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The ring and float method of anchor retrieval is really meant for boats that are not equipped with a windlass. The float carries the weight of the anchor to the surface and the anchor wench only has to lift it onto the boat. It’s much easier on her back.




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When another boat had it’s anchor down and could not get the anchor up, we would use our huge shackle to deanchor the other boat. Say the boat set it’s anchor while heading north and could not retrieve it. We would have them shorten the anchor rode as much as possible. We would put the shackle around the anchor rode with a tow line attached to the shackle. We would then drop the shackle down the anchor rode of the disabled boat. The shackle would drop down to the crown of the stuck anchor. When we had it worked all the way down, we would begin towing the disabled boat to the north and pull the anchor up. We could usually get the anchor to surface while towing it. The caution while doing this procedure is that if you do not get the shackle all the way down to the crown of the anchor it would ride back up the anchor rode to the disabled boat and smash into the bow. People would tend to try and grab the shackle before it would hit the boat and then they would get their fingers smashed or cut off.

Interesting I can see how it would work. You could also tell tell the other boat to put it into reverse at idle after your pulling forward.

I have buried anchors in storms. Solution is get the line as vertical as possible and tie it off tight as possible, then the wave action pulls it free of the muck ( if there are any waves).
 
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I have buried anchors in storms. Solution is get the line as vertical as possible and tie it off tight as possible, then the wave action pulls it free of the muck ( if there are any waves).

Right, if the anchor is just buried in muck that'll often work. But if it's snagged under something you'd need to be able to pull in the opposite direction of the shank. Pulling vertical on the shank won't help. Getting one of those rings down there to slide onto the shank might give you pulling leverage to get the anchor out. The trick being getting the ring to slide all the way down the rode/chain and then onto the shank. I'm guessing moving the boat so the rode is near vertical would help it drop over links of chain, but then backing down to let it get pulled onto the shank. But you couldn't really know the angle of the shank at that point as it could be stuck in a way that's not in-line with the rode (sideways under a rock, etc).

I'd think it'd be important to know that such a ring wouldn't then get jammed onto the shank should the extraction effort fail. Then you'd lose the ring and whatever new line you used to get it down there.

And, as always, understand that excessive pulling forces on cleats can be VERY dangerous. It's hard to keep that in perspective when you're aggravated and trying to retrieve something. Overloading the line or cleat can result in near explosive amounts of force being unleashed should things break.
 
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You can put the rode thru the loop before you need it and leave it over the hole into the locker. The when you need it it will already be around the rode and ready to use. It slides down to the anchor and over the shank of the anchor. Then, pulling on the attached line the anchor will be retrieved backwards. No need to do all that circling.
 
Solution is get the line as vertical as possible and tie it off tight as possible, then the wave action pulls it free of the muck ( if there are any waves).


Yea, sometimes that works......then other times it just bends the hell out of your pulpit if you are stupid enough to tie it to the pulpit..... Did finally get it out but it cost $70 to straighten out the pulpit. Tie it off to a cleat, not the pulpit.
 
Yea, sometimes that works......then other times it just bends the hell out of your pulpit if you are stupid enough to tie it to the pulpit..... Did finally get it out but it cost $70 to straighten out the pulpit. Tie it off to a cleat, not the pulpit.

Good idea.

I think the heavier that retrieval ring is the better. You might could make your own design. The idea of the huge shackle would work, if it can slide all the down.
This shackle is so big you could shackle to the pin hole the retrieval line.
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It looks like an anchor retrieval system we had on a sailboat. Install on the anchor rhode before it is attached to the anchor. The bail should be big enough to slip over the shank of the anchor so you can pull it out backwards. Normal position is on the bow, the rhode passing thru the bail. If the anchor is snagged, lower the bail down the taut anchor ride till it is over the shank. Then use the retrieval line to pull the anchor backwards
 
I know what could used and fairly cheap. I threw away one once from a railroad car, a giant steel suspension spring. If the ends are open, the spring could be wound onto the anchor line. An old car spring is the idea. It could be cut shorter maybe 4 to 6 inches, just need a few coil loops. It is definitely heavy enough to get all the way down and want to stay down.
 
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Leave it around your anchor rode hawser pipe with the line through it. Then if you want to use it as a retrieval device or to send a kellet down, it is ready.
 
You can put the rode thru the loop before you need it and leave it over the hole into the locker. The when you need it it will already be around the rode and ready to use. It slides down to the anchor and over the shank of the anchor. Then, pulling on the attached line the anchor will be retrieved backwards. No need to do all that circling.

That XYZ rig would be a bit difficult to pre-rig on my boat. I'd be better off with the split ring style or a big shackle.
 

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If you have a windlass it would be impossible to prerig it on the anchor rode. How would you get it from the rope locker up through the hawse pipe and through the windlass? Go with a huge shackle which can be put around the already deployed anchor rode.
 
If you have a windlass it would be impossible to prerig it on the anchor rode. How would you get it from the rope locker up through the hawse pipe and through the windlass? Go with a huge shackle which can be put around the already deployed anchor rode.


The windlass on my boat is open and you can unwrap the line in case the windlass failes. Didnt know there were other types?
 
A lot of windlasses have a hawse pipe that feeds the rode down into the rope locker. Mine would be physically impossible to feed that device through it.
 
It's a chain chaser, yes used for retrieving anchor if installed before deploying anchor.
 
Yes, I would consider it a last-ditch effort before cutting the anchor free.

This is same basic principal as an anchor ball used on small boats such as center consoles, etc. As a sailor who moved over to the dark side, the first thing I thought about was that this XYZ piece of metal it is shaped like a mast or boom section.
 
I don't know how practical this would be for recovering a stuck anchor. For a boat anchoring in deep water without a functioning windlass it makes a lot of sense.

The best way to retrieve a stuck anchor when all else fails is to dive on it. A very small scuba tank and regulator should do the trick. I've recovered many anchors after a boat has cut them loose. My personal record is finding and recovering 4 anchors and rode in an hour one day at Two Harbors, Catalina Island, CA. You can recover from up to 120 Ft. or so. Some knowlege of decompression sickness would be helpful for any dives below 40 feet or so.
 
Looks kinky....
 
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