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Anchor trolley best practices


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Just installed an anchor trolley on my Hobie Compass and took it out this weekend with a 3# grapnel anchor attached to a yakattak sidewinder (500 paracord on a spool). Sidewinder swool handle was connected to a short (8 ft of paracord) which was then connected to a cleat on my gear track. When I droped the anchor the spool is downstream of the anchor trolley carabiner so that if I quick release the line off my cleat nothings in the way as the line slips out the trolley.

 

Against my better judgement I took a shortcut and attached the anchor to line directly onto the top eye of the grapnel rather than setting up a breakaway system (attach to bottom eye and zip tie to top eye etc...) 

 

It was working fine until I got the courage to make a drop in some heavier current with snaggier bottom structure. Anchor got snagged and just due to lack of experience I had issues with pedaling out ahead of the tension/line scope.

 

Now the main question:

One thing I realized while trying to free the anchor is that there was a moment when I was fighting the snag and due to the fact that I was holding the spool the current was then repositioning my boat so that it was broadside to the current. With so much going on there was a moment where I realized I was in a tricky spot with so much current hitting the broadside of the hull and if my luck was worse a bad swell could have definitely tipped me over. The tricky thing is is that the spool is sitting downstream of the anchor trolley so there's no way for me to hold the tension at the bow or stern unless I clip the anchor line below the spool but then I lose the ability to have my line slip out if I need to emergency release my anchor.

 

Anyone with more experience with good advice on how to work your anchor free in current without having to have your hull sit broadside in the current?

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Yes, this is a reason why I don't use that configuration of spool. If you have your spool in your cockpit and you can leave the trolley on the end of the boat and put pressure that isn't trying to flip you over. My quick release is my knife!

 

Of course it's much better to use a snag free reef anchor made from lead filled 3/4" pipe and #4 copper wire.5f9b2913dd898_reefanchor.PNG.77d49a2a08e4e940d6f27540ee803e45.PNG

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I can't fully picture your setup and your positioning dilemma trying to free your anchor.  But will point out what you already stated - the short cut made your recovery more difficult.  Did you have a float rigged up so you could drop your anchor line, re-position, locate the line, and recover it?   Where you in a river, bay, or ocean?  If I was in a river, I'd probably opt for a mushroom anchor.

 

Some use the small zip tie to attach the chain to the butt of the anchor, others use a braided stainless steel cable slide to attached the chain (see picture). 

 

With a rudder and a pedal kayak, it should be manageable to keep your bow in the current.  And you should work from the down stream side of current (from your line) when trying to free it, or you could really cause a fast flip. 

anchor setup.jpg

Edited by aTurtle
typo
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Below is the system I use.

 

I'm having a hard time understand exactly what was going on in your situation.  But when you are pulling up on the anchor, you want to be up current from it so you are being pushed to it. Now that's going to be harder to do in strong current and really hard in a paddle kayak.

 

Google search for "cornish kayak angler" he has some of the best details on anchor setups and safe practices.

 

to82nR4.jpg

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On 4/10/2023 at 5:08 PM, atv223 said:

Below is the system I use.

 

I'm having a hard time understand exactly what was going on in your situation.  But when you are pulling up on the anchor, you want to be up current from it so you are being pushed to it. Now that's going to be harder to do in strong current and really hard in a paddle kayak.

 

Google search for "cornish kayak angler" he has some of the best details on anchor setups and safe practices.

 

to82nR4.jpg

My set up was like this except there was no chain, direct tie on top eye to the spool, no buoy (another mistake) and no carabiner. The line from the spool handle (between me and the spool) was fed through my anchor trolley and directly to my cleat.

 

do you find that with a carabiner you can get a quick release? I hadn’t thought of that since typically with a quick release you want something you can pull/release regardless of how much tension is on your line. Is there enough give to release the carabiner?

 

edit: ah I see the carabiner has a quick release cleat on it

 

also I think you answered a major question I had regarding position when you’re pulling in your anchor; get ahead of it upcurrent so there’s less tension from current while you pull your anchor in. Based on some reading this also seems like the ideal position should you need to break the zip ties you set for a breakaway anchor system.

 

Also @aTurtle: I was fishing close to shore in fishers island sound — close to Groton. 

Edited by calebk
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On 4/10/2023 at 5:08 PM, atv223 said:

Below is the system I use.

 

I'm having a hard time understand exactly what was going on in your situation.  But when you are pulling up on the anchor, you want to be up current from it so you are being pushed to it. Now that's going to be harder to do in strong current and really hard in a paddle kayak.

 

Google search for "cornish kayak angler" he has some of the best details on anchor setups and safe practices.

 

to82nR4.jpg

Thanks for posting this photo. I have a really n00by question: does the dive reel have a lock to keep  it from spooling excessive rode?

Edited by CBFish
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