ANCHORS

larglo · Post by **larglo** » Tue Aug 18, 2009 2:23 pm

Hi all,

I am new to this boating thing having only bought my first boat about a month ago. I admit, I have never used the anchor on my F25 Trojan. But looking at it with the sharp point on it, to me, looks as if I ever dropped it into the water, this thing would stick into the mud, or get hooked on something and never be able to raise it up again.
My son has a pontoon boat and he uses a mushroom anchor. Also wanting to add an anchor "pulpit", would it be possible to use a 20/25 lb mushroom anchor, instead of the one that was on the boat when I bought it. I don't want to be laughed at or anything, but do any of you use a different anchor.
I thought about putting on the pulpit, use the anchor, but then have a 20/25 mushroom anchor in the stern and use it. But want to get your ideas to what is proper, and is this anchor as bad to use as I think?
Thanks for any suggestions.

Larry

Tuck · Post by **Tuck** » Tue Aug 18, 2009 2:42 pm

welcome aboard, larglo!

i do believe you're going to want, and grow to love, that point on the anchor. hehe

what type is it? danforth (a fork looking bit that swivels with two prongs)?

one of the big factors you have to consider is the wind. it'll catch your boat, and you want something that'll dig in and help secure you...trust me. and a mushroom just isn't going to cut it, IMHO.

if you get stuck, there are common tricks to get the anchor up, and they're not difficult at all.

do yourself a favor, and forget about the mushroom.

just my .2

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Tue Aug 18, 2009 10:38 pm

A 1000 pound mushroom will work but I would stick with the danforth if the ancor don't stick it won't hold

nowlings · Post by **nowlings** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:01 am

I'm in agreement as well... You need that pointed one especially for the bow anchor. It will come up easy enough when you need to leave (Pull vertically while directly over the line). Since this is your first boat, I recommend you pick up a Chapmans piloting book as a good reference bible. This is a huge help and I learned a ton from this book especially when I started out. I still use it for reference from time to time. There is a ton of stuff on anchor types as well as anchoring techniques.

Have fun![/i]

randyp · Post by **randyp** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 8:56 am

Mushrooms are great for setting docks and moorings. We use 200 lb mushrooms and 60-100 feet of 3/8" chain to set our docks and rampways at our club (it's a coop club where the members do all the work). We have 125 slips and can accommodate boats up to 60' with 20' beams. So I know a LOT about mushroom anchors.....

By comparison I use a 13lb Danforth anchor on the mighty Blue Heron, with 10' of 3/8" chain and 200' of 1/2" nylon rode (rope). It's held in 45mph winds.

larglo · Post by **larglo** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 9:49 am

Well, you all got me convinced and will keep the anchor the boat came with. I also looked up the Chapmans piloting book and found it at Amazon, so will get it as soon as possible.
Thank you very much for all your help.

Larry

wowzer52 · Post by **wowzer52** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 9:16 pm

Larglo, you can do an "anchor" search on this site and find more info.

larglo · Post by **larglo** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 11:20 am

wowzer52,

I did that and did find some interesting info. But now I have an even bigger problem. Just my wife and I will be the only ones on board 95% of the time. (we are in our mid to late 60's)
I may be able to get the anchor set by myself, but retriving it sounds like a two person job, one at the anchor and one at the helm to power the boat. My wife is not one I would trust at the wheel. She's a great gal, but not the type to master more than just, perhaps steering the boat in open waters.
We are slipped at the Percy Priest Lake just outside Nashville TN. Although we may get out in the open lake from time to time, we most likely, if we do anchor, only do so in no deeper than 10 feet of water to do a little fishing in a nice cove in calm waters. I'm looking into a windless, and don't know if that would help in a one man operation or not, not knowing how they work?

Thanks for the help.

Larry

Tuck · Post by **Tuck** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 11:29 am

hey larglo...didn't realize that you were so close.

listen, i may be a whipper snapper (42), but i don't think you'd have that bad of a time with the anchor. i have a 25-30 pound (if i recall right...you can see it on the rail of my boat in my signature pic)...i have a bad back and knees from a motorcycle wreck about 3 years ago, and my wife REFUSES to do anything but lay on the deck and read books. point is, i rarely have problems getting it out of the water. you'll have to play with it until you have your own system down on how to do it without killing yourself, but really...it's not that big of a deal.

what i would suggest is to take it out with someone who can help you in case you DO have trouble, and play with it a couple of times BEFORE you go spend the money on a windlass.

i've looked into a windlass myself, for the reasons stated above, and can't really justify the expense. it'd be nice to have one, but i'm not crippled...yet. lol

btw...between g36, capt don, me, and now yourself, i'm starting to realize they're more of us trojans in the southeast...around chattanooga...than i thought. good deal!

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 12:34 pm

larglo wrote:wowzer52,
I did that and did find some interesting info. But now I have an even bigger problem. Just my wife and I will be the only ones on board 95% of the time. (we are in our mid to late 60's)
I may be able to get the anchor set by myself, but retriving it sounds like a two person job, one at the anchor and one at the helm to power the boat. My wife is not one I would trust at the wheel. She's a great gal, but not the type to master more than just, perhaps steering the boat in open waters.

