easy way to pull up well set anchor

[wholybee]

I don't have a windless, but do have an engine. In up to about 40' of depth, with no wind or current I can easily pull my anchor and all chain rode up faster than anyone with a windless.

When it gets stuck, I pull it as tight as I can. Usually, just keeping it tight with a wrap on a cleat and taking in a few inches as a time as the bow bounces just a bit is enough to break it free. If after a minute or two that doesn't work i put the boat in gear and let it idle forward. Only once did that not work, and that time the anchor and line was fouled with several wraps around a sunken vessel. (frustrating was when I discovered the marina knew about the vessel in the anchorage, but instead of marking it they charged $100 to an unsuspecting boat every few weeks to dive and untangle it.)

The second anchor seems a good technique if I ever don't have my motor, but i think the motor is otherwise preferable.

[citlab]

Originally Posted by seandepagnier

I discovered over the last few weeks something obvious... I'm sure many are well aware already.

If the anchor is well set from a good blow, it may be difficult to retrieve if there isn't much wind to use the sails, or swells to break it free. I have no windlass, but even with one I imagine it could strain it. Windlass are also quite slow, and judging by other's comments can fail for various reasons or not be viable for lack of power.

The technique here, is to drop a second anchor (counter intuitive bit), then pull the first anchor until it's nearly vertical or as tight as you can without injuring yourself and lock it off.

Now, I pull the second anchor, and the first one comes free. The second anchor also comes free easily as it is not so stuck. The total amount of effort is really tiny compared to trying to pull the first anchor using the winch, sweat it up, jump up and down on bow, dive in the water and dig it out, and many other tactics I have tried and compared (and all of those do work too).

Following the thread, OP is presenting the only technique I've not tried before (save the float technique). It has a lot of merit for crowded spaces and using muscle power added with technique.


My anchor was once stuck at ca.10m under an abandoned mooring chain (heavy). A trip line would have solved the problem, but we did not have one, We saved our anchor by rocking the boat and using windlass added with manual pull until the chain was 6m deep. Diving w/o equipment I could bring a sheet under the chain, took off the tension off the rode and released the anchor. I still ividly remember the close call of having brought too short line with me and I barely could get back to surface w/o dropping the sheet - a matter of a few cm.


What other techniques could I have tried?

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Using the windlass we rarely need the engine to break out our (big) anchor. I read in other comments not to use the windlass to pull the boat forward and I agree, but instead of using the engine, we use the weight of the chain by taking in the slack, then wait for the boat to move forward so we can take out slack again. When timed correctly, you go forward faster and faster, while signaling to the helmsman which way to steer towards the anchor.

Once you arrive over the anchor, the forward momentum will break the anchor out. The whole procedure is very quick, because at some point you can keep hauling in chain as the boat moves forward faster than chain is hauled in.

For us this works up to 20kts wind. More than that and we need to use the engine to get forward.

The only method we have ever used and can see no need to change it.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I really like this idea, but I've yet to actually try it. How do you manage the trip line while you're actually anchoring Don? Do you just let it float free while you get the hook down, and then sort it out at the end?

Yes. I rarely anchor these days in places I don't know well so I've only tried out the free trip line once. I still have my little buoy/with weight set-up that I used to use, but with the trip line run back you need a long line, (or at least I do) and probably have to bend another line on, and let it run free as the rode runs out. (My thing in my area is to drop the bow anchor and then fall back double the distance I need for scope because I then drop the stern anchor and pull forward and pull the two anchors against each other.) The (little) fly in the ointment is that the line wants to surface and I didn't want to pull it taught, so I added a heavy fishing weight to make it sink down from the bow, like a kellet on it, so there was no chance for someone to snag it. If you can see the bottom and see your anchor, a trip line is probably not needed of course. I anchored last year in a new little cove and it was deep and I couldn't see the bottom so I added it. Turned out It was not necessary, but it was manageable. If I was anchoring in places where the water is opaque and likely full of trash or cars or logs I'd definitely be using a trip line.

[anchorbend]

Sorry if this was mentioned before but here is an alternative.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7v8uiDWFnE

[seandepagnier]

Originally Posted by GordMay

• Motor forward when raising the anchor

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

If there’s any significant wind or current you use your engine.

In my case, there never was an engine. Engines do not always work and everyone should be aware of alternate techniques.

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

In times when the anchorage is dead calm, I can usually break the anchor out using the momentum of our boat.

Originally Posted by boat driver

makes sense as a method to getting the boat moving thereby using the boat's momentum to break the anchor out.

I used to do this on a monohull, but on my trimaran, the boat is very light, and there isn't much momentum. It just doesn't break the anchor out, the boat just stops.

Originally Posted by rslifkin

Without an engine there are definitely less options,

One less option yes, but I found a new option.

I wouldn't say a good electric windlass is slow. Mine will deploy somewhere close to 100 feet / minute, retrieval is in the 60 - 80 ft/min range depending on

retrieval by hand is 300 ft/min. I would say the windlass is rather slow.

Originally Posted by chrisr

hmmm...no engine eh. and i dare say no wind so he can't sail the anchor out ?

that seems to either mean heave the anchor short at low tide and wait for the tide to pull the anchor out...or going for a swim and digging it out by hand !

cheers,

There is no lunar tide, only wind tide. This can take days to change. Even with lunar tide can be a long time to wait.

Originally Posted by MicHughV

True....I've had a couple of occasions where one of the anchor flukes got stuck under a rocky ledge. There was no way get it up. I had to put my scuba gear on to pull the anchor out of the crevice.

