How to anchor solo?

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Yup, as Eric said, we have a reel winch on our bow. It's the first one that I have ever had, having always had more conventional winches with an anchor locker in the forepeak.

Ours has a spring-loaded switch on it...push and it runs, let go and it stops. It would be simple to bodge up a wired remote, but it wouldn't be useful because the level wind issue that he mentions requires the operator to be guiding the rode evenly onto the reel.

I do love the reel for the reasons cited above. I happen to also think that it lends a very authentically nautical look to our retired commercial fishing boat.

I normally retrieve the anchor while Donna is at the helm; she has no difficulty responding to my simple hand signals and we're able to be drama-free and silent while doing it. However, were I anchoring solo in a wind and/or current, I would use the winch to bring the boat up to short scope, then toss the stern anchor to hold us while retrieving the bower. I have rear cockpit controls so the stern anchor could be basically retrieved from the helm station.
 
Every time anchoring, back in my mind fearing the anchor will catch a cable, boat wreck, tractor and so on which makes the anchor unrecoverable. Hasn't happened yet. Still, the majority of my boating is between marinas. ... Paranoid me. :eek:
 
markpierce said:
Every time anchoring, back in my mind fearing the anchor will catch a cable, boat wreck, tractor and so on which makes the anchor unrecoverable. Hasn't happened yet. Still, the majority of my boating is between marinas. ... Paranoid me. :eek:
Click to expand...

Freaks me out a bit as well
The thought of having to get the grinder out and chop chain and lose $3k of anchor sends shivers down my spine.
We have hookah and 50m of hose but reality is if 150lb pick is hooked up and can't be busted out I doubt I'll be able to do much on the bottom.

When anchoring in suspect areas i might have to start thinking of swapping over to one of the flock of 100lb disposable ploughs we have loitering in the anchor locker and lazaret.

Eventual plan when we get to asia is to knock up a couple of disposable bugel clones.
 
I've always anchored by myself. Head up-current or up-wind which ever is dominant. Step on the switch near the bow to lower the anchor. Let out most of the 200-foot chain rode. The Chinese-copy Bruce always takes hold in the heavy mud. Attach nylon ropes to the chain if anchoring overnight.
 

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Mark,
What brand Claw have you been using?
 
"The thought of having to get the grinder out and chop chain and lose $3k of anchor sends shivers down my spine."


A trip line and floating ball allow lifting with little effort , and show other cruisers your anchor location.


Never leave port without one!
 
FF said:
"The thought of having to get the grinder out and chop chain and lose $3k of anchor sends shivers down my spine."


A trip line and floating ball allow lifting with little effort , and show other cruisers your anchor location.


Never leave port without one!
Click to expand...


I’ve been interested in this idea for a while. Occasionally we anchor in areas that used to have log booms and there can be old gear and cables on the bottom. I also get nervous about fouling my anchor and have thought a trip line would be great. I’ve just not been able to figure out how to set it up when I may be anchoring in 40-50’ of water with 16’ tide changes.
 
Dave,
Anchoring in Alaska one could assume there would be lots of garbage on the bottom. So I riged up a trip line. Used it 4 or 5 times. Guess I decided it wasn’t worth it. Obviously a smart thing to do ... but?
 
Nomad Willy said:
Mark,
What brand Claw have you been using?
Click to expand...

Don't know. The anchor came from China along with the boat. Ask builder Bill Kimley of Seahorse Marine. Regardless, the anchor works here.

PS. Opted for a Bruce-like rather than a Danforth-like
 
Last edited:
Trip lines ... how often do boats become entangled with same?
 
Never heard of that Mark.
Not supprising either considering how few use them.
I started it listening to Marin promoting the trip line.
I don’t have any expensive or rather valuable anchors. Can easily afford to loose one or two so I’m not a good candidate for trip lines.