A windlass would make the anchoring procedure a one person operation.
Suggestion.... why not consider having a pro give your wife some lessons in boat handling? [It really is not that difficult to handle a boat well for anchoring.]
The benefits of having the crew able to handle the boat are many:
say you became incapacitated on the boat she could get the boat and you back to the dock. (the number one reason my wife wanted to become capable at the helm... she is still happy to let me do all the work, though it is very convenient to be able to hand over the helm and head below when needed.)

Handling the boat for non windlass anchor retrieval is quite simple and would allow you to do the work on the bow.

Of course providing you have no currents to deal with one could motor the boat above the anchor, shift to neutral and proceed to the bow to retrieve it, then return to the helm and get underway (you might be surprised how easy it is to free any anchor from directly above)..... I prefer my above suggestion.

Up here in Canada we often drop anchor and tie back to shore using a dinghy to take the lines ashore..... my wife much prefers to man the helm to back down, lengthen anchor rode, etc: while I dinghy to shore and climb among the rocks. It did not take her long to become comfortable (and me too) with handling the shifters to hold it in a static position while I do the grunt work ashore!

wowzer52 · Post by **wowzer52** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:11 am

Larglo, Check into an anchor ball. very easy to use and you can pull the anchor from the back of the boat if you want to with it still tied to the bow. The anchor line goes through the directional hasp that is attached to the ball and when you drive past the set anchor the boat pulls the anchor up and the ball holds it at the surface and all you have to do is pick it from the water and put it on board. My wife and I have both used them for years and my wife can do it by herself and she's in her fifties. They are perfect for boats up to 30ft. They are used alot by smaller fishing boats but they work great and only cost about $35. Check it out and see what you think before you buy a windless.

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:25 am

As Larry is new to boating here are some links to the anchor ball wowzer52 is talking about... took me a while to find them as a 'anchor ball' Google search came up with anchor ball game and the daytime anchor signals.

http://www.westmarine.com/1/1/28192-anc ... arine.html
http://www.southchathamtackle.com/How_T ... r_Ball.htm
http://www.chinook34.com/chandlery/anch ... 31584.html

and reading here
http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-for ... water.html
covers a lot of pros and cons for the ball, not recommended for shallow water, suggests to me you are still better off to go the windlass route so you don't have to leave the helm.
Of course correct retrieval, where one is only pulling up the weight of the anchor after the boat power/load has dislodged it should still be the cheapest. You could retrieve it at the stern.... in fact in the shallow temporary anchoring you described why not use a smaller lighter anchor deployed from the aft end and tied off there? You can then retrieve it prior to leaving by yourself without venturing too far from the helm.

A windlass and one of these can be a pretty cheap way to go:
http://www.bosunsupplies.com/Anchor_RollerTable.CFM

RWS · Post by **RWS** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 8:14 am

Age and physical ability is an individual issue.

10' of water in a peaceful lake cove is different than dealing with deep water and a strong current.

I added a windlass in 2002 and have been very happy with the upgrade, however my saltwater conditions here are different than what you are dealing with up there.

If you get a windlass, consider a wireless remote. They're not expensive and you could be at the bow operating the anchor singlehandedly.

I'd like to add a wireless in th efuture.

RWS

ready123 · Post by **ready123** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 11:49 am

RWS wrote:Age and physical ability is an individual issue.
10' of water in a peaceful lake cove is different than dealing with deep water and a strong current.
I added a windlass in 2002 and have been very happy with the upgrade, however my saltwater conditions here are different than what you are dealing with up there.
If you get a windlass, consider a wireless remote. They're not expensive and you could be at the bow operating the anchor singlehandedly.
I'd like to add a wireless in th efuture.
RWS

Wireless control for boat power? to allow one to be at the bow controlling the windlass, right.
<aside>I did see an effective use of a wireless controller a few weekends ago... this 50+ ft Sea Ray came alongside the dock and the captain stepped onto the dock with his wireless thruster controller in hand

(bow & stern) and was able to stand next to the dock hands while positioning the boat using the thrusters to make their line handling as easy as possible!

My windlass has the controls at the helm... our usage is the crew (when present) is at the bow with washdown and to signal rode angle position. The helm position does anchor retrieval and boat manouvering. When single handling my boat the bridge helm station windlass control works well and I just forgo the washdown step..... Yeah, I do go to the bow to remove any "salad" on the Bruce before getting underway!

I have seen other's in my boating area who do the retrieval from the bow position... I'm not a fan of that method of operation I think boat and anchor is best under the control of one person from the helm.... though wireless boat controls at the bow windlass control position would negate that concern for me. Though I still lean towards the bridge/helm being the best place due to good visibility of the whole anchorage.

g36 · Post by **g36** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 7:21 am

i'm not trying to get in the middle of the windlass debate but ready123 i believe they are talking about a windlass remote not remote controls of boat power see link below. (they do have the 5 button option for thrusters) this could easily be installed on any brand windlass with solenoid. in my opinion it would be handy even if given to the wife to use while shes observing the anchor coming up from the bow while you control the boat from the helm. if single handling then you can use the remote from the helm or use the helm control, the best of both worlds.
http://www.westmarine.com/1/1/21826-3-b ... ewmar.html
of course west marine is by far not the cheapest place to purchase this

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