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KISS · 04-10-2014, 10:14

Suppose I have an all chain rode.

And suppose I don't want to have a windlass: electric or manual.

And suppose I can raise my anchor by hand IF there's no current/wind working against me, and IF the anchor is not too hard set.

And suppose I have no motor: so I can't motor up on the anchor.

How do I raise the anchor in less than ideal conditions?

Here's what I came up with:

Before dropping the anchor, hook a line to the chain a few feet from the anchor. Run the line out with the chain rode, plus a few feet extra: e.g. if the rode is 100', the line could be 105'. This would keep the whole load on the chain rode; the line would be under no strain and at little risk of chafe either. Yet it would follow the rode closely; it won't be drifting around the anchorage causing mischief.

When I want to raise the anchor, I put the line through a halyard winch and pull it in. After a while, I'm going to be on top of the anchor - with the rode and the parallel line running vertical from anchor to bow. I keep pulling, the anchor comes loose, and I raise it to the surface; then tie off the line.

At this point, the anchor is hanging at the surface on the line, and the chain rode is hanging in a U-shape: one end at the anchor, the other at the bow, the middle of the U on the bottom.

Now I pull the chain rode up by hand, through a pawl style chain stopper. The weight I'm pulling is (at the start: when its heaviest) equal to the weight of the chain rode between the surface and the bottom: e.g. if the chain is .77lbs/foot and I'm anchored in 100', the total weight I'm pulling is 77lbs. I'm not pulling the anchor (because it's hanging on the secured line), and the rode is loose, so I'm not working against any wind or current.

Can you think of any reason why that wouldn't work?

Thanks,
KISS

SV Lift · 04-10-2014, 10:24

They are going to get horribly twisted together every time the tide or wind changes.

**neilpride** · 04-10-2014, 10:26

Just for a masochist!!!

all work well in the conditions you described , now suppose a sudden gust of wind , a chain full of barnacles , a boat draging on top of your boat, etc..etc... for a full crew set of Young dudes can be funny , for the rest a nightmare....

**atoll** · 04-10-2014, 10:29

on a 35ft boat with a 35 lb anchor and chain you should easily be able to pull it up by hand....you might be over complicating things by using a bigger anchor than you need.

I have almost never had to anchor in 100 foot of water,and why would you unless in a reef anchorage

KISS · 04-10-2014, 10:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by SV Lift

They are going to get horribly twisted together every time the tide or wind changes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilpride

a chain full of barnacles

Suppose the rode were fixed to a Samson post at the center of the bow, and the line were fixed to a cleat a few feet to the side. If the line is the same length as the rode, it would be impossible for them to ever touch - it's just a matter of geometry. So no twisting, no rode-barnacles chafing the line.

EDIT: aha, now I see you're point.

If the rode is tensed, the two lines cannot touch. But if the rode loosens (b/c wind pushes boat toward anchor e.g.) then they can touch --> twist or chafe.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilpride

suppose a sudden gust of wind

What problem would that cause?

Quote:

...a boat draging on top of your boat

You mean it would be too slow to haul in an emergency?

Quote:

Originally Posted by atoll

on a 35ft boat with a 35 lb anchor and chain you should easily be able to pull it up by hand....you might be over complicating things by using a bigger anchor than you need.

I have almost never had to anchor in 100 foot of water,and why would you unless in a reef anchorage

What if the 35 pounder is set hard, and the wind and current is working against me. Can I still pull it up by hand? It seems to me that the weight of the ground tackle itself is fairly trivial compared to the holding power of the anchor (any anchor) coupled with the force of the wind/current on the boat.

**atoll** · 04-10-2014, 10:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by KISS

What if the 35 pounder is set hard, and the wind and current is working against me. Can I still pull it up by hand? It seems to me that the weight of the ground tackle itself is fairly trivial compared to the holding power of the anchor (any anchor) coupled with the force of the wind/current on the boat.

do it a few times and you will find out why anchors are designed as they are!

sail it out if it is stuck ,its not rocket science!

KISS · 04-10-2014, 10:59

As for the twisting/chafing problem...here's a thought

Suppose I used floating line?

Then it should never touch the rode no matter what - right?

**carstenb** · 04-10-2014, 10:59

you trying to reinvent the wheel. buy and fit a manual windlass.

if don't understan what everyone is talking about, go to you local maina, find someone with a 35 kg anchor on the bow. buy them a case of beer and have them take you out and anchor

now haul the damn anchor up by hand, against the wind and current. then stop and think about doing (or tryingto) that every day

**atoll** · 04-10-2014, 11:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by KISS

As for the twisting/chafing problem...here's a thought

Suppose I used floating line?

Then it should never touch the rode no matter what - right?

it will just get caught up in every boat that passes in front of you

**neilpride** · 04-10-2014, 11:07

This is funy, well apart from the chafe if your chain is really clean and you are the kind of person anchoring in clean waters could be ok ,now if you never see a chain full of knifes aka sharped barnacles glued to your chain dont try to pull a chain by hand, even with thick gloves i cut my both hands deep enough to have enough with hand anchoring techniques!!! haaa the old days cruising with the C&C are gone thx ,, no windlass in that cruiser racer..... love my windlass man , really.....

KISS · 04-10-2014, 11:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by atoll

it will just get caught up in every boat that passes in front of you

Sure, I realize that's a possibility, but don't people who have rope rode use floating line sometimes?

If so, it can;t be that much of a problem...

Also, anchoring out is the plan...so less traffic?

SV Lift · 04-10-2014, 11:10

I should have expanded more earlier. Basically you're proposing a really, really long snubber. And it would probably work most of the time. A shorter snubber you can keep off the seafloor which allows a simple chain hook and the weight of the chain will keep it in place. You would need a more secure attachment (eg rolling hitch) which makes retrieval harder.

My point was that as the boat circles around the anchor it will twist the two lines together. A swivel would reduce this, but that's an entirely different discussion (I'm in the anti-swivel camp).

**atoll** · 04-10-2014, 11:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by KISS

Sure, I realize that's a possibility, but don't people who have rope rode use floating line sometimes?

If so, it can;t be that much of a problem...

Also, anchoring out is the plan...so less traffic?

only idiots and fishing boats use floating line to anchor with