ISO suggestions - anchoring a BBSB in open water, like laying out

Dave Diefenderfer

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This past weekend the ice along the shore had us hunting out some 75 yards or so. We has some significant winds too.


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This is an older picture, but shows generally my configuration. I have no way to anchor off the bow. I have the bow handle, and I have a tow eye under the hull. There are also front stool racks installed. With the dodger, I can't get forward, and if I could it would get a little tippy! I am thinking about this:

Run my anchor line from the side cleat through the chock to the bow handle and then back to the cockpit. I would add another, lighter line that has a bronze ring eye spliced. The anchor line would pass through the bronze ring between the bow handle and the anchor. This lighter line would only be the 6 or so ft long to reach from the bow to the side cleat. I can then deploy the anchor from the cockpit, allow it to act off the bow, but can retrieve it from the cockpit again?

Seem like it will function? Is there a better way?

For this to be less clutter, I would like to have a clip to snap onto the anchor so the anchor can be stowed away when not needed. Think a heavy bronze clip would suffice? Hate to lose my anchor when I need it! But would rather not fool with clevis pins in the cold and wet all the time.
 
Dave I have a bow cleat forward of the cockpit. I don't use a cover, south bay boat. Try a large snap shackle, 4" on your handle and run the bow line through it and to your side cleat. It will keep the boat straight.
 
My general comment is that if it is too rough/windy to anchor using your chocks as they are then it is too rough/windy to hunt and I'd hunt elsewhere. I frequently (usually) anchor with my lines without the forward center chock in order to adjust the angle of the boat. However, I feel that having a rock solid chock and cleat and anchor system for weathering bad conditions in an emergency is so worth it that I'd say I would rework what you have for that situation (sorry). I like a clean deck with a centered forward chock for this reason and have the cleat offset as you do.

As for the anchor rode, I carry an emergency rode (150'), chain and anchor because I have the space. The rode has a crab float on it permanently on it since if it is needed, I want to not loose it. I carry other lines for actual use, but sometimes use the emergency line if I'm doing something special.
 
Dave~

Some thoughts:

I concur with the ideas from Rich and Tod - but am not sure what your foredeck looks like with the stool racks in place. If the run from your bow back to your cleat is not straight, you may need another fairlead on the deck.

I recommend against using any sort of clip or snap for attaching your anchor at either end. Speaking from experience, I have been astounded how a snap can unsnap itself.

If you have a "picnic anchor" - with a modest rode - for everyday use, I recommend another storm anchor - with a long rode - for the rare, rough conditions. On my Sneakbox, the latter is stored with the rode coiled and lashed so it is not fouled when I need it. I store mine on chocks - but a bag is fine. I rig my storm anchor before I need it - either on the trailer or on the marsh.

I would mount your cleat as far forward on the starboard side (do I recall correctly that you are right-handed?) as you can reach without risking the boat's stability. Once you rig the bow anchor, run the rode through the hole in the cleat and tie a figure-8 as a stopper knot in its bitter end.

Your idea of the ring on a short line - to serve as a sort of "trip line" for retrieving the bow anchor - should work. You may want a separate, smaller cleat for it - and keep it there with another figure-8.

All the best,

SJS

 
Steve Sanford said:
Your idea of the ring on a short line - to serve as a sort of "trip line" for retrieving the bow anchor - should work.

A concern is that the rear of the bow handle will likely jam with reward pressure from with the trip line and or the rode, depending on how exactly it is rigged. I wouldn't want to be in that position with one of them jammed and not able to crawl up there. Also what happens if there is tangle in either or both?
 
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Tod & Dave~

We would probably benefit from visual aids here....

I envisioned the ring over the rode between the bow eye and the anchor itself. The downside is that - when hauling the anchor - Dave would be pulling his vessel broadside toward the anchor: unsafe into a big beam sea. I'm thinking the only solution here is an electric windlass....

Taking a totally different tack: Dave - how tough is it to lower your dodger (temporarily) to access the foredeck? I can reach over mine to the foredeck cleat.

BTW: I re-read your title, viz. laying out. As you know, I do use a snap on the bow painter and a ring-and-float on the anchor line when laying out. I use my pickup stick like a boat hook to bring the snap-and-float alongside the cockpit when I need to. My earlier comments were envisioning a big blow - which is when I rig my storm anchor. I have rigged it either to moor my unattended boat or just before crossing the bay back to the ramp - so I would be prepared to anchor if my engine/oars failed.

In any event - stay safe!

SJS

 
What I was concerned with is the reference to "bow handle" in "Run my anchor line from the side cleat through the chock to the bow handle and then back to the cockpit." What I'm envisioning requires the lines sliding in the bow handle where they can jam. Maybe I'm confused.
 
All good suggestions guys, thank you....

I can drop my dodger and climb forward, but I typically have "stuff" on the deck under the dodger... I seem to use up all available space in the BBSB because I am an Eagle Scout and an engineer!

Saturday the winds were shifting significantly, when I anchored off the side decks, the hull wanted to sail on the anchor and would constantly change my orientation. I will remedy that with another mushroom like I use in the scooter. In the BBSB, I had another anchor but it was a Danforth, and did not to bring in all the mud and vegetation with each bird pick up.

After my initial post, I did some more thinking and internet searching...knowing a snap hook on an anchor is a bad idea, I was wondering if a locking climbing carabineer might be an alternative. I want something to work easy with cold, wet hands.