I did that too... I had to dive a few times as deep as 50ft. I think diving is maybe the only way in certain cases as the anchor was really wedged into a crevice in the rocks and rather hard to pull it free even when I was down there.

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

When there’s no wind and you have no engine, then why haul the anchor up? You’ll float in some random direction at best.

I mentioned I wanted to scull over to a dock. It is also possible for me to sail faster than the wind in light air (3-4 knots) that is not enough to break the anchor free.

I can also use the sculling oar to break the anchor free. This works surprisingly well, but can take 20-30 seconds of hard sculling to do what is easy pulling a second anchor. It is probably 3 times the effort, my sculling oar produces up to 50 pounds of thrust which is a lot less than I can pull on an anchor line.

The second anchor can apply far more lateral force more efficiently than a sculling oar or anything else in this situation. I could even run it to a winch (have not needed to).. but the point is, this method of leverage is the least energy required method to get the anchor up in little time (beside the trip line)

About anchors being stuck: our 176lb Bruce was really stuck after first tropical ...After 5 hours doing that, retrieving 12 feet of chain already, a mighty run i
All in all, what I wanted to say: pulling the rode taut, then giving it time, will bring the anchor up even when there’s no wind, current nor tide to speak of.

5 hours is fine.. but consider setting a second anchor and just pulling it or perhaps running it around a sheet winch if it gets very tight: probably would have pulled the anchor up right away.

Originally Posted by citlab

Following the thread, OP is presenting the only technique I've not tried before (save the float technique). It has a lot of merit for crowded spaces and using muscle power added with technique.

It is not much muscle power required: this is why I find it interesting enough to post.

In the future we may have robotic anchors hold 20,000lbs but weigh 2lbs. You could have a backup conventional anchor but by 2045, everyone will just have several fully robotic anchors besides very few "backward" people who keep conventional ones. They can easily dig themselves out (you have to recharge them.. but so) They will sense instantly if slipping/failing for any reason giving immediate automatic anchor alarm which launches the second anchor. They could drill into rocks, or dig meters under mud/sand. They can also swim out and set then you can simply swing out and sail off a dock if pinned, and many more options.

I noticed also there is an aluminum guardian anchor weight 3lbs that claims 700lbs holding power. If this is true, perhaps with all dyneema rode I could sling it quite far, and it would make this technique even easier.

[boatpoker]

I find it hard to believe that the OP could pull my 150' of 3/8" chain and 55lb. Rocna faster than my windlass. Perhaps he has 50' of 1/2" double braid and a 10lb. Danforth .

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by anchorbend

Sorry if this was mentioned before but here is an alternative.

Sounds like it might be a useful method for small anchors and light-weight rodes. Most cruising-sized boats will be using something considerably larger than a 7.5kg anchor. And most of us run with all-chain rode.


Don, thanks for the explanation. It sounds like it would take some practice to have it all go smoothly, but with a floating line it should work. I wonder if one could lightly seize the trip line onto the main rode say 1/2-way into deployment using a breakable tie. Tricky in tough anchoring conditions, but on easy days it would be -- easy.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Sounds like it might be a useful method for small anchors and light-weight rodes. Most cruising-sized boats will be using something considerably larger than a 7.5kg anchor. And most of us run with all-chain rode.


Don, thanks for the explanation. It sounds like it would take some practice to have it all go smoothly, but with a floating line it should work. I wonder if one could lightly seize the trip line onto the main rode say 1/2-way into deployment using a breakable tie. Tricky in tough anchoring conditions, but on easy days it would be -- easy.

Yeah I think I read where others do that. I'll have to experiment this summer with different permutations. It wouldn't HAVE to be polypro also, I just like to have the line floating away from the anchor stock so it doesn't get tangled there by chance.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Chotu

OP has no motor so try again.

Step 1...we aren't living in the 1700's, get a motor.
Step 2...

Also, if there is no wind, probably not pulling anchor to leave anyway.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

Stuff like this is why I always go forward for anchoring and put the admiral at the helm. As far as I'm concerned, the person on the bow is in charge when anchoring, so that should generally be the captain's job. The helmsman is pretty much just a robot following hand signals during the process.

Yeah, we developed hand signals, so we just motor slowly up while I'm pulling in the slack and then snub it off.

Usually, we try to anchor where there isn't a lot of wave action, so typically, use a bit of motor to break it free.

Assuming there isn't an emergency (in which case cutting it loose is an option), if the normal methods don't work, you have time to think it thru because you are well adhered to that location.

[Uncle Bob]

No one appears to have mentioned, surely one gets ones staff to perform this .

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

No one appears to have mentioned, surely one gets ones staff to perform this .

The anchor wench?

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by seandepagnier

.
How many feet per second can your windlass retrieve? .

A hell of a lot more than I can pull by hand.
65 tonne boat
150lb anchor
13mm chain

I can get my boat up to 3 knots (5ft/s or 1.5 meter/s) just pulling the anchor line by hand. I have never heard of or seen a windlass that can do this besides some guy who rigged a dirt bike to one somehow. I can probably use this technique with both anchors faster than most windlass can pull a single one: not sure your windlass actually is faster.

We always pulse the boat up using the windlass
See 1+ knots doing it but it's not a race - chain often needs a hose off due to mud

In 20+ knots may need to put her in and out of gear to take some load off

[Linesledaft]

Or just use a trip line… KISS