Anchor Ball Poll

[Giggitoni]

Black anchor ball in Prospect Slough, California Delta. It's litigation proof!

 

[janice142]

Mounting aboard Seaweed was relatively simple. I had an old VHF base on the pilothouse. The stainless pipe is the shaft from an old trolling motor that gave up the ghost. One hole drilled near the bottom (3/8") and I through-bolted it to the VHF base.

But, there was a problem. The doggone pipe would rotate (port or starboard) so I added the cap from a bottle. That won't let it tip and solved the vertical issues.

The old flag pole fits into the 3/4" stainless pipe. Tied at the top of the flagpole it does quite well, HOWEVER I also added a line to the bottom of the black ball and tied it off to a hand rail. I like things secured twice just in case one goes belly up.

It's above the anchor light in the daytime and invisible at night. The light in the picture is a steaming light. I've got a Bebi Owl forward of that, attached to an old GPS puck from eons ago.

If this were April 1 I'd suspect this entire black anchor ball discussion is a joke and all those photos are just radar reflectors painted black.

And yes, it is the exact same design. You could simply paint one black, then clean off the black chips of paint from your boat when it doesn't adhere well. Though plastic, the material is not crisp -- it won't break. And mine has not deteriorated in years of use.

It was good money spent. That second line was the best idea ever. I could have lost it a couple times were it not for the safety of the spare line.

 

[caltexflanc]

A round radar reflector does dual purpose; some of the boats we chartered had them and I used them that way. As noted above, a lot of places I liked to anchor in the California Delta were sloughs with through traffic. Many spots along the ICW like that but we usually tucked off in a side water. On the Hatt, the few times I showed one, I attached a small black Polyform round fender to one of my 16 foot antennas, which easily folded down to get under bridges so deploying the "ball" was a snap.

 

[janice142]

Correction: the bolt is 1/4"

 

[jleonard]

Lots of people in cars don't use turn signals either.

Yes but most do.
I only telling my experience.
Bottom line no one in my cruising area uses one.
LI Sound, Garders Bay, Block I Sound, Naragansett Bay, Hudson River, or on my two trips in
Canada.

 

[stubones99]

how do you quantify crazy?

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. 99. "how do you quantify crazy?"

I rest my case....

 

[loafs and fishes]

Now I am in compliance.

 

[markpierce]

great, L&F.


Please don't display when underway.

 

[dhmeissner]

"Balls!" said the Queen,
if I had two, I'd be King.

The King laughed, not because he wanted to,
but because he had two.

 

[Wxx3]

"Balls!" said the Queen,
if I had two, I'd be King.

The King laughed, not because he wanted to,
but because he had two.

This may be the most witty ditty I have ever read on TF.

Thks

 

[GFC]

+1 to the "never seen one before". I've boated for several decades both in the PNW and on the Great Lakes.

 

[Marin]

I've seen them in this area but only on anchored commercial vessels, mainly tugs.