Installing helix mooring in winter on lac Deux montagnes

[francois.lavoie]

I intend to take advantage of winter and the 3 feet deep cover of ice over the lake to install three helix screws, as part as a mooring system installation. The depth under the ice is 6 feet of water. There is silt or mud in the bottom at 240 feet from the shore of the lake. The width of the lake is about 6 km. Next to the shore there is too much rocks or gravel to be able to insert the helix anchors.

The stability of ice support should facilitate the operation of screwing the helix anchor into the bottom. Each helix is said to provide 1500 pounds for exposed area, see table:
https://www.jamestowndistributors.co....do?docId=1107
The helix anchor that I will be using are made of galvanized steel 58 inches long, 3/4 inch rod and 6 inches helix. They come at a very low price, being used in the production of grapes.

I would like to use preferably an eco-system device.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/cgi/vie...ntext=uhi_pubs

I would like to instawll them with a modified version of the following proposition using a 4 inches PVC tube to drive the screw into silt, but in summer:
https://www.sailnet.com/forums/gener...end.html?amp=1

1) Has there been any such type of attempt by some of this forum members to install helix anchors? I am thinking about setting my three helix anchors at short distance (2 feet) and to tie them together with 3 less than two 3/4 inch galvanised chain and a schackle that will in turn be tied to a unique line to buoy with a conventional chain and rope; or with a stretching system. Is this the way to go?

2) How could I find my helix anchors this spring after the recession of the ice cover? Can I put a small floating buoy attached to the anchor under the ice or simply plant a stick under water and under the ice, or should I resort to some sort of gps tracker or radio tracker to be able to find my helix anchor? Is there a cheap way to do this? Water is turbid all around year, such that some underwater tag has very little chance to be seen from the surface.

Thanks for breaking your brains on this problem.

[Spade Anchor]

Originally Posted by francois.lavoie

I intend to take advantage of winter and the 3 feet deep cover of ice over the lake to install three helix screws, as part as a mooring system installation. The depth under the ice is 6 feet of water. There is silt or mud in the bottom at 240 feet from the shore of the lake. The width of the lake is about 6 km. Next to the shore there is too much rocks or gravel to be able to insert the helix anchors.

The stability of ice support should facilitate the operation of screwing the helix anchor into the bottom. Each helix is said to provide 1500 pounds for exposed area, see table:
https://www.jamestowndistributors.co....do?docId=1107
The helix anchor that I will be using are made of galvanized steel 58 inches long, 3/4 inch rod and 6 inches helix. They come at a very low price, being used in the production of grapes.

I would like to use preferably an eco-system device.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/cgi/vie...ntext=uhi_pubs

I would like to instawll them with a modified version of the following proposition using a 4 inches PVC tube to drive the screw into silt, but in summer:
https://www.sailnet.com/forums/gener...end.html?amp=1

1) Has there been any such type of attempt by some of this forum members to install helix anchors? I am thinking about setting my three helix anchors at short distance (2 feet) and to tie them together with 3 less than two 3/4 inch galvanised chain and a schackle that will in turn be tied to a unique line to buoy with a conventional chain and rope; or with a stretching system. Is this the way to go?

2) How could I find my helix anchors this spring after the recession of the ice cover? Can I put a small floating buoy attached to the anchor under the ice or simply plant a stick under water and under the ice, or should I resort to some sort of gps tracker or radio tracker to be able to find my helix anchor? Is there a cheap way to do this? Water is turbid all around year, such that some underwater tag has very little chance to be seen from the surface.

Thanks for breaking your brains on this problem.

You need a better Helix, even if you do not use ours, you need to use Marine grade steel. Take a link at the link below.

https://www.spadeanchorusa.com/skrew...at-anchors.php

[francois.lavoie]

Nice to you to intervene.

Any pros and cons to support the use of marine grade steel and reject those intended to use? In other words, if I proceed with these helix what will be the consequences. Here is the link to the helix I intend to use.
Helix Earth Anchor | Dubois Agrinovation
The high quality galvanized steel helix anchor is used with vertical axis trellising systems at the start and end of rows. The anchor is designed to be screwed into soft, rockless ground. These helix anchors cannot be used on sandy soil or similar types of ground.

Thanks.

[Montanan]

Of issue is the holding power of the mud/silt bottom. If it is a soupy mess then the helix will not hold well, but until you try driving one in and put a hard load on it you will not know whether the bottom is suitable for mooring with helix systems. If the bottom is too soft then a large weighted block will be required.

As to the type of float to use with ice: I would suggest using a long winter stick, which is a long narrow float, preferably a slightly conical float which tappers from the bottom moored portion towards the top so that when the ice moves the stick gets pulled through the ice as it is narrowing taper allows for the float to slide into the ice.

It will be hard to attach the winter stick below the thickness of the ice as the hole you will bore in the ice will fill with water and you say the ice is three feet thick so you will be fiddling to connect to the mooring below the thickness of the ice, or at least that is how I perceive the winter sticks are best positioned so as to have their wider bottom remain below the layer of ice, albeit maybe the bottom of the stick does not need to be below the ice layer; perhaps others who have thick ice moorings with winter sticks deployed can advise as to how far down in the water the bottom of the float needs to be positioned.

I have also seen winter buoys used which are connected to the chain so that the buoy floats below the layer of ice, e.g., five or six feet deep in your case. Then in the Spring you locate the below water float and add your surface buoy higher up the light weight chain.

Perform web search for mooring winter sticks, or sully sticks.

[francois.lavoie]

Finally my survey result is that there is pure and thick clay in the bay.

How well does your helix anchor does with pure clay? My boat is 25 feet and weighs 4,000 pounds, the mean maximum winds are at 69 km/h and gusts at 109 km/h.

[Spade Anchor]

Originally Posted by francois.lavoie

Finally my survey result is that there is pure and thick clay in the bay.

How well does your helix anchor does with pure clay? My boat is 25 feet and weighs 4,000 pounds, the mean maximum winds are at 69 km/h and gusts at 109 km/h.

Clay is not an issue. For the record neither is mud you just have to go deeper or may need to go to a larger than normal size.

For your 25ft 4000lbs boat the SK 1600 ($212.34 currently on sale for 25% off). It takes about 10-15 minutes to install. We recommend adding a small zinc anode ($5).