What was my mistake?

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

................. Next time u chuck the whole lot overboard tie a fender to the end of the chain, then rush home and phone a diver.....................

It's going to take a pretty big fender to float a piece of chain!

Better to tie a line at least as long as the water's depth between the end of the chain and the fender.

Eventually, if you anchor enough, you will lose an anchor to the bottom. That's one argument against an expensive or stainless steel anchor.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Joe Brown

A line - called a trip line - fastened to the crown of the Danforth and buoyed on the surface - might have saved your Danforth and chain. .............

There have been several suggestions to use a trip line but of course you have to use it before you drop the anchor. I use one when I suspect debris might be on the bottom.

There was a thread on this a while back and one member jumped all over me for suggesting using a trip line. Claimed it was a disservice to other cruisers and might be mistaken for a mooring ball.

You can't please everyone.

[sailsw00]

There's been discussion here regarding electronic chargts vs. paper charts. The FAA requires pilots to have current paper charts aboard, and by current they mean issued within the lat six months! The date of publication is printed on each sectional chart, and one is required to purchase new charts every six months.
-Steve

[Roy M]

On my boat, and all the windlass/chain/anchor installs I do, instead of securing the bitter end of the chain directly to the boat, I use a 100 foot piece of 1/2", three-strand yellow polyester line from the chain end to the securing eye inside the chain locker. The chain has a long stretch of red and white painted links just before it runs out to warn you. If you ever get hooked like our unfortunate member, and have no option but to cut and run, you can simply sever the remaining yellow tail. When you return, you simply pick up the tell-tail yellow line floating on the surface, secure it to the boat, and dive down the chain, release the obstruction, and surface via the chain. The only time I almost had to do this was when diving off Point Loma, I dropped my anchor down through a 3 foot square hatch on a sunken boat. I had just enough remaining air to extract the hook. That's when I came up with the floating tail trick. Works, too, when in a tight anchorage and a big emergency (like a drifting work barge) makes it possible to get the hell out of the way with minimal impact. Just come back later and pick up the telltail. I now use an additional few feet of lighter line at the bitter end to cut quicker, and then you don't have to relay the untwisted strands of poly line and repair the butt end. Mine, now has an eye spliced in it to make retrieving even easier. The poly line, being the first laid into the chain locker, makes a nice nest to keep air circulating around the base of the chain.

[billsikich]

We were in a similar situation once at the Coronado Islands off San Diego. We managed to free the anchor by circling around the rock while maintaining some pull, which worked the flukes out from under the rock (or whatever it was). Something to keep in mind for the future!

Best regards;
Bill Sikich
S/V Island Drifter
Seattle, WA

[MarkSF]

"When you return, you simply pick up the tell-tail yellow line floating on the surface, secure it to the boat, and dive down the chain, release the obstruction, and surface via the chain."

What stops some unfortunate from snarling your floating line in the prop, in the meantime?

[Roy M]

Unfortunates be damned! Full speed ahead. At least they will be well secured in the interim. Geez, what next? Will I be cited for disposal of plastic at sea? There's a reason for the bright yellow color, by the way.

[alkites2]

Great advice Ron.. Many thanks.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by Roy M

...I now use an additional few feet of lighter line at the bitter end to cut quicker...

I was with you, right up until this. Forgo the light line. Use line sufficiently strong to keep you tied to your anchor, so that you won't inadvertently lose your entire rode from a sudden yank when all the rode runs out.

[alkites2]

That would be Roy.
I will blame my phone. Lol.

[Roy M]

I agree with you Terra Nova. I will, however, be using a material that I can cut through fairly quickly. I'll play with some and pass on my test results. Thanks for the constructive comment.

[JPA Cate]

Roy M,

Using line strong enough to support the whole lot, chain and anchor, will also allow you to tie some lighter line with a float to mark it beforehand, if you have to jettison it.

Ann

[Roy M]

Thanks, Ann. What do you folks do for this situation?

[rwidman]

If there are any wakes you can try pulling the rode tight when the bow is down, cleating it off and hope that the up and down movement of the boat will break the anchor loose. I've seen this suggested but I've never done it.

Keep in mind that if the anchor is really stuck and not coming loose, something has to give. The anchor, the chain, the shackle, the line, or whatever you have the rode secured to on the boat. A friend of mine bent his anchor roller trying to free a stuck anchor.

[monte]

Yeah we tried the buoyancy to pull the anchor up when it was around a rock and definitely would have broken the boat if we persisted. Cleat, bow roller, windlass if there's weight on it, something was going to give. I don't think anyone's mentioned sliding a loop of chain down the rhode which can work as well.
Make a loop out of about 30cm of chain, shackle it to a line and lower it down the anchor chain and try get it to nestle at the head of the shank.
Release anchor chain and reverse away while paying out the line till upwind of the anchor set.
Take up the slack on the line and try pull the anchor up that way.