Sand Screws

[mandlmaunder]

A Sand Screw is a section (360") of an Archimedes Screw attached to a shaft(mine are 5ft Although they can be much longer) with the top of the shaft having a an inverted D handle on top .
The whole thing can be screwed into sand or other softish bottom until buried to the handle then attach a shackle and line.
Disadvantage - it takes a while to install (20-40 mins per screw).
Advantage - once in it will stay there for a long time with very little or no long term damage to whatever seabed you are in.
- can be removed with less effort than it took to put in.
Dont know how to put up links but try either-Budget marine or Island water world chandlers on line for a picture.

Hope that answers the Q's.
ps we love ours and carry two as part of our hurricane kit.

 

[pendlecats]

It sounds like you have to dive down to set them then.

They do seem very secure if you're staying in one place for a while.

 

[mandlmaunder]

I usually snorkle them in in less than 12-15ft ,once the screw has started you can leave it.
diving is definately quicker though.

 

[HoratioHB]

Still having trouble with this concept - do you do this routinely or are you staying in one place for some time? Presumably you anchor first before setting the screws in? 12 -15 ft of water is quite shallow and often not available so what do you do in 30ft??!! Finally how do you hold yourself still while rotating the screw, I would have thought that you would tend to spin round.

 

[Relax]

Sounds like what happens after a hot night in a beach side bar............. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[LadyJessie]

Sand screws for anchoring??? I thought April 1st was long past. Did I get my calendar in a twist? You are joking, are you not??

 

[jeremyshaw]

No, Mark isn't joking. He's been using these for a while.

Sandscrews are quite commonly used in the Caribbean for fixing permanent moorings. There are a lot in the BVIs and I wish some of the boat boys in the other islands used them rather than old engine blocks.

I've not come across them in the Med (though not been there for 5 years), and they aren't commonly carried by yachts - I guess because they are bulky and take time to install. But they are probably a lot safer and more secure than an anchor, and ideal if you are planning to spend a while in the same spot - you need the right kind of bottom of course.

Whether a sand screw is more effective than an anchor is probably not an easy question to answer. It would depend on the ground, the anchor, and the tackle used on either system. But I think it's a good solution in many ways. It's likely to be easier to carry a couple of sandscrews than two extra anchors, and you'll do a lot less damage to the seabed than will be caused by chain.

 

[JamesFrance]

I just came across this on the Spade anchor web site, so they are available in Europe:

http://www.spade-anchor.com/SCREW-ANCHOR.html

 

[absit_omen]

Not really an alternative to anchoring is it?

I would really love to see some of our forumites attempting diving to get that lot sorted out.

"Gubbbbllle, bubbbbbble, fllllllooobbbbbllllle,, [--word removed--]!!......... glubbbbbblle, bubbbbbbbbllllllle......... FECK!!! .............bubbbbblllllle, fllllluuuuuubbbbbblllle........ BOLLOX!!!!!!!

etc.........

 

[JonJon]

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[ytd]

i've seen them used to winch stuck 4WDs from the sand. never thought there was a marine application. they can be bloody hard to get in unless you have a big winding pole or dig a hole first.