zip tie strangler? no, but you seem to be a pretty good source for data..anyhoots, I looked in the trusty Grainger catalog and found that nylon zip ties range in tensile strength from 18# to 120# , they show some stainless steel cable ties with a tensile strenght of 200#, let the experimenting begin
rigging the anchor
- Thread starter flapbreaker
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DaveS":1qoyh7l1 said:BC, after the anchor is "set hard" in the river bottom, with its' "experimental Zip Trip ties" and they DON'T break loose, and the anchor still doesn't come back up.....just get your knife out and cut the anchor rode...
With these here zip ties, like lotsa of other things, you'll want to start out slow and easy and work up to full bore crescendo.................
Which brings up the point about getting out the knife to cut your
1) anchor rode
2) fish line with an oversized Marlin towing you and your boat around
3) throat (Joel vs da Wallas)
So how many folks have ACTUALLY had to cut something (other than food) with a knife in an emergency? Everybody's preparing for it, but who's had to do it? Under what circumstances? Worth talking about?
2 years ago I had to cut away about 500+ lbs of seaweed off my bow anchor line after a big blow (50+ kts) on the backside of Santa Rosa Island (So Cal). We had been surrounded by lots of seaweed when we anchored, none to be found next morning -- except all over our anchor line! Wish I had a picture, too intent on getting all that off.
The hole over the flukes is put there specifically for a trip line. I have never used the ties method--because often my boat and life have depended on the anchor holding. The worry is a sudden wind or current shift as can often happen. I can see using this on a day anchor, or when fishing, but not when you are hanging on the hook over night. (I have well over 2000 nights at anchor, mostly in much larger vessels).
I don't like the slotted shanks for the same reason.
Be very cautious of "new" anchor designs. It has been shown that many times the "Genuine" CQR, Danforth, is better than a knock off, or some new anchors. The ones I have used and have faith in are: CQR, Delta, Danforth high test(West Marine performance), Northill, Luke/Herrshoff Fisherman, SuperMax. I have only tested the Bruce--under the circumstances tested a 22 lb Bruce would not hold, a 12 lb HT Danforth held and allowed me to pull a 62 foot 30 ton vessel off a dock. But this is only one limited test....I would also consider the Spade--but it seems a bit pricey. Anchors are a bit like religion....
Take care,
I don't like the slotted shanks for the same reason.
Be very cautious of "new" anchor designs. It has been shown that many times the "Genuine" CQR, Danforth, is better than a knock off, or some new anchors. The ones I have used and have faith in are: CQR, Delta, Danforth high test(West Marine performance), Northill, Luke/Herrshoff Fisherman, SuperMax. I have only tested the Bruce--under the circumstances tested a 22 lb Bruce would not hold, a 12 lb HT Danforth held and allowed me to pull a 62 foot 30 ton vessel off a dock. But this is only one limited test....I would also consider the Spade--but it seems a bit pricey. Anchors are a bit like religion....
Take care,
dogon dory
New member
Sorry, Folks - Post Deleted By Author
Much very good advice here IMO. In AK my experience has been (with 85' charter boat - 6 years) that the Bruce let me sleep - the 100# Danforth would break loose on a figure eight surge in heavy gusts. Always seemed to be kelp and rocks where I anchored. The Bruce would roll over and reseat itself and the Danforth would just skip along. In mud or sand I'll take a Danforth every time because of the fluke area. Always had them both aboard.
For my CD 22 and 24 Pierson I use Fortress. Good for our area.
The doggy dory guy makes an important point - KISS.
No fun at OH dark thirty with gusts to 80 knots trying to find a new anchorage! BTDT.
I'm sure anchor choice is area specific - and when boating in the keys and FL I always used the Danforth.
Back down and set it good, plenty of chain and scope and sleep tight.
Don't skimp on your anchor and rode!!
Dusty
For my CD 22 and 24 Pierson I use Fortress. Good for our area.
The doggy dory guy makes an important point - KISS.
No fun at OH dark thirty with gusts to 80 knots trying to find a new anchorage! BTDT.
I'm sure anchor choice is area specific - and when boating in the keys and FL I always used the Danforth.
Back down and set it good, plenty of chain and scope and sleep tight.
Don't skimp on your anchor and rode!!
Dusty
Absolutely agree with the two above posts. The Bruce is very popular in the PNW--and I used a CQR up there. If I had lived up there all of my life I might favor the Bruce. I spent a good deal of my life in S. Calif. and used nothing but a Danforth. Same for Florida, where I now live--in many places the Danforth or Fortress is the better anchor.
I have have used a swivel only once. When I realized that it is possiable to put a side load on the swivel, when attatched directly to the anchor shank--I stopped using it. The old adage of the weakest link. The weakest link in anchoring gear is the shakle. Many now are from China. If you want to be secure, consider commercial shakles with System 4 to System 7 steel. These are much stronger than the soft iron which is often used. Unfortunately many times it is impossiable to find high test galvanized shakles. Even a 200 foot chain rode will straighten out as you bring the anchor up.--and I have never had a problem with twisting of the chain.
