How to anchor a dinghy off a beach?

[breeeznalong]

Perfect solution is Anchor Buddy. It’s a 4’ elastic line that stretches to about 20’. Approach the beach; drop anchor attached to Anchor Buddy approximately 15’-20’ from shoreline; dinghy makes it to beach to unload passenger(s); Anchor Buddy is stretched and taut; unload and allow dinghy to float out to anchor drop and Anchor Buddy is relaxed; set stern anchor on shore for retrieval of dinghy when you return. I have attached a light chain between Anchor Buddy and anchor. Works GREAT!!!

[Highlander40]

not my idea but I use the remote anchoring system. hook a light trip line to the anchor then pile the rode and anchor on the bow. push the dinghy off and yank the trip line to drop the anchor. secure the trip line onshore. good for small tidal ranges.

[RELENTLESS 1]

Morgans Cloud/Attainable Adventures - John and Phyllis - a wealth of knowledge and expertise for a couple of $$ - has a 'system' with all of the measurements, line lengths and gear to do exactly what you are talking about.
They use it in the higher lats where beaches are non-existent.
I have looked at it - seems simple - will be trying it out someday....

[Jimmyhenry]

We have the continuous loop system on our aluminium power cat. The boat weighs a tonne so no way you want this settled on the beach. The main anchor is dropped sufficiently off the shore. And the loop with the beach anchor held till you get to shore. Pulleys both ends means you can do this. The boat is secured to the loop by a painter of 8 metres. Once on shore secure the anchor. And then pull one side of the loop rope which pulls the boat out to the offshore anchor.
Don’t use floating rope. We did on our first trial and really annoyed other boaties.

Pete was

[JD-MDR]

OK. Oll check it out

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by StuM

...a continuous loop:

https://www.boatingmag.com/clothesline-mooring/

We have used a variation of the "clothes line" many times when landing the dingy, even with wheels, was not going to work.

I don't know if there is any advantage to this method over the one described above however but it works for us.

• Shackle a cheap block onto a short chain attached to the anchor.
• Thread a long, light weight, line through the block
• tie the ends of the long line together to make a loop, (The clothesline)
• Take the dingy to shore, paying out the looped line.
• Disembark
• Tie the dingy painter (from the bow) to the loop, near the knot
• Using the clothesline, pull the dingy out to the limit of the line
• Tie off the loop on anything convenient, including a stake
• To retrieve, pull the dingy in with the clothesline, board, then go retrieve the anchor

We have also used a trip line, (Pile the anchor on the tube, push the dinghy out, yank the retrieval line to make the anchor fall overboard)

And we have anchored and swam in.

[JD-MDR]

Originally Posted by JD-MDR

OK. Oll check it out

I mean the Anchor Buddy

[waterman46]

You say you have a plan to motor to shore to let everyone off but then you say you won't do that if it is too rough. Pick one approach or the other.

What we do if there is a heavy shore break but a short swim to get thru it, and warm water, nice beach, good swimmers experienced in surf, we anchor dink and swim in and out with fins. Body surfing optional!

[thruska]

Originally Posted by fgd3

Drop the anchor. Bring the dinghy to the shore. Make the anchor line fast. Walk the shore line along the beach so the dinghy is anchored at an angle, which holds it away from the shore.


Fabbian

Above the high tide line with substantial rock on top the anchor , uh huh !

[KarenSJ]

What about some version of a Sand Shark shore spike?

[Boydo]

Because our tides can be 20'+ I use a 600' clothesline loop to get out far enough, as necessary, and often another length of rope from the end of the clothesline loop up the beach to a tie off above high tide. My experience has been nylon(sinks) rope to a snatch block (CMI RP118A) at my anchor float works better than polyester(floats) rope and/or block at the anchor chain as the rope will foul with floating seaweed debris on the surface or pick it up off the bottom. Use a very short bow painter to tie into the clothesline and a stopper knot on the clothesline to keep the painter away from the float! The boat is allowed to swing into the wind/waves/current so it can wrap on the float if your bow line is too long (done that). I've found Anchor Buddy's attached in parallel on the clothesline or anchor line can be helpful dealing with tides by taking up slack.

[poiu]

Originally Posted by Boydo

Because our tides can be 20'+ I use a 600' clothesline loop to get out far enough, as necessary, and often another length of rope from the end of the clothesline loop up the beach to a tie off above high tide. My experience has been nylon(sinks) rope to a snatch block (CMI RP118A) at my anchor float works better than polyester(floats) rope and/or block at the anchor chain as the rope will foul with floating seaweed debris on the surface or pick it up off the bottom. Use a very short bow painter to tie into the clothesline and a stopper knot on the clothesline to keep the painter away from the float! The boat is allowed to swing into the wind/waves/current so it can wrap on the float if your bow line is too long (done that). I've found Anchor Buddy's attached in parallel on the clothesline or anchor line can be helpful dealing with tides by taking up slack.

Welcome and thanks for the contribution

Nice pictures. Canada?

It’s pretty calm in all the pics. How would the system work with a strongish offshore breeze? Would the clothesline pair not be pulled tight and rise to near the surface?

[Boydo]

Originally Posted by poiu

Welcome and thanks for the contribution

Nice pictures. Canada?

It’s pretty calm in all the pics. How would the system work with a strongish offshore breeze? Would the clothesline pair not be pulled tight and rise to near the surface?

Yes, thanks, all western Canada.

It takes a surprising amount of force to pull the clothesline up to the surface. The only issue then would be other small power boats driving around near shore in 25+ knot offshore winds. If it's 25+ knots 300' off shore where my boat might be in 30' of water in the wind shadow of terrain and trees, then it's far far worse further off shore. Who's driving their little boat around in that? Suppose your hypothetical could occur somewhere, sometime. Places I go there aren't other boats near shore or offshore winds.

[Phyrcooler]

Some great advice here. On a related note - for those who prefer to pull it ashore above the tide line, or if you are ashore and stranded at low tide - I recently saw a YouTuber using a couple fenders to move a heavy RIB dingy. They’d throw a fender under the bow, and roll the dinghy forward on the easily rolling fender. They’d pop a second fender under when the first reached the halfway point, then catch it when it popped out the stern. The process can be done alone, but the dinghy was quite quickly moved with two of them. The dinghy was too heavy to lift/drag to the water, and the fenders seemed to work well, even on soft sand where some dinghy wheels dig in. I haven’t tried it... but it sure looked slick.

[daydreamer]

Originally Posted by fgd3

Drop the anchor. Bring the dinghy to the shore. Make the anchor line fast. Walk the shore line along the beach so the dinghy is anchored at an angle, which holds it away from the shore.

Fabbian

This is the solution that worked for us. We typically use a second anchor on shore to hold the dinghy at an angle.

Also, a grapple anchor is not good enough; we found a small fortress worked best, but the small mantus worked well enough most of the time and was easier to stow in the dinghy.