Anchor buoy/windlass

[Cker]

Anchor buoy seems to be a pretty straightforward solution to recovering an anchor. It also seems that a windlass is a good idea for raising an anchor. Are they mutually exclusive or is it a matter of using one or the other. i think I might know about how an anchor buoy works but would appreciate enlightenment.
Don't have a boat yet but making up a wish list of things that I might want toadd if/when I ever get a boat again.
:?

 

[tpbrady]

When anchoring in deep water (150 feet plus) I use both. The windlass is really only capable of bring a anchor off the bottom that has not been set. With the buoy you can break the anchor loose and get it all the way to the surface. The windlass is only retrieving line in this case.

 

[Jack in Alaska]

Cker,
I have been pulling my anchor with a buoy for 27 yrs. We anchor in 100 to 160' of water and I have 600' of 3/8' line and 20' of chain with a 22# Bruce.
No problems BUT......you have to keep your wits about you and DO NOT run over your line with the motor. As I anchor in water moving at 4-6 mph. getting the anchor line tangled in the prop. with the water pulling the on the boat is an instant recipe for being dead in 48F water. The boat will swing around backwards and the stern will be pulled under and.....and.....and......you get the picture. As I said I have never had a problem but I am extremely careful.
I have no experience with a windlass but others have and will chime in.

 

[breausaw]

If you use ½” line it’s easy to pull by hand, at least that’s what the wife says and she’s usually the one pulling the anchor; I do occasionally go around and yank it up with my withered 54 year old hands. Before you invest in a windless give the manual method a try. Have never used a buoy either, but a lot of guys do.

If you go out and buy a 40 footer the dynamics change dramatically.

 

[toyman]

You send the anchor handling tug out to pick up the buoy, he takes the anchor on deck, then you retrieve the line as he backs down (or holds off which ever the case may be). When he is along side you take the anchor from his deck, using your crane, and hang it in the rack. You then take the buoy and put it on your deck.

Oops, that's from 30 years offshore on oil platforms, but it's about the same on the C-Dory, don't pull the boat (rig) with the winch, and don't breakout the anchor with the winch. Keep EVERYTHING except water out of the prop.

 

[Will-C]

Typically using about a 15" orange round bumper with about 2' of 1/2 inch line with a carabineer clip on one end and the loop thru the bumper. Assuming the anchor is set the first step is to take the large split ring that is about 5" in diameter (so once pulled the anchor shank can fit thru it and hang there.) that has an eye on either side of the loop and place the anchor line in the center take a snap hook thru the eyes on the split ring and then clip the carabiner to the eye of the snap hook. In essence the ball is connected to the anchor line and can slide freely. Into the water it goes then carefully at about a 45 degree angle to the anchor proceed slowly. If all go according to plan the ball and the ring slide down the rode and lift the anchor and pulls the shank of the anchor right thru the split ring and hangs there. Then someone carefully pulls the slack as you head over to retrieve the anchor and ball along with the misc hardware. Wrapping anchor line around props have sunk more than a couple boats to having someone up on the bow with good eyes and common sense is a real plus.
D.D.

 

[cemiii]

There are videos on the web that show the use of Buoy lifts. There is a short video at this web site

http://www.ironwoodpacific.com/products ... orring.htm

There are several varieties available, that fall essentially in 2 categories, simple ring and ratchet.

If you have more chain weight than anchor and get the hang of the right speed and knowing when the anchor is set in the ring, I think it's best. Many find it near impossible at first because if you don't get the anchor full up or have enough compensating weight and a clean transition from rope to chain, the anchor will tend to hang at the chain and slide back down while you are retrieving rode.

The second type, often used with shorter chain lengths and often a part of a typical Columbia River anchor set up, is a one way ratchet where you open a slide to pay out the rode, then throw the buoy in the water. When it's time to lift you use the boat power (at an angle) to lift the rode and as the rode goes through it will not let the anchor slide down again. An added benefit is that you can detach from the anchor (as in fighting a large fish) and come back later to the very same anchor set. I believe this type is easier for beginners, but wouldn't work well for people with 50 or more feet of chain.

I've used both types and never had concerns for prop fouling provided you take a steep angle and keep the rope taught so you can see it angling well out to port or starboard and make sure you are in neutral or dead while hand retreiving but I may not have been in such difficult situations. System is not as good if you are anchored in tight proximity to a flotilla of other boats (time to hand pull). Nothing worse than using this method and having to pull dozens of sturgeon hooks out out of your good rode (or dodging the bullets). I think these work extremely well in open bow boats. Probably less so on the bow of a C-Dory or other cabin boats.

At any rate, the advantages of buoy lifts are simplicity, cost and installation, maintenance and portability. Aside from the common costs (of anchor, rode and chain) the cost disadvantage for a good electric windlass set up is probably a $grand $ (but boy are they nice to have).

Chris