Keeping Anchor Warp from getting in a mess

[Chris]

Any idea as to the best way to store the anchor warp to stop it getting into a mess.?

I have some thick rubber straps that I use on either end of the coil to try and avoid snarlups however this only helps a bit.

Ideally some sort of soft bag or spool ?

[John Kennett]

Coiling a long warp so that it pays out reliably can be a problem, especially on the occasions when you really need it not to tangle!

I don't coil the rope, but make it into a "daisy chain" (or caver's plait, or chain sennit) which is very easy to pay out in an emergency without tangling. Pictures and instructions here.

That just gets stuffed into a canvas bag and I know that if I need to anchor in a hurry it will pay out without tangling. The downside is that it takes a while to daisy chain it all back up again, so may not be the best solution if you use the anchor often.

For frequent use then a spool might be a good option. I remember someone having a reel of flat webbing that seemed to work well and took up very little space. Not sure where you'd get such a thing though.

[PeterR]

I use a spool it works for me very well.I pass a rope through the centre with a small marker bouy(just in case i drop it)tied to it which i hold this loop.Drop the anchor and chain and it all spools out

[Mollers]

Decent rope is a must, I use a quality plait, nasty nylon twist won't lie neatly. As JK suggested, don't coil the rope, flake it into the locker as best you can.

[GJ0KYZ]

"..don't coil the rope, flake it into the locker as best you can".

I agree - coiling just puts twists in the rope; just "layer" it into the locker as it comes.



My recent origami: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gj0kyz

[Lundy Osprey]

What is the maximum length of rope you use John?

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by GJ0KYZ

"..don't coil the rope, flake it into the locker as best you can".

I agree - coiling just puts twists in the rope; just "layer" it into the locker as it comes.



My recent origami: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gj0kyz

Thats what I always do - maybe the thicker the rope the easier it is to handle???

[jwalker]

Octoplait lies much better than other rope types.
If you need to coil a rope you can make each loop go in the opposite direction to prevent the twisting. It has the disadvantage of putting one loop each side of the bundle but at least it doesn't twist.

John's method is useful too if you need a rope of different lengths cos you can just put a finish wherever you need to stop the length.

[Hightower]

Yeh all of the above...High quality rope and just evenly spread out across the anchor locker. Then try to weigh it down as evenly with the chain over the top of the rope at 90 dergrees (this helps it stay in one place) and then try not to disturb the rope when the anchor goes in (this is where a lot of tangles can happen with coils being pushed under each other).

I do a fair amount of fishing during the summer months and one thing that I have noticed is that if you use your anchor more frequently or repack the Anchor line from time to time, this stops the rope from compacting and this prevents the tangles.

[John Kennett]

Originally Posted by Lundy Osprey

What is the maximum length of rope you use John?

50m - it's an old climbing rope.