pull the 6mm trip line and off you go.

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