Remote Windlass Control ?

[surfmachine]

Ahoy Eyes.
I have lost an anchor with a swivel joint as it came over the bow roller.
No more swivels etc, only the good old shackle!

Recovered the anchor after 2 hours of scuba diving.

Always watch the anchor retrieval from the bow and the wireless remote will get rid of the cable which sometimes gets caught in the chain.
Cheers from Keith.

[eyschulman]

Surfmachine your problem with a swivel is not uncommon. I ran into one marine surveyor who did not want them on an anchor. I own a couple of the old style and will not use them. The issue was based on inadequate mobility of the swivel at the roller causing undue stress and metal fatigue. so many of the older swivels are bad news. The newer ball swivel units engineered to overcome that problem are probably safe and the ultra unit made to flip the anchor into the proper angle for the roller even better. As with all boating stuff there is a learning curve. There is a ongoing effort to improve on and supplant the standard shackle and I think the ultra unit may be the answer only time will tell. admittedly it is a bit pricy and not for everybody. If you get to a boat show and ultra has a display take a look and see what you think.

[surfmachine]

Yes, I have a german anchor, Bugel or wasi, they make a stainless steel power ball swivel.

They seem very robust?


Bügel anchor Bügel / WASI
Bügel (AKA “WASI”)

Bügelanker is German for “handle” or “roll-bar” anchor. It is simple design now very popular, particularly in the Mediterranean. A flat blade is shaped to form a sharp point, while a roll-bar ensures that the anchor always lands the right way up. Once a load is applied to the rode, the anchor adopts the optimum angle for penetration and its sharp point will penetrate most bottoms with ease.

For:

Simple design – cheap and easy to manufacture
Good performance in a wide range of bottoms
Against:

Flat blade does not offer maximum holding power
Most Bügels are built as shown in the picture to the left, not according to the original patent, and so lack skids and a reinforcing edge on the underside of the fluke
Little tip weight with no ballast and fluke is one-piece plate
Simple design – lacks the sophistication of others.
Knock-offs

Uniquely, the Bügel was never properly commercialized and, aided by the design’s very simple construction, most anchors today are in fact amateur builds or one-offs knocked up by metal working shops. Many of these builds are of rather dubious nature and quality varies wildly. The only company of note that produces Bügels in a commercial regard is German steel outfit WASI, whose version is only available in 316 stainless (and therefore unfortunately both expensive and mechanically weak).

[noelex 77]

I think the above is probably a quote from Rocna.

It is mostly reasonably accurate, but the Bugel is still a good anchor.

The power ball anchor swivel which came with the anchor was also good (but I would still prefer a few links of chain between it and the anchor). A similar (but slightly thinner) swivel is now made by Ultra.

[surfmachine]

Thanks Fellas...
I will never have a swivel connection in the chain, or at the anchor. After the drama of watching one break inside the swivel part. It was not a reputable brand, but was very strong!!??

My big bugel is a wonderful anchor and has held tight when many around me drift/drag off in the night. If you set it properly, it seems 1005 reliable. Even have trouble pulling it back out and cannot find it in the sand, buried completely!!! Just see the chain vanishing into the sand.

I also made a new heavy duty stainless steel chain stopper from 20mm s/steel in Phuket last year as my old one got bent when the storm came through in December and I was helping someone else and my snubber broke and the stopper took the full load of 1.5 metre pitching at the bow on 10mm chain. It held, but was bent badly.

Anyway, this is not an anchor thread!

I have ordered the remote controller, wireless, and will let you know how it goes when I get back aboard my yacht in Krabi, Thailand, in April 27th, 2014.

Cheers from Keith.