Snag ate my anchor

[Snowpetrel]

Sorry to hear about your lost anchor.

I could try giving you advice on ways to recover it, but you seem very smart and resourceful and I figure if you can't find a way to safely get it back I doubt anything I could say could help.

Good luck finding a new anchor, or finding someone to help with recovering the old one.

Danforths hold real well in my experience in anything other than rocky or veey hard ground, but they probably won't handle reversals any where near as well as the Bruce. And they can be prone to bending shanks. You may need to start using two anchors at times now you dont have the bruce.

On the plus side with next gen anchors and g4 chain, being the rage, you might find a nice old gen anchor and g3 chain cheap.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

I should note there was another rope rode around the trees, so I was not the first to donate an anchor there. After seeing how pricey even cheap anchors are nowadays (I paid $65 for the claw ages ago), recovery is sort of high on my list.

Not sure there are divers around here. I should check though. Money or rather the extreme lack of it is a major issue with me. I should note that half the anchor chain was rusty, and I got it used, so it's not like I'm leaving big $$$ on the bottom. I would cry if it was a mason or other $400+ anchor.

Back to that diver idea: perhaps you can offer salvage rights to all the other chain and anchors he/she might find there... if doing you a favor and recovering yours. Free to you, value (maybe) to diver.

-Chris

[a64pilot]

The anchor story reminds me of the Lassoing a deer story, or the one where the guy bought his wife a stun gun, both had me in tears.

SC sorry about the Anchor, sometimes being smart means knowing when to quit. If there is no coral, I think you will be fine with a short piece of chain and three strand, your a smallish, light boat, I think?
If you stay chain and without a windlass, I learned the hard way that my snubber will work really well with my sheet winch hauling an anchor I couldn't do by hand. I about killed myself before I thought about the winch, comes from a powerboat background I guess

Until getting my Rocna, all I ever anchored with was a Danforth clone, but always in sand or mud, and it worked, I'd never get rid of my new gen anchor now that I've had one, but boats have been anchoring for a long time without them.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Saleen411

Where on the Delta are you? Would you like some help?

Did you notice this, sometime two are much better than one?

[RTB]

Bummer, chick! Your easiest solution would be to get help from a diver. Use your charm, and maybe they will work for beer. We got snagged in North Lake Worth earlier this year. A neighbor swam over and dove to find our chain wrapped between two big chunks of concrete. He easily unwrapped it and we were free. He did it out of the goodness of his heart, so I have been "paying it forward" every chance I get. It feels good when you can help others.

I'm waiting for the happy ending to your saga. Best wishes!

Ralph

[zeehag]

always feed kat before weighing anchor. he befouled it for ye.
yeah kats are magic.
oh yeah---- i hope ye can retrieve it easily, as it is a good anchor ye let go.
for your anchoring until you fetch it, piggyback something to another--a friend uses a plow with danforth backing on same chain.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

So this morning when weighting anchor it became quickly apparent that the anchor chain had tied a knot in, not one, but two old tree logs, each 12 ish feet long and 10" to 12" dia. They came up to the surface, but did not have anything to cut them with. Did I mention I don't have a windless. Though the jib winch did it proud.

Being single handed, I did not want to take a chance getting hurt. So after an hour or so of reviewing the situation and chanting, I let loose 150 feet of anchor chain and said goodby to my tried and true cheap 44# claw.

Plan A is to buy a 20" hand saw and a 150# magnet and return to the spot and try to haul it up and cut the trunks in two. Not sure how safe that is, with an old woman kneeling at the bow or in a kayak. I see a limb smacking me one way or another.

Plan B is punt and go with my backup anchor and rode.

My question is (yes I know it's an anchor thread, what am I thinking ), should I use the 27# danforth or the 34# northhill for primary. Both hold ok but each have issues. I anchor in tidal water with bottom grass, so the northhill would work better there. But in reverse tide and wind, the rode tends to wrap the lazy fluke. Been there done that.

I have zero funds for a new anchor (any new anchor) or even an old anchor, but will keep my eye out for a old Bruce 44#.

Such is how my Thursday goes. Added bonus, Dekat was out of food this am. Luckily that is no longer the case.

Sorry for your lose. I can't believe a chain and no windless. I would opt for a set of bolt cutters if you are replacing with chain.

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Sorry for your lose. I can't believe a chain and no windless. I would opt for a set of bolt cutters if you are replacing with chain.

Oddly enough using rope with a chain hook and a jib or halyard winch does well to raise chain. Even with $%^&*( trees attached.

Part of my problem is my anchor locker is shallow and does not have enough fall for chain on a windless. The other problem is the strikingly reinforced Samson post that sits right where a windless would want to sit. Lots of structure at the head of the V Berth Anchoring the long wood Samson post to the hull and deck. From an engineering perspective, it is well built.

