Anchor Mates
 

When I lived in Louisiana, small boats were equipped with devices, IIRC,
called anchor mates. This was a crank, and a cradle for a 10 mushroom
anchor and stem to seat into.

I have 100' ropes on the two anchors I have now, and need to get some sort
of organization going before someone goes overboard in all the tangle. I
can manage them okay, but others don't know how to unlay line, or they grab
the tail and bring it through the center bight making a series of overhand
knots. Or just a big tangle.

Are these still available? I weld, and thought I'd make some. Do they make
them for larger ropes? IIRC, the old rope was 1/4" braided, and this is a
little heavier, like 1/2".

Steve

Anchor Mates
 

On Sun, 8 Nov 2009 10:28:02 -0700, "SteveB"
wrote:

When I lived in Louisiana, small boats were equipped with devices, IIRC,
called anchor mates. This was a crank, and a cradle for a 10 mushroom
anchor and stem to seat into.

I have 100' ropes on the two anchors I have now, and need to get some sort
of organization going before someone goes overboard in all the tangle. I
can manage them okay, but others don't know how to unlay line, or they grab
the tail and bring it through the center bight making a series of overhand
knots. Or just a big tangle.

Are these still available? I weld, and thought I'd make some. Do they make
them for larger ropes? IIRC, the old rope was 1/4" braided, and this is a
little heavier, like 1/2".

They're still out there. Worth Anchormate.
Depending how you handle anchoring, there are other solutions.
Do you have anchor pulleys installed?
Most fishing boats I've been on have one, and we just pull hand over
hand and coil the rope on the deck.
But here's one idea that could work instead of coil on the deck.
I use a garden hose spooler to hold electric cable. Started using one
because I had a number of electric garden tools and a lot of cord to
organize.
Went to gas because of the hassle with the cord, but the 200' of HD
extension cable on the spool still comes in handy for the remaining
electric chainsaw and if I'm drilling cement or mortar.
Among my garden hose spools I put one by the garden that's pretty
small. Think I got it at Home Depot.
It's square and about the size of a 20 quart cooler. Probably hold
100' of 1/2" easy, and you can sit on it.
Don't really know if it's practical for anchor line, but it could
work. If you pull the line in by hand, just letting it pile up, then
crank it into the hose spool you'd have a neat little package.
Might have some twist.
Better be sitting it on when you drop the anchor, and have the bitter
end tied off on the boat.

--Vic

Anchor Mates
 

On Sun, 8 Nov 2009 10:28:02 -0700, "SteveB"
wrote:

Are these still available? I weld, and thought I'd make some. Do they make
them for larger ropes? IIRC, the old rope was 1/4" braided, and this is a
little heavier, like 1/2".

I've never seen anything quite like what you are describing. On our
runabout we stow 1/2 inch anchor line into a canvas tote bag with the
free end tied off to one of the handles. Nothing fancy is required
when stowing the line, just let it flake into the bottom of the bag
and it will come out the same way without tangling.

Anchor Mates
 

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 8 Nov 2009 10:28:02 -0700, "SteveB"
wrote:

Are these still available? I weld, and thought I'd make some. Do they
make
them for larger ropes? IIRC, the old rope was 1/4" braided, and this is a
little heavier, like 1/2".

I've never seen anything quite like what you are describing. On our
runabout we stow 1/2 inch anchor line into a canvas tote bag with the
free end tied off to one of the handles. Nothing fancy is required
when stowing the line, just let it flake into the bottom of the bag
and it will come out the same way without tangling.

The lead in to this is that I just bought two sections of 100' of rope each
so I can anchor over particular fishing spots along a drop-off, and pull
myself along. The water is about 40' deep. The first trip out yesterday, I
just unwrapped the whole mess, and had a big birds nest. I know better
than that. I should have laid it out on land, all straight, pulled it
straight, then pulled all the spirals out of it. Then, with a one inward
one outward sequence, made a coil that would not spiral on unlaying. But
that makes a fairly large shot of rope, and my wife has a hurry up attitude,
and she hasn't got the hang of the one over one under thing, and many times
will pull the garden hose up through the coil, giving a bunch of overhand
knots.

I have found the anchor mates at about $40 per on ebay. I may just either
make two out of wheelbarrow wheels, or make two semicircular hangers like
hose hangers but turned ninety, where I can figure eight the rope, and that
will store it without any spiraling. That would be simple, neat, and clean.
Got a friend who powder coats, too, so that would be free. They would cost
next to nothing, as I weld, and have the scrap steel to make those.

The anchor mates would be a whole lot easier, but, then, maybe not for
getting a two point spread out there and pullying along it. Right now, I
have four cleat looking things that are for ropes to pass through that I can
run the ropes through with a sheet bend knot to join, and pull along about
100' of the 200' of anchor.

Guess I'll just have to try it and see.

Steve

Anchor Mates
 

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 8 Nov 2009 10:28:02 -0700, "SteveB"
wrote:

Are these still available? I weld, and thought I'd make some. Do they
make
them for larger ropes? IIRC, the old rope was 1/4" braided, and this is a
little heavier, like 1/2".

I've never seen anything quite like what you are describing. On our
runabout we stow 1/2 inch anchor line into a canvas tote bag with the
free end tied off to one of the handles. Nothing fancy is required
when stowing the line, just let it flake into the bottom of the bag
and it will come out the same way without tangling.

We called this a "stuff sack" and used that process for rappeling. Fasten
one end of the rappeling line to a loop inside the bottom of the sack and
feed the line in. When ready to deploy, fasten the free end to something
strong and immobile and chuck the sack off the cliff, out the door,
whatever, and the line pays out pretty as you please. Never had a problem
with tangles.
Works the same as feeding an anchor line into a hawes pipe and down to a
locker, feed it in and let it fall the way it wants to and it'll come out
the same way.
'Course if the kids get hold of the sacks and have an impromptu pillow fight
all bets are off.