Pulling anchor w/ bouy

K

Kena B

New member
I have looked through the posts here and did not see anything on pulling an anchor using a buoy ball. (probably in a post somewhere but I can't find it!!) I have been on a few boats in the past that did this but didn't pay attention to the "how to" part! I do recall they attached a buoy and ring to the rode, slowly motored, pulling the rode through the ring until the anchor chain ends at the ring, then reeled in the rode w/ the windlass. This seems like a good idea for taking some of the wear and tear off the windlass.

My question, (and concern!) is how to do this without worry of getting the rode in the prop(s)! I have heard of a few lives lost by wrapping the anchor rope in the prop and swamping the boat! We will be operating in potential strong currents so I can see this needs to be be done the right way!!

Any experience out there that can provide a bit of "how to" or "how not to"!

Thanks

Don

C-yalater
 
Don,

I always pull the anchor with the buoy and rode down the starboard side. I start by removing the line from the anchor roller and insuring the rode is tight (back down in reverse if necessary). I then swing in an arc to port at almost a right angle to the rode until I see the buoy go by and can see that the rode is away from the boat. I then increase the throttle and still keep in an arc to port and keep my eye on the rode. You go at moderate speed until the buoy starts bouncing on the surface (usually an indication that the anchor has reached the buoy and is hung up there). I then start retrieving the line with the windlass. If the buoy is coming to you faster than you are retrieving line, then the anchor is on the way back to the bottom. This is when you need to watch out. You are then upstream or uptide of the anchor and if it goes back to the bottom and sets then you might end up floating over the rode and getting tangled. The best way to keep that from happening is to be sure the chain weighs a lot more than your anchor and use a big enough buoy.

I've heard the same stories as you have especially in the Cook Inlet. I help in a charter operation there during the summer and we always pull the anchor with a buoy. The only "incident" we have had in 14 years was puncturing a buoy with the anchor. I think that was a case of too much horsepower.
 
Tom,

Does the buoy go under water ever or is it floating at all times? If it does go under, is that a bad sign??? I see there are a few different mechanisms to attach to the rode and I already have a stainless steel ring which is what I'll be using. It seems that it would work best as I have 40 ft. of chain and it should pull through the ring and keep the anchor at the ball. Just want to get this in my mind right! Can't seem to get the picture out of my mind on the poor guy that sunk his CD in cook inlet by wrapping the anchor rope around the prop!!!

Thanks

Don

C-yalater
 
Pull it up by hand? That's the wifes job! I would but I have a weak back. Did I ever tell you when I got it? About a week back.

Ouch......
 
I used the ring and bouy method for the past 13 years. I have never had a windlass on my old 22 Cruiser. We would regularly anchor in 200ft or more to fish halibut. Often multiple spots in a day.

It works best and is safest if you have someone on the bow during this operation to shorten the time, and to keep you from having to make a quick climb through the hatch to start retrieving the rope.

First I would back up to get things started. You will find out if your anchor is hung up when you do this. You want to pick the direction to back into relative to swells and chop. Stay in reverse until the bouy is about 30 yds in front of you. With a quick turn to starboard, shift to forward and turn to port. Once you line out you can pick up some speed while angling a bit to the starboard to keep the rope off the side of the boat and the cockpit.

The bouy will sometimes go under a bit which is ok. If it doesn't come up, start thinking about something being hung on the anchor that is too heavy for the bouy. Never had this happen though.

Once the bouy starts bouncing and you see some splashing, reduce speed and turn the boat to face the bouy. You, or, someone you have stationed on the bow can start retrieving the rode. It is easiest if you pace the boat with the retrieve to keep the boat facing in the right direction so you are not pulling the rope from the side and binding it on the side of the roller.

The trick to this working consistently is to have a smooth connection between the rope and chain. This is the critical point and the chain must pass through the ring without getting hung up. Any knot or other rough or large connector will hang on the ring. Once the chain is through the ring, the operation is successfull. The anchor will drop back down if the chain hangs up at the ring. You may get some of the rope retrieved if your puller is quick, but, you will have to do the operation over again.

I used this same method regularly to pull strings of shrimp pots from 500ft to 600ft depths.

If this all sounds simple, it is because it is. However, my new boat will have a EZ-Puller anchor puller and a Saft-T-Puller pot puller.
 
Don,

If the buoy is big enough it shouldn't disappear for any length of time and even when you can't see it, there is a visible wave as it is just under the surface. When the anchor is right at the buoy, it generally throws a lot more water up in the air since the anchor and the buoy are on the surface. The CD25 that swamped in the inlet wasn't pulling the anchor with a buoy. They were relieving the strain on the windlass by using the engines in some pretty rough seas and ran over the rode.
 
All,

Thanks again for the great advice! It is great to learn from others experience and sometimes others mistakes. I have found that, unfortunatly, I have had to provide those mistakes for others to learn from once in a while! I think I have this one under control now. I will excercize caution non the less!!

Getting close to hauling a few fish over the side of the boat!

Don

C-yalater
 
Chris,

I have a windlass, but when anchoring over 100 feet or so such as while fishing, I will pull the anchor with a buoy. It's much easier on all the parts especially the windlass as it is only pulling the rope in and then the chain. The anchor is on the surface. I use a steel ring that looks like a split ring with holes that overlap on the bottom. This goes over the rode, and then the stainless snap hook with the buoy attached is inserted through both holes and thrown overboard. Tie the rode off on a clete, back down from the anchor to be sure the anchor is in front of you, turn 45 degrees to port and start acclerrating up to 10-12 mph. Watch the bouy work its way down the rode the anchor will start coming up. If the anchor is hung the boat will go in a circle. I haven't had that happen personally, but it happens to charter boats in the Cook Inlet on occasion. They are anchoring in 150 to 300 feet of water.
 
Well, what can I say ....this is the coolest thing ever!!!
I am totally going to get hooked up with one of these rigs I just never knew they existed...never saw one being pulled. I am glad I stumble on this old thread in c-dory land.
Chris
 
Back
Top