Another use for Bruce Anchors

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Nsail

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Collecting boulders for landscaping! Actually, this situation was quite challenging for a newbie.The darn thing fit in there nicely and would barely budge. Looked like a baseball glove with an oversized ball in it. And it was bigger and heavier than it looks in the picture (55kg anchor). Tried and tried to get it out with a boat hook and used various other methods, but no luck.

Finally, after an hour and a half, a light bulb went off in my head and I attached a trip line. Let out some chain and kerplunk!

I realize that many of you have seen this before, but not me. I read quite a bit about boating and I hadn't read about it before either, so I thought about the ones that haven't encountered this and thought it might help someone at some point.

And, no kidding, all the time I was struggling with this, I kept thinking about Marin and his dislike for Bruce anchors. One more reason Marin!
 

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Interestingly, that's one problem we didn't have with our Bruce. That's a hell of a rock you have there. Where'd you get it?
 
Do I see a swivel??? Uh oh...here we go again!
I`ll print that and pop it under the (paperweight) swivel on my desk.
A fine rock, well caught. Maybe there should be an annual rock fishing competition. BruceK
 
My Bruce 44 picked up two rocks. The first was like the one shown above, and dumped the same way. The second was a monster and I could not lift it above the water. Motored the rock to a dock where it was pried out with an 8ft bar.

I now use a Delta!
 
Gee, I feel like I am missing out:). Our Bruce has never hooked anything more than an old fishing net, but our chain has been hooked by another vessel in Desolation. That was funny watching him trying to get 100' of chain off his anchor. Finally had to go over to their boat, tried my chain off to his bow cleat, lowered his anchor, moved it to the side and got it onboard. Then we simple release the rope around our chain. He left without saying a word or thank you. We had warned them the night before that they were close to our anchor line.
 
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Gee, I feel like I am missing out:). Our Bruce has never hooked anything more than an old fishing net.


Mike, you are probably using the wrong technique. Refer back to the above link for diagrams as to how to use the Bruce as a dragline.:):D
 
You Bruce guys should open your own marine dragline business.:D

Hey, I worked on this baby... Spent many hours setting up the drag, swing and hoist motions too and made lots of money doing so before SCL parked it..
 

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Hey, I worked on this baby... Spent many hours setting up the drag, swing and hoist motions too and made lots of money doing so before SCL parked it..

Now you're talking! Put a winch like that on your anchor, and you can do some serious rock removal.:socool:
 
I think I may buy a bruce anchor for Marin for his dinghy. :)

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I gotta say- our bruce anchor on our trawler holds really well and has never given us any issue at all. However, 2 weekends ago I got a big rock stuck between the flukes and shank on the danforth on our 45!

Off topic but Nsail- would love to see more pictures of your pilothouse- she looks nice.
 
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Yeah!

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I think I may buy a bruce anchor for Marin for his dinghy. :)

3229317957_cbb04a42ec.jpg



I gotta say- our bruce anchor on our trawler holds really well and has never given us any issue at all. However, 2 weekends ago I got a big rock stuck between the flukes and shank on the danforth on our 45!

Off topic but Nsail- would love to see more pictures of your pilothouse- she looks nice.

How much chain do you recommend and what size?:D
 
We already have an anchor for our dinghy. Besides, that one is too small. Our dinghy is nine feet long which means that in order to get a Bruce that could be counted on to hold the Livingston when the wind kicked up a bit, it would need to be nine feet long, too, right?
 
Mark,
I like that little Claw in your death grip. What brand is it?
 
Mark,
I like that little Claw in your death grip. What brand is it?

Eric, I believe it is a Lewmar Claw. Took the photo six months ago at the local West Marine store with the idea of teasing Marin.
 
We had a similar experience with our 88lb Rocna. The first and only time it failed to hold tight first pull was at Cape May opposite the USCG station. Turned out there was a complete cement foundation block - the one with the two large holes - completely impaled on the point of the Rocna. Don't remember how we got it off but it sure did limit how well the Rocna worked!!
 
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