Sacrificing Anchor to the River Gods
 

Went to anchor behind Riverbend, the concert venue on the river here in Cincinnati, and we caught easily and stayed stationary. We're all swimming and enjoying the 311/Matisyahu concert, then out of nowhere comes about 10 minutes of 30mph gusts, and it broke the anchor loose and we were sent adrift. No big deal, I hopped back on and got us re-set in the water. Two hours later, when it was time to head back, I went to pull the anchor up, and it wasn't moving. I went back to the helm to spin the boat around and break us free from another angle. Yeah, not happening. So I wrapped my hands around the line and pulled so hard, I think I seriously hurt myself. My hands are raw from the rope. I then decided to try the motor pull again. This time I let the boat move out into the channel where it's more deep. I figured it'd break free once it hits deeper water. No dice. I kept moving with the anchor tied to the cleat, and whatever it was, we appeared to be dragging it with us! So after some more attempts, with no luck, I finally just decided to untie the anchor from the cleat, and give it up. Consider it my first sacrifice to the River Gods with the Mariah. Now I've got to get another anchor, and quick! :mad:

Anyone else have to sacrifice boating supplies to the water gods?

Luckily none yet. Man Chris, you can't go around putting those titles on threads. I opened this thread thinking i was going to read about how you sunk your Mariah or something. haha, you got me worried! Man, thank god it was only an anchor. Phew Sounds like you wrastled with it for a while though. Oh well.

Ive sacrificed an anchor, several hats, a cooler lid and who know what else to the deep blue....oh yeah...I set of nice Serengeti sunglasses and a crappy LG phone that I was glad to get rid of!

Last year I was using an old anchor I salvaged from my dad's boat. It had an old nylon line. It lasted a few weeks, until we anchored in some pretty decent swells. The nylon line frayed out on a rock and eventually the rope broke and the boat drifted free. Fortunately, I was on the situation quickly otherwise we'd have been onto the rocky shoreline in very short order.

Last week, in almost the very same spot, my (new) anchor got stuck fast in very similar conditions. I was determined not to lose it. I even swam down into the 15 or so feet of water (it's very clear here) to see if I could dislodge it. No go. It was really well wedged in between two large rocks. Back in the boat, I pulled and pulled from different angles, "jiggled" it to try and work it free all to no avail. All the nay Sayers on board were telling me I should cut it loose and forget about it, but I'm not one to give up easily, even though my arms and hands were getting mighty sore... So I put my 5.7L to work and used sheer horsepower to dislodge it. I figured the rope would break or the anchor would finally come free. Happily it was the latter... :D

In hindsight I was pretty lucky, as I had the rope tied to the cleat on the deck. :eek: I'm very surprised I didn't pull it off in the process. I guess that is just another testament to how well these boats are built...

Im with Mariahman on this one, I seriously thought that he lost his boat as well! I'm glad it was just an anchor.

I don't think I have lost anything in the water yet. If I have, its been something minor and I may not even remember it... lol. I do remember about a good 5-10 years ago, a friend of mine got really really drunk and fell off a 8-10 foot dock (open boathouse kinda dock) into the water below (full clothes) and he lost his glasses in the mud. It's actually the same spot where I currently am housing my boat.

My first anchoring experience this past sunday was interesting to me. I found out that slugging up a 20LB navy anchor, 4feet of chain and about 40 odd feet of rope was no easy task. Once it came free of the mud it was dang heavy pulling straight up and then into the boat. I wonder if I really should have a smaller weight anchor.

Btw - the 20Lb anchor was a christmas gift .. ;)

Fixed the title... Hey, it sure got attention though!

Z202, I'm the same way, I was not willing to give it up, and I put up one heck of a fight with it, but all in all, had to give in.

Good news is, West Marine's got a replacement kit for less than $100, so I'm happy with that. I thought it'd be much more expensive. I'll probably order one, and then possibly pick up a spare during the off-season (and sale time) for backup. Just another thing to add to my off-season shopping list. Sure spoils my plans for the weekend though. It's been sunny and 95+ every day here, with beautiful sunsets and heat lightning every night...

Chris, we've had that same weather here in Indy... soak it in because it'll be 10 degrees before we know it!!!

Don't get the West Marine kit!!! You can pick up a Danforth style anchor (good for that river mud) at Walmart for about $20 (if I remember right), the 4' rode chain for another $10, and some decent quality rope for maybe $10-15.

I've been burned by West Marine too many times. Last experience was paying $14 for 3M 4200 sealant when installing my Smart Tabs. Stopped at Walmart to see about a prop wrench (since West Marine was out) and found the same sealant for $6. Only time I go there now is for highly specialized marine products that I know aren't available elsewhere.

I have a 15lb navy style anchor that was also Christmas gift. :D

It's more than enough anchor for my boat, which no doubt weighs more than yours.

I spent a lot of time wondering what kind of anchor to get (ask for...). Most of my anchoring will be on the very rock (boulder sized) bottoms around here. This side of Georgian bay is well know for it's extremely "coarse sand" beaches and bottoms... ;)

A lighter Danforth might be a better option for you.

@All: Sunny and hot here again. It' been that way for 10 straight days with no end in sight. And I've got plenty of holidays left... Sure could use some rain up here though. It hasn't rained any appreciable amount in 3 months. Everything is baked. They even cancelled the local fireworks display scheduled for last Sunday, due to the extreme forest fire advisory. :(

Yeah thats what I figured that the 20Lb'r was over-kill for a boat my size. Mom had picked up a bunch of boating accessories (anchor,fenders,lines,whistle, pfd) for my christmas gift this past year and the fellow @ Bass Pro Shops on Hwy400 said a 20lb was what I would need for a boat my size. So I will be using that anchor for the time being. It holds my boat without really trying to set it properly...lol.

Danforth might be a better option, however storing the anchor under the front bow seat might prove to be a problem (depending on its size). Right now I have 2 navy anchors with rode sitting under my bow seat. I have my 20lb w/4feet chain & shackles, 50ft of anchor rode as well as a backup 8lb navy anchor and what looks like 50 ft of polypropylene towing line attached to it (came with the boat). Both store under the seat without a problem. Also, because of the design of the Danforth, I would be a bit hestitant in raising it towards the hull of the boat in case it smacks up against it. At least w/ the navy anchor is there is no sharp edges and its vinyl coated as well.

My 20' Shabah has a built in cooler under the front seat, and an anchor locker forward of that in the bow. It's a very nice setup, and the anchor stowage is huge. My 15lb anchor and 50' of rode seems "lost" down in there.