Trip line

[Krimart]

Rod Heikel reccomends to use a trip line on the anchor on some of the bays described in his "Greek Waters Pilot". As far as I know a trip line can be applied in three ways:

1: With a anchor bouy on the trip line
2: The trip line attached to the boat
3. The trip line attached to the anchor chain

On case 1 and 2 the trip line must be longer then the water depth, in case 2 as long as the chain.

The benifit of using trip line is obvius: easy retreval of a fouled anchor.

In my point of view, however, there are some drawbacks on using a trip line:

When using a bouy there is a problem with space, other yachts may get the trip line in the propeller etc. In bad wather it may be a problem to pick up the bouy.

When using the line to the yacht or attched to the chain, it may get tangeled around the chain.

In all cases there will be additional "work" during anchoring and when lifting the anchor.

What do you sugest, what are your exeperineces?

 

[Amphitrite]

When I felled inclined to use a trip line in some Med ports, I attached a sinking line to the anchor. When dropping the hook, the chain (obviously) sinks a lot faster, so there was never a problem with tangling. Then I belayed the end of the line loosely on a clamp. When needed (which was more than once, esp. in Italy when moored stern-to), it was easy to pull on the line and free the hook...

It is a bit of hassle, but it saves you from diving in murky port waters....

 

[TigaWave]

Always used a bouy, with weighted line so its always tight. Never had a problem getting to the bouy as if the anchors fouled and you pull up on the chain you'll be above the anchor and next to the bouy. No problems with any one fouling the trip line either. Most of my anchoring has been greek islands and Caribbean. It's helped on half a dozen occassions over 15 years, where I would have had serious problems getting the anchor free.

 

[Guest]

We gave up using a anchor buoy after numerous boats anchored on top of it, then someone tried to moor to it.
The last straw was catching two cruisers stealing it. That was all on the way to Gibraltar.

The real use is to extract anchors from being caught on storm chains or cables. The alternate is to have a large stainless ring that can be passed over the chain and shank. This can be dropped onto the anchor once you are vertically above. A line attached to it will then allow the anchor to be pulled out backwards. Bit more hassle, since you have to get the whole chain on deck and thread it. But quite possible.

 

[Hermit]

Or just use a loop of chain shackled round to slide down.

 

[Poignard]

For a mark II version of the above - thread the loop of chain through a double-ended ring spanner so as to form a triangle with the spanner as the base.

 

[steve_cronin]

Over the last three weeks.....

We have rescued four charter boats with fouled anchors and had our own overlaid many times - the latter isn't by any means rare and is often unavoidable.

We carry a trip hook which looks a bit like this:-

to hold up fouling chains so that our anchor can be lowered beneath it and cleared and also a short length of chain on a length of 6mm rope which can be shackled around our or anyone else's who is in trouble's anchor rode and dropped down to get around the crown of our plough anchor and retreive it, sometimes from the dinghy - if it gets caught under seabed chains which have been secured to concrete blocks - common in Greek harbours.

I often wonder why charter companies don't make a trip hook a standard part of the inventory.

Incidentally, as it is rigid, the Delta is the most difficult to release from fouling in my experience so if you're with Sunsail, be very careful where you drop your hook!

We would never use a conventional anchor bouy when mooring stern -to in Greek harbours but might if we were anchored off. Two years ago in Vathy Meganissi a charterer caused chaos by stubbornly insisting on buoying his bow anchor when backed up to the quay - but the Daks & jewellery "Going Ashore Rig" of the ship's company rather gave HIM away!

Steve Cronin

 

[Krimart]

My posting was meant to be about anchoring in a bay, and when the bottom has many large rocks, old mooring chains etc. The "anchor thief" hook as mentioned by the last posting is very useful for freeing your own anchor from someone elses anchor chain, but not if your anchor is stuck under a rock at 10 m depth.

 

[thefatlady]

Wonderful things, trip lines. Putting one on guarantees that the anchor will never be fouled. Omitting one only once will guarantee a fouled anchor.

Something to do with Sod.