Learning Lessons, and making upgrades

[woodster]

That's a good point I didn't really think about. To be honest though, I didn't actually measure out the line. I generally look more at the angle it's at when I'm setting it more than anything. I just run it out til it's nice and flat and then power into it with the motor to get the thing to dig in...as well as test the hold. In this case I had far more out than any of the boats around me, but obviously they all had something a lot better on the bottom end. Who knows, they may have been tied to old engine blocks!

I'm tempted to pick up a couple cans of that cold galvanize stuff, but I dint wanna waste my time if it's not gonna last long. I built the new anchor out of metal I had on hand, so really it hasn't cost me a penny so far. The minimum charge for the Galvanizing place is $100 and they do a full on hot dip that I know will never wear out. Seems worth it to me.

why not contact one of there regular customers ..that use them on a weekly basis and piggy back your anchor and give them 20 bucks for the favor.....

regards

woody

 

[Old Skool Neil]

Look into metallizing, aka flame spraying. I've had one anchor and several SCUBA tanks done. Very durable and very reasonable.

 

[rpwillia]

Awesome

...

:theman:
Stinkbug, It looks like you had a blast building that. Unfortunately most of us don't have that kind of gear to do the same :cry: so we have to live vicariously through you, and just go out and buy a better anchor. Nice post.

 

[Ross]

Re: Awesome

Make two more. Have all three done at one time and sell two.

 

[darnoldone]

I always admire initiative and creativity and your anchor looks to be a worthwhile project. Over the years I've found marine worthy materials and items that had nothing to do wit West Marine and their ilk. While I've saved thousands of $s it also begs caution and a thorough understanding of what works and what doesn't. Metal bits that come aboard should always be exposed to a magnet to check their propensity to rust so you can at least know their composition beforehand. With ground tackle, I tend to be a belt and suspenders type of guy since dragging endangers your boat but more importantly you endanger every other vessel in the area as well. If you've witnessed a chain reaction of boats all dragging through an anchorage due to some idiot anchoring with a concrete block or ground tackle too light for the task or poorly set or maintained, then you understand the consideration we owe to those anchored nearby.

Highest regards,

Darrell

 

[Stu Jackson]

This always seems to happen with my friends,

Like your new anchor, get new ones??? Why do you think that is?

Nice job on the anchor, good luck.

 

[Ross]

I always admire initiative and creativity and your anchor looks to be a worthwhile project. Over the years I've found marine worthy materials and items that had nothing to do wit West Marine and their ilk. While I've saved thousands of $s it also begs caution and a thorough understanding of what works and what doesn't. Metal bits that come aboard should always be exposed to a magnet to check their propensity to rust so you can at least know their composition beforehand. With ground tackle, I tend to be a belt and suspenders type of guy since dragging endangers your boat but more importantly you endanger every other vessel in the area as well. If you've witnessed a chain reaction of boats all dragging through an anchorage due to some idiot anchoring with a concrete block or ground tackle too light for the task or poorly set or maintained, then you understand the consideration we owe to those anchored nearby.

Highest regards,

Darrell

This is what I consider to be a crowded anchorage,

 

[StinkBug]

I always admire initiative and creativity and your anchor looks to be a worthwhile project. Over the years I've found marine worthy materials and items that had nothing to do wit West Marine and their ilk. While I've saved thousands of $s it also begs caution and a thorough understanding of what works and what doesn't. Metal bits that come aboard should always be exposed to a magnet to check their propensity to rust so you can at least know their composition beforehand. With ground tackle, I tend to be a belt and suspenders type of guy since dragging endangers your boat but more importantly you endanger every other vessel in the area as well. If you've witnessed a chain reaction of boats all dragging through an anchorage due to some idiot anchoring with a concrete block or ground tackle too light for the task or poorly set or maintained, then you understand the consideration we owe to those anchored nearby.

Highest regards,

Darrell

Not sure if that's a compliment or not. I kinda get the vibe that you feel that an anchor should be bought and not built. Since I build things from metal all day every day for a living, I tend to disagree. I know the properties of the metal I used, and I know it's up to the task and then some. As for the design, I'll go ahead and admit that I completely copied the dimensions, angles, etc of a Rocna. Other than the fact that I bent flat steel for the roll bar instead of using round rod it's essentially the same design. I picked them because they seem to have the best reputation for performance around, and since I'm not making them to sell I'm not too worried about any lawsuits. As for holding a magnet up to something.....all that does it tell you if it's ferrous or not. It tells you absolutely nothing of the actual metal composition. Every galvanized anchor made would rust away to nothing rather quickly if they skipped that whole galvanizing step.

