anchoring problems

[secret_spot]

Hi All,
Just after some advice on getting my anchor to hold. I have a 5 meter centre console and my reef anchor will not hold on the shoals around Mackay. I have about 2 meters of chain on the anchor and the anchor is the correct size for the boat. Any advice would be muchly appreciated. :-/

Secret.

[Seahorse]

i had same prob. i added another metre of chain. seems to work ok.

cheers
greg

[Matt_F]

Hi secret

A good rule of thumb is to have the anchor chain the same length as your boat. The idea being that the weght of the chain helps the anchor stay put but it also the weight of the chain acts as a spring to prevent the boat jolting the anchor off the bottom. And if I was anchoring on shoaly ground I would use a plough anchor (I think that is the correct name).

Hope this helps.

[Foxy4]

Ditto what MatT _F has stated. I would also consider doing the same.

[tunaticer]

Another tip is the bend you put in your anchor tines. If you create a long rounded hook in each tine you will have a lot more trouble getting it so catch the bottom and hold. It is better to bend the last third roughly of the tine fairly tightly back to about 60 degrees from the main part resulting in a smaller diameter of tines but lots stronger than long slow wide even bends. Being shorter tines from the centre to the tips creates less leverage to straighten them out.
The downside of this is also it can be harder to get it off the reef too as sometimes you need them to straighten to get ur anchor back.

Jack.

[juju]

Add as much chain as you can before it gets a pain to lift....

[finding_time]

Add as much chain as you can before it gets a pain to lift....

There is one problem doing this, and that is the chain can get snagged in the reef not just the pick. I dived for quite a few such anchors over the years and it amazing the number of times it the chain that's snagged not the pick. Imho adding more chain increases the risk ,better doing what tunaticer sujested first i think it will drastically improve your holding ability

[Getout]

Be careful lowering the anchor. I have found that the chain sinks faster than the reef pick and they get tangled if you let them both free-fall

[Noelm]

first off, you need SHORT "prongs" on your anchor and a bit more chain, and a lot of people get into trouble from the very moment they lower the anchor, by far the best system for good quick "bite" is to locate your spot you want to be, get the boat moving slightly astern BEFORE you lower the anchor (and by lower, it is just that, not chucked out in a heap), the reason for the astern thing is because if you are stationary and lower the lot to the bottom, it is all vertical and you need to drift a long way before it is all at the correct angle to actually "lay" on the bottom, and if it is quite windy and the drift is fast, then the vertical rope will actually get a big "belly" in it and can lift the whole lot off the bottom (if you see what I mean) and by moving slightly astern, when you lower the anchor is starts off being at an angle to the boat and will grab almost as soon as it hits bottom (if it is rough enough bottom of course)

[GBC]

Also try making the anchor heavier in the shank by filling the tube with lead or steel.

C.J.

[kingtin]

Short prongs with the bend in the top 1/3.

I find half boat length of chain is ample, contrary to the generally held belief that it should be the length of the boat.

Lower slowly so that the pick hits before the chain, (to negate chain snagging) or else weight the pick so that it has more weight than chain

Use a pick with an eye at the prongs and utilise "rotten bottom" technique to facilitate easier pick breakaway from reef.

I agree with finding time also.............as I use a "rotten bottom," one would assume that I wouldn't lose any picks but this was not the case when I used longer chain. I lost quite a few, so I think it can safely be assumed that the longer chain was the culprit and it was snagging.

Reef picks nowadays are relatively cheap compared with the cost of chain and I have seen home made reef picks very heavily weighted in the shank that (it would appear), negates the need for lengthy chain.

KEV

[krazyfisher]

ok now I have had the same problems on the same shoals
more chain does help
let out alot of rope I let out 50mtrs its not that deep
and lastly I just use my sand anchor not much to grab
this works on oom shoal 5mile and the patch

[Craigo]

Buy a SARCA hold like a beauty and release without a problem

[ffejsmada]

For shoally rubbly hard to hold ground, we used to add the sand pick to the top of the chain. Held every time and never had a problem getting off.
Of course I wouldn't do this on hard reef.

[secret_spot]

LOVE THIS SITE!!
Thanks guys for all your advice, I will try some of your suggestions and see which works best for me.
Cheers
Secret.