ANCHORING 101
I saw a couple of fellows down on the river last week that were in serious need of an anchor. They were effectively using a cinderblock tied onto 25 feet of 1/2" rope to arrest their boat's movement. It did, however, seem like they were expending a lot of energy picking up that cinderblock and splashing it down again just to move a few hundred feet.
That scene ran through my mind several times, reminding me of the training received while I was in Uncle Sam's Canoe Club (US Navy) back in the '70's
Welcome to Anchoring For Small Craft 101
Since the ancient Phoenicians use of rocks, there have been as many improvements in anchoring techniques as in anchors. We'll not dwell too much on history here. Suffice it to say that it's gonna get a hell of a lot more technical from here out.
There are several types of anchors in use for small craft (and I mean fishing boats to 26 feet and longer). There is the Navy style anchor, the Danforth type, the mushroom type, the plow , the mechanical type and the type that gets cobbled together in the garage.
The Navy Anchor
The Navy Style anchor is usually of heavy cast iron construction with movable flukes which holds primarily due to it's sheer weight. This anchor is best used in a sand or gravel bottom. It will sink continuously in a silt bottom or be hopelessly lost in a chunk rock bottom. The Navy anchor is a real pain to raise or lower from a small craft unless there is a power winch involved. If the craft has no power winch, stay away from a Navy style anchor.
The Danforth Anchor
The Danforth type anchor was developed as a light weight anchor capable of holding a much larger craft than a similar Navy style anchor of equal weight. The secret was in using leverage instead of weight. Using thinner sheet-metal flukes welded to a pivoting axle passing through a long iron lever, the Danforth was able to hold in soft bottoms without sinking. The flukes are drawn down into the soft bottom by pressure from the boat above, but to insure that the pressure would cause the flukes to dig in instead of out, the angle of pressure has to be nearly horizontal.
The only way for that to happen is to attach a length of chain and use enough anchor line to create an angle less than 25 degrees between the anchor line and the water surface. This angle ratio is called "scope". In general, if the water is 10 feet deep, a 60 foot length of line will hold the boat in calm water. That's a 1 to 6 ratio. In moving water or in the wind, increase the scope to a ratio of 1 to 8.
The better anchors have a sliding link in the lever which will allow the stuck anchor to be withdrawn simply by running the boat over the anchor and pulling it out in the opposite direction. The link will slide toward the fluke end and will apply pressure directly to the pivoting axle and withdraw the flukes. I will not own or use an anchor that does not possess this feature. The only other solution for a stuck anchor is a sharp knife.
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The New Standard in High-Quality Fishing Rods
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The Mushroom Anchor
The mushroom anchor is a great little piece of engineering. It will sink straight down in a vertical position and will land on the bottom that way. It holds generally due to it's weight and it's ability to tip and dig in a little into mud sand or silt bottoms.
This anchor is not recommended for rock bottoms or fast current/high wind conditions. It does become a pain in the back if it is lifted and redeployed several times in an afternoon.
I recommend this anchor only in shallow water less than 10 feet deep, and it should never be the only anchor on a boat..
The Mechanical Anchor
The mechanical (claw) anchor has it's place here simply because these expensive anchors really work and work well in various applications. What sets most of them apart from the rest of the herd is that with a hard jerk in the anchor line, the anchor flukes are released to rotate freely and allow the anchor to be easily withdrawn from whatever bottom it has encountered. They are guaranteed not to release under strain conditions, but will readily release when the operator wants them to. Pretty cool, huh? Just wish they didn't cost so much.
The Impromptu Anchor
I've seen lots of different kinds of homemade anchors over the years... pipes with one end welded shut and filled with plumbers lead, gallon milkjugs filled with concrete, to well-engineered collapsible square anchors that will hold a barge. I have some of my own that I keep for posterity. They all have one thing in common... they're heavy and hard to use.
Next, we'll visit the methods of anchoring a small craft in various environments and weather/current conditions.
Safety is the prime concern for anchoring in rivers. There are several specific dangers that can turn your fishing trip into a nightmare for the unwary or the unprepared.
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The following was provided by the US Army Corps of Engineers as a public safety announcement for the Columbia River, but the information contained in it is applicable to all rivers.
Anchor Safely
in the Columbia River
or any swift water area
Swift currents, high flows and cold water make
the following procedures imperative.
1. Use anchor lines that are 5-7 times the depth of the water. River depth may exceed 100 feet in some places. Use a float for the anchor line to serve as a buffer and to reduce the risk of getting the anchor line tangled in the propeller. See the diagram above.