Also anchor tests can be very mis leading. I have reviewed all I could find, plus any underwater videos and did some of my own for my lectures at Trawler Fests. I also dove on anchors many times, up to 87 knots of wind. I can verify at this velocity, there is no cantry effect of chain! It is almost impossiable to replicate each anchor set. The bottom varies so much, and even setting an anchor once in an area changes the bottom for the next set.
Regards,
I have have used a swivel only once. When I realized that it is possiable to put a side load on the swivel, when attatched directly to the anchor shank--I stopped using it. The old adage of the weakest link. The weakest link in anchoring gear is the shakle. Many now are from China. If you want to be secure, consider commercial shakles with System 4 to System 7 steel. These are much stronger than the soft iron which is often used. Unfortunately many times it is impossiable to find high test galvanized shakles. Even a 200 foot chain rode will straighten out as you bring the anchor up.--and I have never had a problem with twisting of the chain.
Also anchor tests can be very mis leading. I have reviewed all I could find, plus any underwater videos and did some of my own for my lectures at Trawler Fests. I also dove on anchors many times, up to 87 knots of wind. I can verify at this velocity, there is no cantry effect of chain! It is almost impossiable to replicate each anchor set. The bottom varies so much, and even setting an anchor once in an area changes the bottom for the next set.
Regards,
Wowzer, a wealth of good info here. I'm going to try going swivel-less and connecting the chain directley to the trip hole and going with the zip tie treatment. I'm just use this for backwater Columbia applications where there is a lot of sticky stuff on the bottom.
We did some test runs on the Columbia last night and this morning, the big zip held just fine in a moderate current.
We did some test runs on the Columbia last night and this morning, the big zip held just fine in a moderate current.
Cut with a knife? Yes, We were in Yugoslovia and a wind called the Bora came up suddenly (Katabatic wind). It went in a gust to over 50 knots with the water whipped up in seconds. The two bow anchors began to drag. I had suspected that this wind might occur, and had armed my wife and two children with knives. I redlined the engine to pull the boat away from the rocks to which we were tied with doubled 1/2" line at the stern. My wife cut the two 3/4" anchor rodes on the bow (one we got a fender on the rope, the other was 160 feet of chain, with about 20 feet of rope when cut)
The aft lines were almost fused from the heat of friction and popped as my children applied the knives to the strands. Fortunately we carry a number of anchors--went to sea for about 6 hours until the wind died, and the next day took 4 hours diving to retrieve the anchors.
I have also cut a number of lines off props, cut sea weed, cut fishing lines etc. We always keep very sharp knives handy.
The aft lines were almost fused from the heat of friction and popped as my children applied the knives to the strands. Fortunately we carry a number of anchors--went to sea for about 6 hours until the wind died, and the next day took 4 hours diving to retrieve the anchors.
I have also cut a number of lines off props, cut sea weed, cut fishing lines etc. We always keep very sharp knives handy.
As a commercial diver... one must make that decision long before anything happens.... Yep...I can do it... I once had my hand caught under a line while towing a small boat that broke up and sunk...caused our boat to broach.... I pulled my knife and made two passes over the line...and it exploded... took the watch off my hand...my hand was caught under the line... a bit more and I would have lost several fingers and part of my hand.... just part of the profession... but that's what makes a good diver... tenacity and grit.
I hear you on the UV acting on the zip tie. I was looking at a popular river anchor setup at the marine store and they had mason string as a fuse instead of the zip.
For my use, if the anchor trips, it would just result in me going "damn" and firing up the engines and re-rigging, it would be more of an invonvience than a safety issue, aint going to be overnighting or dropping the hook in very fast current
For my use, if the anchor trips, it would just result in me going "damn" and firing up the engines and re-rigging, it would be more of an invonvience than a safety issue, aint going to be overnighting or dropping the hook in very fast current
SeaP30 makes an excellent point. One needs to have plans for all types of emergencies--not just dragging anchors. I always take bearings on how to get out of an anchorage, and write them down. I write down the gPS location of the boat when the anchor is set.
But it goes far beyond that--person overboard, fire, flooding, sinking etc.
The one that I have always wondered about is a Moray Ell. I also was a long time diver--early on before SCUBA I free dove to 40 feet. I once had demonistrated what a Moray can do to a speak shaft--the same could happen to a finger/hand. Cut the jaws--and if that didn't work, cut the finger!--A diver always has to have a good sharp knife.
But it goes far beyond that--person overboard, fire, flooding, sinking etc.
The one that I have always wondered about is a Moray Ell. I also was a long time diver--early on before SCUBA I free dove to 40 feet. I once had demonistrated what a Moray can do to a speak shaft--the same could happen to a finger/hand. Cut the jaws--and if that didn't work, cut the finger!--A diver always has to have a good sharp knife.