Breaking Out a Kedge Using the Dinghy

[thinwater]

So you've set a kedge, pulled on it, and now you need to lift it and move it, without the benefit of he main boat. It is a Fortress (or other pivoting fluke type), has been set to 1000 pounds with a winch, and the vertical break-out force is about 500 pounds.

Although this is an extreme case, I face lesser examples many times, where pulling by hand was pointless. I've used several approaches with success. What is your solution?

[a64pilot]

The kedge is used to pull the boat to deeper water?
Why would you put the kedge in water to shallow for the big boat? Or said another way, why is the big boats winch not useable?

If I get there I will attach a line to the rear of the anchor to hopefully pull it out backwards

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

The kedge is used to pull the boat to deeper water?
Why would you put the kedge in water to shallow for the big boat? Or said another way, why is the big boats winch not useable?

If I get there I will attach a line to the rear of the anchor to hopefully pull it out backwards

The most obvious case is that it didn't work. The boat is still stuck and you want to pull in a different direction. Alternatively, you did get the boat off, but one of the kedges was set in shallow water to get the correct pull direction (perhaps to counters a tide or wind). I have run into both of these situations when helping grounded boats. We have a lot of mud flats and channels move.

Another case is that you are crabbing, crosswind in a harbor, and the kedge was intentionally set in shallow water. to keep the boat in the channel.

As for pulling it out backwards, first, the anchor is not fouled. Second, pulling a pivoting fluke anchor out backwards does not reduce the force (I have tested this with a load cell). This is true of most anchors that are well set but not fouled; a tripping line does not reduce the break out force. This seems counter intuitive, but you no longer have the long shank as a lever arm. Obvious, now that you think about it.

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

The kedge is used to pull the boat to deeper water?
Why would you put the kedge in water to shallow for the big boat?

You might, for example, drop a kedge in shallow water, or even on the beach, to keep the bow pointed into a swell.

Thinwaters question is a good one and I am not sure there is an easy answer. It is one reasons why I try to stay with a simple single anchor where possible.

My only advice is that modern anchors take a long time to break out. If you look underwater you can see the anchor gradually pulling out but to the person on the rode end nothing seems to be happening. The anchor appears "stuck". It is common to give up much too early, wrongly believing no progress is being made.

So providing you are pulling at close to 1:1 a modest force over a long period of time usually works. However, the force that can be generated from a tender is very is limited. Especialły with a Fortress/Danforth I would try pulling from a different direction to how the anchor was set. If you are trying this more scope than 1:1 is best so a twisting motion is set up. Sometimes, in my experience, even a deeply set anchor of these sort of designs can be tripped out quite easily once the direction of pull is changed.

As a last resort, if you are in a tidal area, buoyancy can be tried by attaching floats and allowing mother nature with a rising tide to do the work

[HankOnthewater]

I do not know if the following will generate 250 kg (500 lbs), but I have pulled set anchors with a (hard) dinghy. Maybe if the dinghy is a big one with two persons in it?
Method #1 Pull in as much rode over the bow into dinghy so that the rode is virtually vertical and very tight, and allow the bow to be pulled down, then tie off and move weight aft. Then use wave action to get the anchor out.
Method #2. When there are no waves or wakes, pull the rode over the side, again very tight (use widest part of the dinghy), allow the gunnel just to touch the water, then rock the boat, and maybe every second rock you might be able the retrieve a few centimetres (an inch or so).
I would think this 'rock and retrieve' is hard to do with an inflatable.

If the anchor is caught in rock or coral or very deeply set...... a case for getting wet and a diving mask: to tie a second rope (tripline) to retrieve the anchor backwards, with above methods.

I used the above technique, 'rock and retrieve'. I had attached a trip line to the anchor prior to launching that anchor, and collected the anchor later, after the mothership was afloat again (after grounding).

[Snowpetrel]

Ive pulled a very strongly set danforth up over the stern of a dinghy using bodyweight as a lever to sink and raise the stern, slowly pulling the anchor up each time.

This provides a lot of force, but has its dangers. Any swell or wakes could swamp you or cause a capsize, and a sculling notch or someway to locate the warp central is essential. As is a quick release system incase it goes pear shaped.

It takes a lot of time. In my case 5 minutes or so until it slacked off enough for another bite at it, shifting aft to sink the stern, taking in the slack then moving forward again. Once it starts moving it came up quicker at each bite.

In this case my brother had put his 30 foot proa on the beach and onto a trailer. He thought he could retrieve the anchor with his big 4wd Landie. No chance so we had to dinghy out to get it back, late at night.. Not much fun.

[thinwater]

Yup, I have used the weight shift method many times. Fortunately, never in waves. Get right over the anchor, haul the line as tight as you dare, and then sit in the other end for a few minutes. Repeat.

I have also use engine method many times. Obviously there are limits with a light dingy.

In both cases, a way to cleat the line is handy. What have you tried? Transom cleats are common, but they are the wrong place. I've always wondered if a cleat in the center of the floor would be useful (and I'm sure pulling a large hole in the floor would generate some marketable pictures--obviously common sense is requred).

[apacit]

As when towing a boat with a dinghy, go in reverse with the line over the bow. Otherwise the dinghy wants to spin and the force is not applied.

[michaelratinter]

Here is some good info. Also see Ashley on this subject. CARRYING OUT ANCHORS | Historic Naval Ships Association

[a64pilot]

I've got 20 HP in my dink, I believe I could cleat it off at the stern and pull 500 lbs, I think? I pulled a couple of mid 20'ft sailboats off a grounding in Key West.
And or start working it in different directions.
If shallow warm water get out and dig it out by hand?
Four wheeling we used Danforth anchors in sand dunes when we got stuck, that or burying a pole or a spare tire, called them dead man anchors, anyway the Warn wench would easily pull the Danforth out backwards.
I know that is not the same, wet vs dry and the truck was only maybe two feet higher than the anchor so you couldn't really get on top of it and pull straight up, but it wasn't hard to pull the Danforth out backwards

[Hydra]

Maybe the buoyancy of the dinghy could be supplemented by fenders. I have 2 big inflatable fenders that would provide 150lb each.

I don't have cleats on my inflatable dinghy but I think that the towing bridle, led aft over the bow, would provide a strong point for a rolling hitch when hauling over the transom.

Alain

[roverhi]

Have had kedge anchors set so well in Chesapeake mud that hauling on the rode just tried to pull the bow under water. There was zero wave action which might have helped and the tidal range wasn't enough to pull out the Danforth. Only way I got it out was to dive down, dig down to the aft end of the anchor and haul it out backwards. A trip line attached to the anchor might have helped but it would have had to be at least 3/8" line to have the strength to haul it out.

[conchaway]

Cut it loose. Someday someone will find it and will have a grand time wondering how it got stuck there.

[Don C L]

I once actually broke a small Danforth trying to get it out for about 15 minutes of steady strain straight up on the shank from the boat's bobbing bow. I think I'd dispute the idea that a trip line needs the same force to pull it out backwards. I've done it a number of times and it sure seemed a lot easier to me. It still may take a while of steady lifting force though if well buried.

[Paul L]

I've used the wave action/bouanacy bounce with my inflatable. Also have let out line and driven the dingy around in a circle, pulling from all directions to hopefully loosen the anchors grip.