Adios Anchor and Chain - Uh Oh!

[Finding Id]

So I went out this weekend on the second voyage on the new boat. Everything was fantastic, with the exception of the anchor rode snapping and losing 200' of chain and an anchor!

Now I have to devise a way to possibly drag for it, or have a friend dive for it, only problem is that the water is quite murky, with a bit of current (on a river) and I dont want to send him down there to get it alone as well. Not worth the danger.

Its sitting in about 50-60' of water.

Any thoughts?

[Dune]

If you know which way it lies, grapple perpendicular. Good luck.

[Cheechako]

Buy one of those big retrieval magnets like West Marine used to sell. See if you can move it around until it grabs something, send the diver down that line to firmly attach it. Boy... you're gonna have to know real close where you lost it though....

[Finding Id]

I'm pretty sure I know exactly where it is within approx 10 ft. I think maybe Ill try dragging a magnet?

[Cheechako]

Yea, those big magnets might work!... might even pick up the chain... if you could just find the end! or once you locate it with the magnet try a three prong grapple with sharp points

[Sandero]

You will not have the power to lift the chain. At best you might have the magnet "stick" to the chain... and the diver might be able to follow it down to whatever it stuck to.

[Finding Id]

Originally Posted by defjef

You will not have the power to lift the chain. At best you might have the magnet "stick" to the chain... and the diver might be able to follow it down to whatever it stuck to.

I should only be lifting approx. 50 ft of chain which should be about 100-150lbs? The other thing I thought might work, is that if I found that it stuck to something, attaching the magnet/rope to the rope portion of my windlass and cranking it up at the bow.

West marine has recovery magnets that lift 200lbs, hopefully they are sticky enough.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Finding Id

I should only be lifting approx. 50 ft of chain which should be about 100-150lbs? The other thing I thought might work, is that if I found that it stuck to something, attaching the magnet/rope to the rope portion of my windlass and cranking it up at the bow.

.

If the magnet hits the chain you will probably be lifting a bight of chain, about 100 feet, not 50. Don't think the magnet will do it. Try a grappling hook. Hope you have a windlass to put the line on.

[Finding Id]

Good point, odds are probably pretty low Ill get the tail end of it. Yeah, I have a windlass to put it on.

[Cheechako]

The magnet will not likely lift the chain, they might do 200 lb in a perfect situation, but a chain is not a very flat easy to grab shape for a magnet. Once the magnet is on the chain, you could very likely get the right grapple to grab the chain though. How about a few very large treble fish hooks (like 2" hooks) on a strong dacron 1/8" line?

[Finding Id]

Thats a good Idea. I've got an old climbing rope I think I'll use, and maybe I can slide the grapple down the rope attached to the magnet to hook onto the chain.

[Cheechako]

I once dropped a brand new anchor off the bow while trying to see how it fit the roller. It was in very murky 23 ft water in the chesapeake. I just bit the bullet and free dove with snorkel gear to find it. Even though I knew exactly where it was, it took several dives to actually find it....

[nautical62]

First I'm sorry to hear of your problem, but wow - a rode snapping? It must have been in incredibly worn condition, horribly undersized or not intended for that use.

Does a rode in such condition still have any value to you or are you really only recovering the anchor? The answer to that may affect how much money and effort you are willing to spend to in an attempt to retrieve it. It seems to me if you know where it is within 10 feet, but think a magnet will not lift the rode, and need a diver anyways, the magnet serves no real purpose. A diver with a boat hook should be able get a line on a chain if you know the location that exactly.

Best of luck with the recovery.

[Finding Id]

It looked ok from the exterior, though I think now, it was probably about as old as the boat itself, Im not sure of its age. I should have replaced it since it was a relative unknown. The chain itself was in fine condition, but the rope at the end is what snapped.

[Strygaldwir]

If the grapple doesn't work. Drop an anchor in the spot, have the diver use it as a decent line, have him take a tether and extra line with him. When he gets to the bottom have him tether his BC to the anchor line. Find the anchor and attach the end of the rode to the new anchor. He can then ascend and you should be able to pull the new and old anchor up.

It would have to be a lot of current to need the tether. But, I have seen pretty bad, better to have the tether just in case.