Recovering an Anchor

[Hightower]

I'm interested in how you guys recover Anchors.

I Haven't acually used an Anchor for Solent Viper yet but in my previous boats I've always just hauld them up by hand.

I've been on other boats to include charter fishing boats that recover the anchor by attaching a bouy to the anchor line via a large diameter hoop. Then driving off with anchor rope attached to the boat somewhere and trolling the anchor though the water untill the chain goes though the hoop and the weight of chain keeps the anchor in place till recovery. In one charter boat, this method was employed and the anchor didn't break away from the sea bed causing the bow to turn abruptly and ripping the stainless bow grab rails from the deck.

Is this method safe to use and practical on a RIB if rope was attached to the transom?

[Pete7]

Andy, it's called an Alderney Ring, however if it went pear shaped you might be in touble, there is an awful lot of stuff on the bottom of the Solent to snag.

Try this:

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php?Number=2022750

Pete

[Hightower]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Andy, it's called an Alderney Ring, however if it went pear shaped you might be in touble, there is an awful lot of stuff on the bottom of the Solent to snag.
Pete

Yes I know Pete. I would only employ this method where I was assured of a flattish bottom. Fishing Bembridge would be a no no with this method and might even consider a couple of welded steel reinforcement stays as the anchor.

[BruceB]

I use a slightly modified rig that is easier to store. It consists of a bouy, a carabiner and a small piece of climbing kit.
The little bit of kit is an ascender but, although usually alloy and having moving parts, there is a version that isn't from Petzl. It consists of a chrome plated bent piece of steel with spikes.
I clip the krab to the bouy, put the rope around the rope and clip the krab through the ascender. Then use as normal like an alderney rig.
The anchor comes up and stays up suspended under the bouy when you stop and you simply pull the surface rope into the boat and lift the anchor in.
I also us the same system with a weighted grapnel hooked into wrecks although you need to take up the slack until taught before giving it welly to bend the hooks and release the grapnel. It you just bombed away when it caught it would probably do some damage!
This has worked for me for many years and once you start driving away the anchor lifts straight up so little chance of catching it on the sea bed! As I said I lift grapnels straight out of wrecks using this so the anchor/grapnel is in mid water immediately as long as you take up the slack first.

[Hightower]

Yes, so the secret to sing the Alderney Rig is to take up the slack first. Where do you tie of on a RIB? Off the transom?

[BruceB]

I just use the U bolt on the transom, the strngest point on the boat as the motor is pushing right beside it.
When using grapnels I pull in all slack then give a little bit of throttle till you fell the "ping" and then open her up till you see the bouy suddenly start moving through the water. Once it does this you know the grapnel/anchor it right below it and the ascender jams it there till you get it all in the boat.

[biffer]

on a bruce or like wise try using a trip, basic enough connect the chain not to the stock but to the shoulder end and then cable tie the chain to the stock end, if it gets stuck give it a good yank or motor under tension and the ties break and inverts the anchor, get it back on board and fit new cable ties

[Hightower]

Yes I use cable ties already, but great tip

[jwalker]

If you use this cable tie method, how do you prevent them breaking and releasing the anchor after it is buried and the wind changes direction?

[Hightower]

You seen the size of my cable ties