easy way to pull up well set anchor

[Mike OReilly]

I should add, my windlass is a manual. And it's exceedingly rare to have an absolutely flat anchorage. With even a little bit of wave action a tightly-snubbed vertical rode will start to move the anchor shank.

You can also try the momentum trick a few times; backing off on the rode, then hauling up fast to gain some boat speed. Snub as you go over the anchor.

[team karst]

Good advice. I have bent a windlass shaft using all chain rode when a passing wake shot the bow up. So, dont have the clutch over tightened.
Saying that, I sometimes use the windlass to move the boat forward, but only until the chain sag is small. This doesnt overtax the windlass. Repeat until over the anchor. If the anchor is really sunk in mud, i would consider redeploying the snubber and letting boat motion work the anchor

[boat driver]

makes sense as a method to getting the boat moving thereby using the boat's momentum to break the anchor out.
I'm not sure why all the discussions about windlass except they are a modern efficient labor and time savor if applicable. my anchor is 50kilo and I do not have a windless- just a 4-1 purchase with spliced loops in the rode every 2 meters to hook into- Simply haul into vertical position, power forward at idle to break out, and then begin hauling vertically up the spreader pole on the mast. when two blocked, snub and do again.
Little more time consuming when alone, tends to avoid anchoring in excess of 20 meters water, low maintenance.
The vessels-of-the-line did it this way because the rode itself was to big to use on a capstan.

[bergius]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Have you tried to pull the rode taut with all hands on the foredeck, then belay it and move all hands to the stern, using the boat’s buoyancy as a lever?

We tried that for the first time two weeks ago. Anchor was very well dug in, as we were the only anchor holding six rafted boats in gusts up to 21kt.

Worked great! Though it took 3-4 repetitions to get the anchor out of the deep mud.

[bensolomon]

I use the technique described elsewhere in this thread. I don't have a windlass. I haul the rode until it is vertical and secure it.. Then I wait. Take up any little slack that develops, secure it, again.

I have 50 ft of chain on a 200 ft rope rode. I have taken my rope rode back to my primary winch at times to help. You could use a mantus hook, or a towing hook on the end of a piece of rope (like a long snubber line) and run that back to your primary winch to help.

Ben

[sailm8]

As one of those without a windless, when using the motor to brake out the anchor, make sure the Admiral knows forward from reverse. I can now tie my shoes without bending over.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by GordMay

• Motor forward when raising the anchor, to reduce the strain on the windlass. Never use the windlass to pull your boat to the anchor.

• A windlass isn’t designed to weigh an anchor and rode, under strain. If the anchor has to be broken out, belay the rode, and use the engine to break it free.

• Never allow the full weight of your boat to ride on the windlass, while at anchor; always remove the strain from the windlass, by cleating off rope rodes/bridles/snubbers, or using a chain stopper. However, some horizontal windlass' have an integral rope cleat.

THIS!

[s/v Jedi]

Using the windlass we rarely need the engine to break out our (big) anchor. I read in other comments not to use the windlass to pull the boat forward and I agree, but instead of using the engine, we use the weight of the chain by taking in the slack, then wait for the boat to move forward so we can take out slack again. When timed correctly, you go forward faster and faster, while signaling to the helmsman which way to steer towards the anchor.

Once you arrive over the anchor, the forward momentum will break the anchor out. The whole procedure is very quick, because at some point you can keep hauling in chain as the boat moves forward faster than chain is hauled in.

For us this works up to 20kts wind. More than that and we need to use the engine to get forward.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by seandepagnier

I discovered over the last few weeks something obvious... I'm sure many are well aware already.

If the anchor is well set from a good blow, it may be difficult to retrieve if there isn't much wind to use the sails, or swells to break it free. I have no windlass, but even with one I imagine it could strain it. Windlass are also quite slow, and judging by other's comments can fail for various reasons or not be viable for lack of power.

The technique here, is to drop a second anchor (counter intuitive bit), then pull the first anchor until it's nearly vertical or as tight as you can without injuring yourself and lock it off.

Now, I pull the second anchor, and the first one comes free. The second anchor also comes free easily as it is not so stuck. The total amount of effort is really tiny compared to trying to pull the first anchor using the winch, sweat it up, jump up and down on bow, dive in the water and dig it out, and many other tactics I have tried and compared (and all of those do work too).

Rather than abandoning or cutting an anchor rode, try this. If you are in tidal waters and all else fails, pull up as much rode as you can at low tide and securely tie it off to the samson post or cleat. Then let the boat's buoyancy break the anchor loose as it approaches high tide.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[jim King]

If your anchor has a retrieval hole at the front, you can put a rope through it attached to bouy on the surface. Motor or pull your boat to this bouy and pull it up. This will pull the anchor loose from the top front and should bring it up with much less effort. There are several UTube videos on how to use an anchor bouy,

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by seandepagnier

I discovered over the last few weeks something obvious... I'm sure many are well aware already.

If the anchor is well set from a good blow, it may be difficult to retrieve if there isn't much wind to use the sails, or swells to break it free. I have no windlass, but even with one I imagine it could strain it. Windlass are also quite slow, and judging by other's comments can fail for various reasons or not be viable for lack of power.

The technique here, is to drop a second anchor (counter intuitive bit), then pull the first anchor until it's nearly vertical or as tight as you can without injuring yourself and lock it off.

Now, I pull the second anchor, and the first one comes free. The second anchor also comes free easily as it is not so stuck. The total amount of effort is really tiny compared to trying to pull the first anchor using the winch, sweat it up, jump up and down on bow, dive in the water and dig it out, and many other tactics I have tried and compared (and all of those do work too).

Have you tried the following:
Start engine
Motor upwind of the anchor
Turn stern to wind
Motor in reverse
This should pull the anchor out of the sand/mud. And now you are free to take it up.

[chrisr]

we find this relatively easy on a cat...regardless of whether you have a windlass or not

simply move vertically over the anchor. can do this via the windlass or pulling by hand or by engine.

we then put our heavy strop on to the chain (to save any load on gypsy / windlass etc) and proceed to motor forward directly over the anchor so it leads back under the bridgedeck (in between the hulls). this way the pull on the chain is reversed and the anchor comes out easily

i'm sure somebody will point out a situation where such is wrong or won't work...but so far we've never found one

cheers,

[Jim Cate]

i'm sure somebody will point out a situation where such is wrong or won't work...but so far we've never found one

Well, Chris, one obvious one is the OP who is engineless (ardently so) and that makes your technique (which we use in a monohull sort of way) more difficult!

Jim

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by meirriba

Have you tried the following:
Start engine
Motor upwind of the anchor
Turn stern to wind
Motor in reverse
This should pull the anchor out of the sand/mud. And now you are free to take it up.

OP has no motor so try again.

[chrisr]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Well, Chris, one obvious one is the OP who is engineless (ardently so) and that makes your technique (which we use in a monohull sort of way) more difficult!

Jim

hmmm...no engine eh. and i dare say no wind so he can't sail the anchor out ?

that seems to either mean heave the anchor short at low tide and wait for the tide to pull the anchor out...or going for a swim and digging it out by hand !

cheers,