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Date: 11 May 2018. For the Fishermen (anchoring system)

© janice142
 

First of all, please know I am the world's worst fisherman. Fish do not fear me. In fact I have seen a fish suck my bait into their mouth and spit out a perfectly clean hook more than once! For details on that see the Glass-bottom Dinghy article. However a while back I ran into a successful fisherman who used a different anchoring system than I. Here is what he does.



Boats that can rapidly get to the fishing grounds are prized by their owners.


Those fellows who are fortunate enough to own fishing boats have priorities.

  • Number One: Catch as many fish as possible.

  • Number Two: Be able to retrieve the anchor even if it is caught on underwater debris.
     

The method described is only for boaters stopping for a few hours. You MUST be aware of your surroundings as this anchoring system could fail. Your boat might drag and that is never a good thing!



The shackle is attached to the head of the anchor. The chain is wire-tied to the base of the anchor shaft.

 
Anchors such as the one pictured above are often used in rocky areas. The spikes hook into the bottom and will secure your boat in place. That indeed is the problem. The anchor can hold too well. Thus retrieval would be dang near impossible.


Losing an anchor or not being able to raise it is a serious problem.
That is why wise boaters always have more than one anchor aboard.


Seaweed carries two anchors. A 33 pound Rocna and a smaller Hydro-bubble.




 

I use a 33 pound Rocna on the bow of Seaweed as my primary anchor. For my size boat it is oversized. Oversized is what you want!
 

However, I also wanted to  be able to hoist the anchor AND chain up by hand should my windlass fail. Thus I opted for 33 pound versus the outrageously large 44. If I were stronger though that 44 would have been mighty tempting.
 

To contrast, the dinghy anchor (6kg, 13 pounds) is about the price I paid for my 33 pound anchor back in 2013. Prices have jumped!


Rocna Galvanized Anchor, 20kg aka 44 pounds

or 6kg aka 13 pounds
or 25kg aka 55 pounds

 

Fishing boats under 30' however generally have just one anchor.  Below is Noel's BIL on Party Boat.
You met Noel in the
The Birds (ordering iced coffee) and Moby-Cool a/c cover Installed articles.

When you are out for an afternoon on a lake, the needed equipment is naturally less than when going off-shore.
 

Fishermen are smart though. They have figured out a way to get their anchors back when it gets stuck in rocky bottoms.


The anchor chain shackle is attached to the head (top) of the anchor, versus the more normal end of the shaft. Then a wire tie is secured to the shaft. The fishermen can lower the anchor and retrieve it with ease. BUT, if the anchor is stuck on something that plastic wire tie will break.
 

Pulling up the anchor "backwards" will make all the difference in the world. The anchor should come out much easier.
 

Cruisers who get their anchors caught will often try attaching a secondary line to the top of their anchor and pulling with the engine. Sometimes that works, though not always.


Spotting a successful fisherman is easy. This boat must have caught something tasty.

There is a great blue heron on the back of this boat waiting a free fish. Herons know a soft touch when the see one.


I am a well-trained soft touch. Meet Ella the Great Blue Heron. She is waiting for hotdog wafers.

I named her after Ella Fitzgerald who sang the blues...
 

Successful fishermen are everywhere. I spotted several along the shoreline.


One fellow caught a barracuda.


 

 

For those of us who cruise, the Fisherman's anchoring system is a recipe for disaster. Were the wind to kick up that wire tie would snap. The the anchor would pull free. Our boats could and would drag.
 

For an hour or three while fishing however, this method is something to consider.

 


To you and yours, happy successful fishing.


When fishing have you ever used this method of anchoring?
And, have you ever been successful in retrieving an anchor that was stuck? How'd you do it?
 

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