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This picture shows a little more what my configuration is. Since this picture I replaced the straight chocks with skene chocks. The thimble at the back edge of the stool racks serve as the mounting point for the rack, and an open fairlead for my painter or anchor rode. The thimble is epoxied to the deck and has a lag bolt from below. It also has a threaded insert that receives a thumb screw that secures the stool rack.

I will investigate several of the suggestions and see what I can incorporate cleaning and work smoothly.





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Just one comment on the anchor system... Think about getting floats on your rodes, so that you can drop them to pick up birds without having to redeploy anchors. It works really well to have a crab buoy on the end of the line and just uncleat the line and drop it to pick up birds (put a loop in the line at the spot to reposition exactly when you come back) or have a crab buoy on a longline snap to clip on to the line near where it is cleated off. When you come up on the buoys you just grab them both and pull yourself into place exactly where you were. Really makes double anchoring easier.
 
Tod, does the bouy support the anchor rode, or do you have enough line on the bouy that the rode and clip sink to bottom? To conserve space I would prefer smaller bouy, but don’t want the tangle of line length.
 
I use an 8" diameter bouy and its more than enough to float the entire 50' rode. I've seen them in 20' of water supporting crab pot lines against a 4 knot current, so I think it will be fine.
 
Most people use a lobster float, so it floats the line in any current, line is not wrapped on the buoy.
 
I was tired of my boat constantly searching while at anchor. That is when the boat lunges left and right while at anchor. Easiest fix is to double anchor. When you do that you better be able to unhitch from the boat and buoy the anchor rode.
I tie a painter to the bow eye, the painter has a loop in it far enough from the bow eye so that it can reach the cockpit. The painter is long enough to be cleated off in the cockpit while the painters loop is fully extended and holding the anchor line which is attached with a carabiner.
I have an anchor line made of two fifty foot pieces clipped together. I drop anchor 50 feet from where I want to sit. Let out both lines, that are clipped together, then when I come to the end I drop the second anchor. I then pull myself forward to the mid clip, I clip thr front anchor to the loop in the painter and let the boat drift back until it comes to rest. The forward anchor is now connected to the loop in the painter which runs straight to the bow eye. From the loop the painter runs back to a cleat in the cockpit so it can be pulled from there.
The second anchor line is snubbed off and tied to a stern cleat. This double anchoring prevents the boat from swinging. When I have to pick up a bird I uncle at the stern anchor line. Connect it to the front line and connect a buoy with a long line clip.


from swinging back and forth.
Whe
 
Sorry had a hard time typing that last post. I keep my anchor lines on an old wire spool. It turns easily and I don’t have to worry about knots when I let it out. I use small claw anchors which hold very well. When you clip the front anchor line to the painter, that allows the boat to move aft a lot. That is why you have enough extra anchor rode to separate the two lines.
 
Sorry for lack of photos but I'll try to describe what works for me on the layouts and BBSB. I run a permanent bow line slightly less than the length of the boat with a float and carabineer type clip on the end. I then use an anchor with ring and float on the end of the anchor line. I only attach to the end of the anchor line when I can power forward to get ahold of the line. If you are in a situation where you can't power forward or just don't need the full length then I put a loop further up the anchor line so the tag end can be kept in the boat to pull yourself forward to unhook the clip. When retrieving birds the anchor can be left in place and reattached to when returning.

I find this to be very handy on the layouts as well. It's nice to have that short line to get ahold of for various reasons. I run about 8' on the bow of the layout and about 4' on the stern. Just what has worked for me.

Hope this makes sense and helps. I can get photos if needed.
 
This is exactly what I do as well. I first pull the aft anchor and put in the cockpit and then slowly motor forward - grab the float and detach. I go and pick up the bird and then motor back to the float, clip back in and let the wind push me tight. Then drop the aft anchor and wait for the next flock.

Here is a gratuitous picture!
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At the dock I have run my anchor line through the bow eye. Pulled the tag slack all the way out leaving the anchor in to boat. When it is time to set the anchor I toss the anchor allow enough to get a good set then tie if off to the cleat that I can reach from the cockpit. When it is time to leave I take a boat hook to hook the like and drive up the line to get some slack.
 
Do you have much current? Never gave quick release much thought until seeing 12-15" diameter snags and an old piling bobbing down river.
 
tod osier said:
Just one comment on the anchor system... Think about getting floats on your rodes, .

You beat me to it Tod. I have the set up you mentioned on my gray boat. I'm fortunate to shoot an area of flats that averages 4'. I have a lobster pot float on bow and stern lines so when I go to retrieve a bird, they are floating there for me when I pole back. Since the floats are attached to the lines while shooting, I did just had to paint them both the basic color scheme of Broad Bills....
 
Success! I set up a line that I slip knot at the side cleat and ends at a clip at the tow eye. I played with the length until I could place a ring that I could then reach from the cockpit. I spliced a hook on the end of the anchor rode with a buoy. I worked this off the starboard side as right handed, I shoot that side too. On the port side I ran another anchor to pull me a little sideways to better cover the decoys. To be able to drop the second anchor, I rigged up a lenth of parachute cord with a small float and a large long line clip. I can clip just outboard of the cleat. Then uncleat and drop it over while I chase and know where to cleat off when I get back. Thank you all for your suggestions!
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