Anchoring advice needed for my Estuary

I use the same setup as Dave . Make sure the line from the bow to the anchor ring
is the same distance as the bow to the cleat where you access it ( secure it) from the cockpit.
I use an old 72 bluebill for the float
John
 
John Augustine said:
I use the same setup as Dave . Make sure the line from the bow to the anchor ring
is the same distance as the bow to the cleat where you access it ( secure it) from the cockpit.
I use an old 72 bluebill for the float
John
Click to expand...

I was just thinking the same thing, to use a decoy for the float
 
John Augustine said:
. Make sure the line from the bow to the anchor ring
is the same distance as the bow to the cleat where you access it ( secure it) from the cockpit.
Click to expand...

Yes, very important point. I got the "bridle" rigged up, and the anchor line rigged up too.
Thank you all for your help.
 
All great responses, I learned a lot and will likely do it Dave?s way. I only ever hunted open water in my Estuary once, with a friend with great success (he also had an Estuary) - I climbed over the cockpit cover keeping my center a gravity, well, centered. I made sure I was wearing my life jacket.
 
Anthony A said:
I climbed over the cockpit cover keeping my center a gravity, well, centered. I made sure I was wearing my life jacket.
Click to expand...

I've been there too! I decided not to do that again, and now I don't have to thanks to everyone here.
 
Just be careful when the weather gets heavy.
pulling anchor offers your side to the waves.
I hunt with a dog and rarely slip anchor to chase cripples
so it often gets rougher than I thought before I pull.
Just be aware and careful
 
All you need to do is have a decoy or 2 10 feet back from a Float hooked to the anchor line and drive forward to the last decoy and unsnap a line from the bow of the boat to a loop at the decoy. Leaving the anchor in place to go retrieve a duck or pull the anchor if done for the day. The line on the Estuary goes through the BOW HANDLE to the side cleat and is long enough to adjust the boat forward or back to the decoys. I also use a mushroom anchor tied to the cleat on the other side to hold the boat from swinging.
Phil
 
Phil said:
All you need to do is have a decoy or 2 10 feet back from a Float hooked to the anchor line and drive forward to the last decoy and unsnap a line from the bow of the boat to a loop at the decoy. Leaving the anchor in place to go retrieve a duck or pull the anchor if done for the day. The line on the Estuary goes through the BOW HANDLE to the side cleat and is long enough to adjust the boat forward or back to the decoys. I also use a mushroom anchor tied to the cleat on the other side to hold the boat from swinging.
Phil
Click to expand...
Phil
I'm having trouble picturing this setup
Mike
 
I am having trouble too picturing this setup, but I REALLY like the idea of using a decoy as a float instead of a crabpot float, chlorine jug, etc. Thanks!
 
David Clites said:
I am having trouble too picturing this setup, but I REALLY like the idea of using a decoy as a float instead of a crabpot float, chlorine jug, etc. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Try a lobster pot float. About 18" long by 8" thick. Paint flat black. Works great.
 
I've always used a bright colored crab trap float. Ducks see them all over the bay, pay no attention to it.
 
Steve Sanford said:
Mike and Roy~


Here's how we rig our Scooters open bay.....


[better CLICK on this to see it large enough]









All the best,


SJS
Click to expand...

Steve, the one question I have from your illustration is which direction do you orient your scoter in regards to wind and current. How does tide factor in to anchor set up? I've been contemplating anchoring a layout boat when wind and current maybe in opposite directions and with 5-10 feet of tidal change.
 
To the original post. The late Ben Welton of LaConner, WA used what looked like a welded H mounted on the very end of the bow of his boats. The anchor line would come up over the bow and would be affixed to a cleat that was reachable from the cockpit. I hunted near him and it appeared to work well for him. He had that H anchor guide replicated on several different boats. When I have wanted to anchor from my bow eye I have used a separate line attached to the anchor line that ran to the cockpit. But if I think I am going to have to chase cripples or be able to move quickly, I basically rig bow and stern anchors configured on one long line between them. I then affix two lines with floats to this main line in the middle and about a boat length apart. I tie these lines to the boat and stern cleats respectively. This allows me to cast off quickly and then return to the same location after retrieving my birds. I only use this configuration when I am hunting big open salt water with significant currents and winds. Sorry I don't have the artistic skills to illustrate either of these set ups.
 
Brad~


The Scooter was always anchored upwind of the stool - as the Broadie-Beaks are wont to land into the breeze. The nearest decoys were about 10 yards from the stern. Right-handed shooters generally wanted the "pocket" - in the classic J or pipe rig - slightly to their left.



In Great South Bay, tidal currents are seldom strong enough to affect the rig - unless near inlets. And, the tidal range is about 2 feet over most of the Bay.


BTW: This photo shows both ends of the painter - with hookand splice onto foredeck cleat - which is easily reachable from the cockpit.


View attachment 5 - Painter spliced - spun polyester.jpg



Here is the bow fairlead - which I fashioned from bronze rod to replace an earlier bow eye.


View attachment 1 - Bowv fairlead.jpg



Here is the painter rigged. I do not have a photo of the bow anchor - a 15-lb Navy anchor - or its hard plastic line float. The grapnel is not for rigging open bay - but for kedging in soft "porridge ice".



View attachment 8 - Bow on with grapnel and stool in rack.jpg



Here is a better look at the stern fairlead. This Scooter is in "gunning mode" - with the lap canvas in place and the oars and stool rack stowed - but, of course, no anchors rigged at either end.



View attachment 10 - Lap canvas.jpg



Hurricane Covid will keep me away from Long Island this January. I hope next year brings some ice worthy of this vessel.


All the best,


SJS

 
Thanks Steve. As you know I love my greaters. Would like to deploy my layout boat but in a large tidal river subject to significant weather and 5-10 foot tidal fluctuations is a bit daunting.
 
My first season with an Estuary.Sadly I am ignorant of proper nautical terminology.So I have a line running from the stock handle on the front of my Estuary hull 25 I believe.There is an overhand knot as we call it in the lineman world with a loop to hold onto while standing up underway.There is 30 inches more line down from that with another loop which reaches inside the cockpit.So as someone mentioned in a previous post I have an old decoy that I place on the anchor line and tie an over hand loop at the appropriate length.When I need to retrieve a bird I release the rear anchor motor or row forward to the decoy and unsnap from the anchor line.I keep the brass snap hook end of my handle line as I call it in the cockpit.Upon return I ease up to the decoy and get the hook up then drift until line is taught and catch they decoy on the rear anchor line and carry on with duck hunting.
Perhaps you can make some sense of my rambling.This may not be the best way but my estuary evolution is in the early stages.
Take care.
 
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