[JOHNMARDALL]

Sorry to hear about this bad luck. If it's not too late, get as much of the chain back on board as possible and cut it off from the anchor end with a hacksaw. 150 foot of chain is worth more than the anchor and can always be combined into a rope-chain rode it it's not long enough for your needs. Anchors are dirt cheap in used boat equipment stores.

Most importantly, don't even think about using a chain saw while you're sitting in a kayak or dinghy - you could end up killing yourself to retrieve a piece of galvanized steel. Let's keep things in perspective and not take any crazy risks.

Best Regards

John Mardall
Vetus Group

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Oddly enough using rope with a chain hook and a jib or halyard winch does well to raise chain. Even with $%^&*( trees attached.

Part of my problem is my anchor locker is shallow and does not have enough fall for chain on a windless. The other problem is the strikingly reinforced Samson post that sits right where a windless would want to sit. Lots of structure at the head of the V Berth Anchoring the long wood Samson post to the hull and deck. From an engineering perspective, it is well built.

i have used my mast winches, also as you have, to raise my stubborn tackle---is a challenge on occasion, even with 2 windlasses on my foredeck, hence ability to retrieve the wonderful 30kg bruce i enjoy using.

engineer out the angles and geometries of a slightly offset windlass just abaft the samson post... with a hella backing plate.. mine are both offset with bits between. windlasses are placed each side with consideration for alignment with stowing of chain below as well as deployment and management of anchor and chain. but mine is not an islander, so it is different..

next islander i see here i will take pix of bow if that helps any.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Oddly enough using rope with a chain hook and a jib or halyard winch does well to raise chain. Even with $%^&*( trees attached.

Part of my problem is my anchor locker is shallow and does not have enough fall for chain on a windless. The other problem is the strikingly reinforced Samson post that sits right where a windless would want to sit. Lots of structure at the head of the V Berth Anchoring the long wood Samson post to the hull and deck. From an engineering perspective, it is well built.

Give the bolt cutters some thought. A hand saw sounds like a disaster at best. JMHO I love a good wooden Sampson Post. It is like a keel stepped mast. Both somewhat quaint today.

[RTB]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Oddly enough using rope with a chain hook and a jib or halyard winch does well to raise chain. Even with $%^&*( trees attached.

Part of my problem is my anchor locker is shallow and does not have enough fall for chain on a windless. The other problem is the strikingly reinforced Samson post that sits right where a windless would want to sit. Lots of structure at the head of the V Berth Anchoring the long wood Samson post to the hull and deck. From an engineering perspective, it is well built.

Same situation here. 35# Manson Supreme and all 5/16 HT chain. No problem. Keeps me fit, and my wife calls me "Anchor Man".

Captain Ralph, anchor man.jpg Views: 160 Size: 409.0 KB ID: 127231" style="margin: 2px" />

Ralph

[thinwater]

Dive.

It's hard to tell the exact configuration of the snag based on the posts, but...

• Attach a tripping line to the anchor.
• Release the anchor from the chain (borrow bolt cutters?)(wrench)
• Pull the chain, which should be freed.
• Lift the anchor.

There are a list of precautions, but it doesn't sound too bad. 14' is a reasonable free dive if you know how to clear your ears and don't try to do too much on a single dive. Good rest between dives. Wet suit (which IMHO is basic safety gear for cold water sailors, right up there with PFDs).



Or just troll Craig's list for something cheap.

[lesterbutch]

Just a thought, I assume you in an area with
other sailors? Talk to folks around you, tell
them your plight, and I will bet you'll get
Offers to help you! Don't try to do it alone,
It's way too dangerous. Sailors are good
People, I'm sure they will help!

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

I did not tie a float, but I know within a few feet of where it lays. so should be able to grab the chain with a magnet. Yes on a bow saw. I now know that I need a big hand saw / bow saw on the boat, for those special occasions.

I should note there was another rope rode around the trees, so I was not the first to donate an anchor there. After seeing how pricey even cheap anchors are nowadays (I paid $65 for the claw ages ago), recovery is sort of high on my list.

Not sure there are divers around here. I should check though. Money or rather the extreme lack of it is a major issue with me. I should note that half the anchor chain was rusty, and I got it used, so it's not like I'm leaving big $$$ on the bottom. I would cry if it was a mason or other $400+ anchor.

The flat would have been a very good idea. BTW, I dropped anchor at a marina off the bow once. Even in that situation I couldn't grab it with a magnet. I doubt you will. I had to snorkel down to get it is very limited visibility.
The other possibility when it happened is to have tied a line around the logs holding them up. The with the tension off your anchor and rode tried to release them.
But this stuff happens and hind sight is 20/20 for sure. Hope you find it.
I once anchored right over a wreck that was on the chart. ( Didn't check the chart..DUH!) next am the anchor kept catching on the steel wreck. 50+ feet down in 52 degree water. Fortunately many attempts at moving the boat over it and releasing/pulling the anchor I got it up!