Cheap Delta? Is there such a thing?.....

B

bshillam

Member
Yesterday we went boating due to recommendation of a friend in a local fishing hole. The weather was wonderful, skies clear, about 55-60 - and the water was smooth.
After having the boat snag the trailer rails and one side having the bolts back out we were on our way fishing. One drop of the anchor - one scrabble game down and we were on our way to another hole. This one was deeper, about 50 feet - set anchor and enjoyed another game of scrabble. (Later last night we finished and I won! :smileo and that doesn't happen much, ok - so this was the first....) Well we go to pull up and the anchor wasn't coming up. No matter what I tried, pulling and pulling - we moved right over the top of it and powered forward, backwards....Oh did I forget to mention my line too was hung....So after thirty minutes of trying to free this Delta we cut line. :cry
To this end, 1. Does anyone have a cheap source for replacement anchors? 2. Does anyone have advice to free a hung anchor? (It is my belief that the anchor was hung on a fallen stump or the like as this area is full of fallen trees and such. 3. I truly would like to avoid cutting a $150 anchor and $125 worth of chain/line so all the help is greatly appreciated! :thup
 
I have seen a couple things done. One is to tie a "trip line" to the anchor. There should be a hole on the end of the shank near the point. You can pull that line and back the anchor out. Another method, that I have used, is to clip a circle of chain, attached to a line, around the tight anchor rode and when it is at the bottom put some slack in the rode then pull on the line attached to the chain coil. This can also back the anchor out. Used that one a lot up in the inside passage, as most of the inlets have old logging cables crisscrossing them.
 
Bill-

Been There, Done That!

Here's my story: Lost Anchor Recovery.

Of course, if you can't wait for the lake level to go down because it doesn't do it like a reservoir, you'll have to resort to diving on the lost anchor with scuba gear or hire someone to do it. (Joel / SEA3PO does this professionally in Northern California.)

One bit of advice would be to get a cheap anchor and rode set-up for future use when you know you're anchoring in dangerous territory. Expendable in one word. For fishing or a "lunch hook' in fallen trees, I'd use a mushroom anchor or even a cement slug made in a bucket with a embedded eyelet. Anything cheap without prongs or flukes to get trapped in the wooden labyrinth. (Careful, a 2/3 'rds full of cement 5 gallon bucket makes a ~75 lb anchor!)

Another approach would be to rig your anchor with a release set up as described in this thread: AnchorRelease Hook-Up, although the release set up might not work in fouled trees and such.

For a cheap Delta style anchor, you just might put "plow anchor" or "Delta anchor" into the Google search engine and start sorting them out.

However, it's been my experience that Marisafe offers some inexpensive anchor alternatives.

Good luck with whatever you do!

P.S.: How deep is the water in which you lost your anchor?"

Cheers!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Sounds like it messed up a fine day. To attept avoiding that happening to us we do what lloyds suggested with the trip line. Whenever in real doubt about the bottom we attach a trip line to the anchor and the other end to a round fender float. Also helps mark the anchor location for retrieval. Haven't lost an anchor yet, but with enough drops even with doing this its bound to happen some time, so we carry two spares on a long cruise.

Most of the time rather than attaching the trip line we're just very picky on where we drop the anchor.

Good advice as usual from Joe.

Jay
 
I JUST LOVE DISASTER !!!! Yep... I always have about 30 or more anchors in my driveway just for that sort of thing..... I used to let the kids sell them...but they grew up....so now I just pile em in the driveway and folks just come by and help themselves....sometimes leave $10 or so....but whatever.... I pick up so many anchors they actually become a nuisance...it is not at all uncommon for me to go diving and find five or six.... usually though they are lake style (navy) anchors... for fishing boats... once and awhile I find a strange one.... kinda neat... like one of those box ones... or bruce type... lots of those coated mushroom ones..... about 10 to 15 pounds.....

I will start carrying a few with me to C-Dory events.... happy to give em away.... (I know where there are lots more)

Joel
SEA3PO
Rapose Diving and Salvage
Tug: Kea
 
Anyone of the brats dive in Columbia County Oregon? I'd like to consider potentially hiring instead of replacing our anchor. Know of any locals?
 
The loop of chain slid down the rode, as described by Bill and El in the link above works most of the time--you pull at 180 degrees to the pull where the anchor was set.

One of the reasons we are experimenting with the Manson Supreme, is the slidng shackle, which allows the main rode to act as a tripline--not sure it is a good idea, but worth trying--maybe use an electical tie to keep the shackle at the end of the shank, and when you reversed the pull 180 degrees, it would allow the shackle to slip down the shank and pull the anchor out...

Also if you have to leave the anchor--might be worth putting a float on the end of the line--to make it easier to find when you go back with a diver. When you do dive on it, set up a grid--so that you can run a search pattern. We use fenders on disposaible (like rocks) to set the grid up.
 
We were able to mark the lost anchor position with twine tied to nearby tree trunks that triangulated the anchor's position.

When going back later, we located the anchor exactly by using an underwater TV camera, then dove on it.

I had cut loose a Fortress FX-16 anchor and 100 feet of G40 High Test chain that together were worth over $500.

You'd think a 3000 lb. boat with 2000 lbs of thrust (90 hp), could break loose an anchor stuck in an old tree, but the elasticity provided by the old branches it was stuck in kept the boat from snapping it free. Amazingly, the tree has been submerged for 60 years. Tough tree!

Cheers!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Ouch, hope my wife doesn't read this thread, she will never let me get that 18 pound Ultra made of stainless and costs $1200.00 :cry but then, Since I like living with her :smile and she checks the checkbook and visa :wink I doubt I will be in that neighbor hood anyway :smiled

However, I was just looking at a device called an anchor retrieval ring. Only $49 at Fisheries supply, but I think I like the chain loop idea :idea I just saw here even better. (Another reason to keep up on this site.) :rainbow
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
I think I'm just going to order another delta to replace the delta I lost. Specially after seeing the report this morning on all the anchors tested over the weekend. Big thanks Bob!
Question - anyone know of an inexpensive source for the chain/rode. I have used in the past 20' of chain and about 250' of rode. Thanks brats for all your help as usual.
 
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