But re your question I assume you were refering to the frip line itself and not garbage on the seafloor. Lots of stuff in on the seafloor but then there’s lots of seafloor. I’ve never lost an anchor or part of a rode but once I pulled up an alder tree about the size of our then 25’ Albin boat. Got unhooked after a considerable struggle. That was very close to a big river mouth comming out of Canada. However I’ve never lost gear. And because of all the logging in the NW I’ve always been a bit concerned about it. You guys in the SF Delta are always in “the river” so I’ve always wondered why I’ve not heard tales of lost anchors.
 
"I’ve just not been able to figure out how to set it up when I may be anchoring in 40-50’ of water with 16’ tide changes."

Here on the East coast about 10 ft tides is all that is encountered.

Our setup is a float ball with an eye , and a painted sign that ID's the ball to our vessel.

A line is secured to the anchor crown , passed thru the ball eye and secured to a weight.

In our case we use a sounding lead , as it can be used for its intended purpose too.

The weight does not touch the bottom at low tide , so rides up and down with the tide.

This keeps the anchor ball directly over the anchor , and there is no slack or free line to foul the prop.

Simple , low cost and so far has saved an unknown amount of work on occasion.

Should the anchor line or chain need to be freed in an emergency , the ball/trip line might stay in place to assist later recovery of the ground gear.
 
I have got a Dockmate system installed. You can use in all places on board. It not only provides me with remote engine (two) control and thruster control but also has a remote control for the anchor winch. Great system. It even has a remote control for the horn but I decided to shut that off. It gave too much noise when lowering the anchor, accidentally hitting the button of the horn. :lol:

I can go forward and have the boat on the right spot for lowering the anchor or lifting it.
 
FF said:
"I’ve just not been able to figure out how to set it up when I may be anchoring in 40-50’ of water with 16’ tide changes."

Here on the East coast about 10 ft tides is all that is encountered.

Our setup is a float ball with an eye , and a painted sign that ID's the ball to our vessel.

A line is secured to the anchor crown , passed thru the ball eye and secured to a weight.

In our case we use a sounding lead , as it can be used for its intended purpose too.

The weight does not touch the bottom at low tide , so rides up and down with the tide.

This keeps the anchor ball directly over the anchor , and there is no slack or free line to foul the prop.

Simple , low cost and so far has saved an unknown amount of work on occasion.

Should the anchor line or chain need to be freed in an emergency , the ball/trip line might stay in place to assist later recovery of the ground gear.
Click to expand...


Do you adjust the length of the line at all? If you anchor in 10' of water you would need 10'-20' of line. Anchor in >20' of water and your line will be too short. That is one of the issues that I've thought about, I will anchor in 10' to 50' of depth. I suppose I could just have a variety of lead lines that I could use depending on the depth of water I'm anchoring in.
 
thermal switch disconnect

sunvale1 said:
biggest problem is knowing what I'm doing.
Click to expand...

One more thing... A circuit breaker will trip if too much current pulled on the circuit. If you stalled the winch, the breaker should trip it. If you use it too long, or with too much load, etc, the breaker doesn't know about the heat buildup.

A thermal switch is simply a bi-metal strip that will open the circuit when the heat bends the bi-metal strip so it can't pass current. Once it cools down, it closes the circuit again. There are two lug connectors outside the case, and the hot wire to the winch should go to one lug and the wire to the winch on the other lug. The flat face of the switch bolts to the motor so it can sense the heat buildup.
 
"Do you adjust the length of the line at all?"


Yes, we coil the trip line and it goes up and down with the lead weight.


For the ICW it seldom needs adjustment , if it does the only expense is a wire tie.
 
FF Trying to visualize that set up since its the first I heard of it. Perhaps motoring in the Great Lakes vs the Big water, terms are different.
 
Jim Bouy once made a complicated pulley arrangement to do what FF describes. I think his system should work fine.

Jim Bouy makes an interesting trip line float. It stores the line and only pays out as much line as the water is deep.
Jim Buoy
 
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