# Anchoring Advice



## neckmoe (Apr 7, 2009)

Anchoring correctly has always been a challenge for me and would like some tips or advice anyone is willing to share. I've been getting better about watching wind, current, estimating the distance from the mark and the amount of line I put out but I still seem to miss getting the boat right of the spot i want. I've also seen some folks drag their anchor. What is this technique? I've heard of them gaffing the line and cleating it off to the stern and drag it till their over the mark they want and drop it. Seems kinda like a dangerous maneuver, that is if around structure. Would this be something folks do in more of hard bottom area? Thoughts?


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## Billybob+ (Jul 12, 2011)

I'm decent at anchoring...you have to decide are you anchoring to fish or dive...obviously that's a different beast.

Assuming to fish...Pull up on your spot. Put your GPS in plot mode.
STOP the forward motion of the boat so you're hovering over the wreck..

Let the boat drift for about 45-75 seconds.

Look at the line the plotter has drawn.

travel EXACTLY back up that line at a idle speed.

ONCE you've CROSSED the wreck (you should see it on your bottom machine) continue that same line for about the same distance.

reverse the boat JUST ENOUGH to stop the forward motion of the boat.
Drop the anchor and let the boat drift back until you JUST BEGIN to see fish...

Tie it off and begin fishing.

I can hit a single chicken coop 4 out of 5 times like this.

the one time I might miss...pay the price pull the anchor and do it again.
that's why you should have one of Sealark's Anchor Ball retrieval systems.

no need for a bouy or ANYTHING.


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## marmidor (Mar 15, 2008)

Throw a buoy on your spot to Give you a visual 
Ref. of you drift direction and speed.


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## jim t (Sep 30, 2007)

NEVER drag an anchor by the stern. NEVER!!! if it sticks suddenly and you are pulling forward, you can stretch your anchor rode (rope) then let up on the throttle and be pulled backward by the rode and swamped so that your boat sinks!

This happens EVERY year.

NEVER anchor by the stern!

Best advice, use too much chain, more is always better. Yes it is HEAVY, but if you use an anchor ball to retrieve your anchor it's not a big deal.

NEVER, EVER anchor by the stern... NEVER, EVER...

Jim


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## lastcast (Oct 12, 2007)

If it's because of the anchor not setting you might need more/heavier chain.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Try this, Mark your spot with the MOB function. Come back to the spot and make the boat come to a complete stop on your MOB mark. Let it drift 200' without doing anything. You should now see your track line where it has drifted. Move your cursor to the up current side of the MOB mark( how far will be determined by depth and current speed). drive the boat to where the cursor is and come to a stop. Drop anchor. Do not move your cursor. Let the rope come tight and you should be real close. If not adjust the cursor and do it again. The second time is almost a guarantee.

That's whet works for me. Hope it helps you also.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

And what JimT and LastCast said X100!!


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## MissKristy (Dec 1, 2007)

Rig your Anchor break away and drop it in the reck and you will be right over it when you are ready to move pull hard and it will come lose.has worked every time for me never lost an anchor this way


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## grouper1963 (Feb 28, 2008)

You should have enough anchor line for three times the depth where you are anchoring. And be sure to rig an anchor breakaway...definite safety issue!

http://floridasportfishing.com/magazine/pros-tips/seriously-stuck.html

http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-forum/180164-breakaway-anchor-rig-pics.html#b


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## Kenton (Nov 16, 2007)

a lot of great info here, thanks guys!


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## Salty Daze (Sep 25, 2011)

Never knew about the break away anchor. Looks like I am headed to the store for some material to make mine a break away now. Already lost one and dont want to do again! Thanks for the info.


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## neckmoe (Apr 7, 2009)

that tip from thehulltruth about the break away anchor was awesome. I'll be rigging mine with SS cable and adding some more chain this weekend. If that don't help I'm gonna go with a slightly bigger anchor. Appreciate the tips folks!


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## boatnbob (May 31, 2009)

*Great info with the responses = big thanks*

Lost my anchor at the Bob Sikes last year. This would have saved it for sure. I may use safety wire along with the SS wire along the anchor vs. anchor rode to avoid tangling with the flukes as mentioned in the referenced articles. Thanks so much for the informative links! 

I had problems setting mine until I read here on the forum about the extra chain. I went to Threaded Fasteners and bought my chain and now have no problems getting the anchor to set. 

Thanks again for a great solution!

Cheers,

Boatnbob


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Put a profish windlass on last year and have really enjoyed it. Can drop away from the structure then back up of pull up with the touch of a button.


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## Bullshooter (Oct 5, 2007)

What's an anchor? Use the motor with the stern into the current and just bump it in and out of gear. Sure a heck of lot easier, and it allows you to fish different corners of wrecks a whole lot easier.


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## capcoe (Aug 12, 2009)

*Anchoring*

What i've been doing, find your reef and move up current 2-3 boat lenghts and drop a bouy. get back on top of the reef, stop your motion and shift out of gear, let the boat drift for 1-1 1/2 min. drop another bouy. Go up current of the bouys and line them up and drop you anchor. Using your chart platter works well also but mine has such a small screen. Good Luck!


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## Todd (May 16, 2010)

Good info, I have wondered about that stuff as well. Now that I have all the info on anchoring, all I need is an anchor....and a boat.


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## lastcast (Oct 12, 2007)

Here's a couple pics of one.


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## grouper1963 (Feb 28, 2008)

neckmoe said:


> that tip from thehulltruth about the break away anchor was awesome. I'll be rigging mine with SS cable and adding some more chain this weekend. If that don't help I'm gonna go with a slightly bigger anchor. Appreciate the tips folks!


The rule of thumb for chain is 1 foot of chain per foot of boat. The intent is to have enough weight to keep the anchor flukes buried. 

A bigger anchor may not be necessary. For fast underwater currents, I keep an added weight available for the anchor shackle attach point to rapidly sink the anchor. This is useful when the current flows opposite to the surface wind causing the anchor to blow under the boat when dropping the anchor. I use large zip ties. You could use a downrigger weight (expensive if lost) or maybe one of those bell shaped mud anchors.


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## Starlifter (Feb 24, 2011)

When I modified my danforth to break-a-way; I was concerned with the anchor not laying flat if shackled to the crown, so here is how I went about it. Also I crossed the chain so that the pull would be inline with the centerline of the flukes, and also keeping the chain from fouling a fluke when the shank pivoted which put slack in the chain.


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## ryanbr (Oct 10, 2007)

The easy answer is don't anchor. But holding up on a spot takes more experience than anchoring. The best tip was the one for chain. Make sure you have an adequate length of chain. If the boat's in the mid-20' range and up, going to 3/8" chain isnt a bad idea. I'd definitely have 20' of chain on a 20' cc. If you dove and looked at your anchor, you'd like to have enough chain so that somewhere around half is always in contact with the bottom. Having run dive charters on a 26' boat, I had a 20lb anchor and 3/8" chain. I could pull up on a spot, lay out the anchor, tie it off and 90% of the time it didn't move. All while watching people try and anchor for 10 or 15 min. I don't remember hanging a wreck. Having said that about the amount of weight you now have out, an anchor ball(and not the smallest one you can get away with) is a must. Not only for the ease of pulling, but it also pulls it away from the wreck.


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