Stuck anchor

[LagunaJay]

Please read this and tell me if I should have done something differently:

Anchors ‘aweigh’... or ‘away’ ??

Convert a standard production Laguna 26 sailboat into a square-rigged sloop (a “sqoop”) with electric propulsion.

sqoopsailboat.blogspot.com

 

[sail sfbay]

Might try these danforth anchor retrieval techniques AND go back to the anchor you cut loose and dive on the anchor to retrieve it.

 

[jssailem]

Unfortunate.
Sometimes:
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft a-gley, [often go awry]
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promised joy.

One possibility is the anchor design. That big flukes anchor likes to lodge on things in the water.

You talked about your process of dropping the anchor, Perhaps grabbing the chain and pulling it out from the anchor roller and onto the deck, then attaching the anchor might be a way to solve your issue of leaning out over the water with the anchor in hand.

Mantus makes a nice small anchor with good holding power and light of weight. I have been using there 35lb anchor with chain rode on my boat and this last week it held as we experienced 30 kt plus winds.

It sounds like your anchoring activities are short stops. A small anchor should be a good solution. You might even try a heave lead ball fishing weight if temporary hold is all you need. They tend to be easy to retrieve.

 

[Jackdaw]

ANY time you drop something in the water designed to hook the bottom, sometimes the bottom will not let go. That's just life on the water, but I agree it's sad it happened on your first go.Modern plow anchors will do so less, and have a better built in mechanism to help if you use it before you deploy.

Before anchoring in an area, seek out local knowledge about the bottom. Others will tell you if there are rock catches, dead trees, etc to ruin your day.

 

[jssailem]

dead trees

Very possible. Lake Washington is in part a glacial and man made from the early 1900's. More likely something sunk or was dumped in that area. All sorts of things have been found in the lakes around Seattle.

 

[sail sfbay]

If you plan to purchase a replacement anchor this article might be helpful on selecting one. Also need to consider stowing ability if your sailboat does not have an anchor roller.

Selecting the Right Anchor | West Marine
West Marine is committed to outfitting your life on the water. With over 250 store locations, 100,000 products in stock, and knowledgeable Associates, trust West Marine for your boating, sailing, fishing, or paddling needs. Shop with confidence - get free shipping to home or stores + price match...

www.westmarine.com

 

[Kings Gambit]

LagunaJay,

It can happen to anybody! Yours may turn up!!

Display at Port San Luis, California

 

[rgranger]

A trick I have used on more than one occasion is to lead the rode back from the bow to a winch and pull it very tight. Then make a cup of coffee and just sit in the very back (rail seat) of the cockpit. Let my weight and the lever arm of my boat length put a slow but strong pull on the anchor. After a few minutes I winch the rode a little more and ... after about 20 to 30 min the anchor comes up. So far this has been a fail safe last resort option for me. The anchor usually comes up with a branch or an enourmous amount of clay.

 

[shemandr]

I'm not sure that the video of wrapping chain around a Danforth is the answer. Seems like a lot could go wrong and it shortens the chain defeating the purpose of the chain. Maybe you could rig a trip line to pull the anchor from the front if it's stuck. Put in on a buoy and it will also mark your anchor (So, some idiot will pull it up thinking he'll get some free conch). I didn't like the zip tie thing either. Why couldn't, in the case of the sliding ring anchor, just motor forward past the anchor and pull from in front of the anchor so the ring slides up the shaft and drags the anchor forward. Zip ties never come loose when I want them to.
In the end I like simple anchor systems. If you have to pull the anchor up at 3 AM you don't want to have to untangle a bunch of gear that will strain your groggy mind. KISS rule. But I anchored in pretty much known anchorages.

 

[Ken Cross]

I also see the video with the bridle as a bad idea. I can see the cable tie breaking and the anchor coming loose while you sleep.

Another way to retrieve it. A small piece of chain (2 or 3 feet long) secured in a loop and tied to a line. Pull the anchor line up until it's vertical and then drop the chain loop down the rode. Jiggle it plenty. The idea is to work it down the anchor shank. Then slack the rode and move the boat to the opposite side from which the boat was pulling on the anchor. Now pull hard on the retrieval line that's attached to the chain loop. This should pull the anchor out of whatever it had snagged on.

Hopefully, this is clear. It would require you to carry a short piece of chain. In my case, I'd use the chain normally attached to my lunch-hook anchor.
Wind and currents can also make this a more difficult maneuver.

Ken

 

[LagunaJay]

Wow, all great ideas. Thanks guys!