Lower, do not throw, the anchor to avoid tangles in the line
Anchor only off the point of the bow. Anchoring off the stern or the side will capsize your boat.
2. Power upstream of anchor before retrieving it. Maintain position in line with flow of the current while retrieving anchor. Turning cross-wise to the current increases the risk of capsizing.
3. The Columbia River can become turbulent with little or no warning. You are advised to wear a Coast Guard approved personal floatation device (PFD) at all times. Also, take precautions against hypothermia. River temperatures can range from 70 degrees in the summer to near freezing during the winter.
4. River users are reminded that although it is legal to anchor in the channel, it is illegal to block the right-of-way of a vessel that is restricted to using the channel.
5. Five blasts of a horn signify danger and you must take action to avoid that danger.
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Remember... SAFETY FIRST
Never anchor from the stern of the boat first.
Your boat may capsize or swamp before the situation can be corrected!
Anyone on my boat will find two Danforth type anchors with sliding links, equipped with six feet of chain and 150 feet of anchor line each. Anchoring in water requiring a longer rode necessitates the use of both rodes tied together. The bitter end of one line is attached to the cleat on the bow with the line piled up in the forward locker with the anchor stowed on top of it. The second anchor is on the stern with the bitter end similarly tied to a stern cleat and the line piled in the corner or in a bucket with the anchor on top of it, ready to be deployed at a moment's notice.
I do not coil my anchor lines because the action of coiling it will cause it to tangle when the line is being paid out. The line is simply piled up at random and not disturbed until it is paid out off the top of the pile. It sounds too simple to work, but it does. Try it.
Controlling boat swing at anchor
In order to control the swing of the boat, there are several methods that can be deployed. The Ancient Phoenicians devised a method by which they could anchor and fish in three totally different areas without moving the anchor. The method is simple and quite useful to today's modern fisherman, but only works where there is a current or a wind.
Allow the entire anchor line to be paid out with the bitter end secured to the bow of the boat. placing the boat over the center of the desired fishing area. To fish to the right of the central area, tie a line to the anchor line at least half the length of the boat away from the bow. Run the line in the water to the stern cleat of the boat and begin tightening the line until the boat's stern moves out of line with the anchor line. The distance that the boat drifts to the left depends on the current or wind pressure and the angle created by the second line. When the angle and the distance of the drift is satisfactory, simply tie the line off to the stern cleat.
If you wish to fish to the left of the central fishing area, retie the line to the starboard cleat near the stern. Safety is the key, as always. If the wind or current is too strong, there is a danger of swamping or capsizing the boat.
Always keep a sharp knife handy to cut the line in case of a problem.
Using 2 Anchors to Control Swing
Approach the anchorage area at right angles to the current/wind and drop the first anchor from the bow. Continue in the same direction slowly, paying out the line to the desired scope, taking care not to run over the anchor line and foul the prop. When the desired scope is placed, back the engine to set the anchor in the bottom and tie the line off to a forward cleat on that side of the boat. Immediately drop the second anchor and cut the engine, allowing the boat to settle naturally in the current. When the proper scope is payed out for the second anchor, seize it off to the corresponding cleat on the forward part of the bow, but not directly to the bow. As the boat settles, it will only swing in an arc allowed by the length of scope of both anchors. The angle of the anchor lines should form between 30 and 45degrees for maximum holding power.
Another method allows deployment of an anchor directly from the bow and another from the stern. REMEMBER.. NEVER ANCHOR WITH THE STERN INTO THE CURRENT OR WIND.
Approach the desired area and gently place the anchor over the side to avoid splashing and fouling the anchor. Splashing the anchor is the sure sign of a rank amateur, and will spook the fish.
Allow the wind or current to drift the boat with the stern downstream or downwind naturally. Allow double the scope to be payed out, then place the second anchor from the stern. Pull the bow anchor line to move the boat forward and establish proper scope. Then tighten the stern line.
I often use a tree or stump in the water to tie the bow line to, and another to tie the stern line to. This allows more quiet and precise positioning as well as being able to draw the lines tighter to reduce or even eliminate swinging.
We wish you good fishing and following seas...
Refer to the following web pages for more and better explanations.
This item was originally posted as a newsletter by Catfish Forever. If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter Catfish Forever, simply request a subscription by email to tkishkape@okcharters.com. Thank you.