Solo - sailing anchor retrieval?

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Paul F

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Jun 3, 2004
827
Hunter 1980 - 33 Bradenton
Today was my semi-annual day to scrape the barnacles from the prop and bottom. found a knot and a-half to two knots with the clean-up. But, when the wind came up I had an awlful time tring to be at both ends of the boat at the same time. To run the motor up to the anchor and to pull the anchor on board before it fouled the prop shaft. Has anyone found "some magic" when single handling to solve this delima?
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,709
- - LIttle Rock
How I used to do it...

Run line back to a stern cleat and tie it off...then release it from the bow cleat. Now you can haul up the anchor from the cockpit. I wouldn't bring it all the way up, only high enough to make sure it wouldn't catch on anything while I motored out to open water where I had room to drift. Then I tied off on a bow cleat...released it from the stern cleat...and brough it up the rest of the way. I'd do the same thing in reverse to set the anchor...bring the anchor and enough line to set it back to the cockpit ahead of time...tie it off on stern cleat...lower the anchor and set it...then tied off on the bow before releasing it from the stern cleat. The next boat had a windlass I could operate up AND down from the helm.
 

Alan

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Jun 2, 2004
4,174
Hunter 35.5 LI, NY
In moderate to light wind, I simply sit at the bow, feet in the anchor locker and pull the boat forward to the point where the anchor rode is verticle. Then snub the line on the bow cleat and wait till the boat breaks the anchor out. That might take a minute or so. By pulling on the line you can feel when the anchor is out. In heavy air, do as Peggie suggests and motor forward very slowly taking in the slack as you move. Again when the line is verticle, wait for the boat to break out the anchor. Even in a very slight wave action, the boat will have no problem breaking out the anchor if you keep the verticle line taught.
 

Jon W.

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May 18, 2004
401
Catalina 310 C310 Seattle Wa
Must have been some wind

You didn't mention what size boat you have, but I've never encountered this type of problem. Unless the wind is Very strong and/or other boats or obstacles are Very close by, I'd do pretty much as Alan talked about. I've never had a problem getting back to the cockpit once I've pulled the anchor up. I would defiantly put the engine in neutral when I brought the anchor up. Maybe once or twice in 20 years have I had to make a running pickup.
 

Paul F

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Jun 3, 2004
827
Hunter 1980 - 33 Bradenton
To much to pull

Good question on boat size. The boat is a 33' about 12,000 lbs. Peggie's suggestion is a good one. I would have had to use the winch though as the wind really came up. The situation was not to good as there was also a lighting storm off to the North which fortunately did not blow down to my position. I fought with the boat for over an hour trying to pull against the wind. Finally was able to motor up, put the motor in neutral and run to pull the anchor aboard. But, by then the boat drifted to a soft grounding. Because of the wave action from the wind I was able to motor off at full power. Not the way I like to handle the anchor or boat. I was lucky not to have been gounded harder.
 
W

Warren Milberg

Solo Anchoring

About a month ago, I was solo sailing and anchored in a nice creek. The wind came up that night and I found that, when I tried to pull the anchor up, the wind had driven it half-way to China. I was able to pull my 7,100 lb boat up to the anchor so that it was verticle. I had the engine in neutral, but then went back to the cockpit to put it in forward with just a litte throttle. Driving over the anchor, it soon broke free. What works even better for me (but not sure if it would work with your 12,000 lb boat), is for me to pull the boat up to the anchor as fast as I can haul in the rode. When the rode become taught, I snub it on the deck cleat. Bingo, the boat pulls the anchor out.
 
A

AXEL

Poor man's windlass

I mounted a small winch up on the bow just in front of the anckor locker on the deck of my 1977 C30. I picked it up used for $25. It works great! I usually can pull the anckor in by hand but on occasion have winched it in (with the winch handle). It also comes in very handy in a blow when at anckor and you want to let out some more scope. Without it it would be very hand to control the line as it pays out in a 30 knot wind.
 
N

Nice N Easy

If you have room

I have a little different method I use when I have the room. I have been in situations where the wind is blowing hard enough that I cannot physically pull the boat up the rode. What I do when there is room, is motor in a circle, getting the boat upwind from the anchor, then put the engine in neutral and pull up the anchor as I drift down on it. If it is buried pretty good, I also tend to tie it off to a cleat, and use the engine to break it out. We have mostly mud bottoms here, so I have a marker on the anchor rode, placed so I know it cannot drag back and get the prop. Most of the time I will tie it off, use the engine to break it out, and drag the anchor for a minute or two, which washes off all or most of the mud. This allows me to bring a reasonably clean anchor on board, and to not pile all the sticky mud on deck or into the locker.
 
M

monty

windlass

with engine running but tranny in neutral I use the windlass to pull the boat up until the anchor breaks free and far enough from bottom not to snag while I go back and put her in slow forward, set the auto pilot and go forward to finish raising and stowing. i would however like to wire an additional set of switches to the windlass into the cockpit.
 
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