 

[StinkBug]

Make two more. Have all three done at one time and sell two.

I'll have to check what the maximum I could get in under that minimum charge would be. Wouldn't be a bad idea. Might actually think about building one smaller one as a stern anchor for myself as well.

 

[StinkBug]

:theman:
Stinkbug, It looks like you had a blast building that. Unfortunately most of us don't have that kind of gear to do the same :cry: so we have to live vicariously through you, and just go out and buy a better anchor. Nice post.

Thanks! It's not too often that my work can help with my boating addiction, but in cases like this it's really nice.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

This is what I consider to be a crowded anchorage,

LOL- You obviously don't anchor around Annapolis, like in Spa Creek, much

Looks very nice- where is that?

 

[Ross]

South side of the Sassafras about a mile east of Betterton. Bottom is sand, we were anchored in about 7 feet the rode came up nicely clean no mud.

 

[Chris Patterson]

I like the anchor. The beauty of the fab shop also being you can tweak it if you like. You mentioned earlier about cold galv paint, and I might be inclined to do just that until I threw it out there a few times. If you do have to tack on a little weight here or there, you're not ruining the hot dip.
Anyway, very nice work man, big time.

 

[StinkBug]

I'm going sailing tomorrow and while I'm out I'm gonna toss it overboard and see how well it does. For now I've just got it soaked in some heavy duty metal protectant wax and will rinse and dry it real well when I lift it to keep it from rusting before getting it dipped.

Man, that is one awesome sunset pic!

 

[darnoldone]

Not sure if that's a compliment or not. I kinda get the vibe that you feel that an anchor should be bought and not built. Since I build things from metal all day every day for a living, I tend to disagree. I know the properties of the metal I used, and I know it's up to the task and then some. As for the design, I'll go ahead and admit that I completely copied the dimensions, angles, etc of a Rocna. Other than the fact that I bent flat steel for the roll bar instead of using round rod it's essentially the same design. I picked them because they seem to have the best reputation for performance around, and since I'm not making them to sell I'm not too worried about any lawsuits. As for holding a magnet up to something.....all that does it tell you if it's ferrous or not. It tells you absolutely nothing of the actual metal composition. Every galvanized anchor made would rust away to nothing rather quickly if they skipped that whole galvanizing step.

Certainly wasn't throwin' rocks at your work, man. It looks like a very good anchor and I'm sure up to the task at hand. I always fabricate whatever I can instead of just walking in to the retail world to drop off my dollars. I'm a long time wood crafter myself and on a project I completed a few years ago on a Mauritius 43 I used S. American hardwood flooring for nearly every bit of cabin trim. The vessel named Sweet Talk is currently cruising the Med. and her owner reports no troubles with any of the furnishings. It has proven equal or superior to anything that could have been supplied by the marine industry. My comments result in several sleepless nights, fending off poorly anchored boats in a very busy anchorage in Ft. Myers Fl.
I'm sure most of those boats had anchors purchased at one of the major vendors then poorly secured to their rodes or lacking adequate chain or scope to set properly. My magnet is admittedly used for mostly fasteners that come aboard my boat as I've grown weary over the years of replacing rusty screws. Most of my anchors are galvanized steel except for one aluminum Fortress. No insult intended to your good looking fab work.

Highest regards,
Darrell

 

[StinkBug]

No worries. Sometimes posts with several different trains of thought in them can be a bit confusing to read and get the right tone. I totally hear you on the rusty fasteners too! Nothing worse than trying to remove something rusted in place, and with the head rusted off.

 

[Ross]

Plumbers have used low alloy steel pipe for years and know that if they later wish to be able to dismantle the joints, they must use pipe joint compound. I have tested pipe joint compound on uncoated mild steel nuts and bolts and found that after two years at the base of the mailbox post where dogs lift a leg and next to a street where salt is used for ice control I could remove the nuts without tools.

 

[Chris Patterson]

Ross, did this test involve counting exactly, or just an estimation of post pee's? My post is plastic, so I can't help here.

 

[Ross]

20% of the dogs @7 days/week+ 30 days of salt applicationsx104 weeks=rusty bolts and nuts but clean threads my wooden post didn't suffer terribly.