Do you use an anchor? Winch?

[Biggems]

With the wide variety of boats, locations, and uses out there; I was just curious how many people use an anchor on a regular basis and how many of those people have an anchor winch, or just pull it up and drop it manualy.

I always use an anchor, and currently am dropping it and retrieving it manualy. As I can't afford an anchor winch, I'm thinking about ghetto-rigging my own winch on the bow. Maybe use a strap winch like the one on the trailer. Then just replace the strap with the anchor line?

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

It really depends on the size of the boat and the depth of the water you normally anchor in. It's somewhat difficult to run back and forth from the bow to the cockpit on a 30+ foot boat so the need for a windlass is apparent, but on a runabout or smaller rig, the distance traveled is a lot less and more accessible. If you only anchor in 20 ft of water or less, the benefits of a windlass aren't really there. You start having to manually retrieve 50+ ft of rope every time, then it makes sense to let a winch do the work.

 

[Mike Robinson]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

We carry an anchor for safety reasons but we never use it. We only go out on day trips.

 

[Biggems]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

I always use my anchor so that I dont have to waist my battery trying to stay in one spot with the trolling motor. I guess it depends what your activities are. I can only fish with my boat, so I use my anchor all the time.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

I have an AnchorMate on my 12' aluminum boat for my 12 lb. mushroom anchor. Since I put it on, I use the anchor a lot more often, and catch more fish. I never used my electric trolling motor once last year, and am not mounting it this year, except when I'm on the Mississippi.

For about $50, it's really paid for itself.

 

[cpubud]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

I love my windlass

 

[Biggems]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

CATtransplant, where did you get the anchor mate? I googled it and got a couple of pictures and it looks perfect for me. Seems like it'd be a good investment for only about 50 bucks.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

CATtransplant, where did you get the anchor mate? I googled it and got a couple of pictures and it looks perfect for me. Seems like it'd be a good investment for only about 50 bucks.

I picked mine up in a Gander Mountain store. I think you can order it here on iboats.com, too. If you get one, you have to also buy the hardware kit, which has some pulleys and stuff. It'll hold up to 100' of 3/16" nylon line. I'm not sure if that came with it. Not for anchors over about 10-12 lb., though.

Note: You can mount the winch on top of a horizontal surface, as well as on the side of something, as illustrated in their brochures. That's what I did. I mounted it on the port side of my second bench seat. The rope goes through a couple of guides under the port gunwale, then to the pulleys. The anchor pulls right up into the front spout, but I let some rope out and put it in the bow to hold down my PFDs while trailering, and to keep it from banging around.

It's nice. To drop anchor, you just twist the little knob on top and the anchor drops. To crank it up, you just turn the handle. The only trouble I've ever had was in a soft, muddy bottom. I had to break the anchor free manually, then crank it up. Usually, it goes great.

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Windlass?

Re: Do you use an anchor? Windlass?

I use both of my anchors all the time. Two anchors are normal at the sandbars we frequent.

I bought my boat used and the previous owner had a windlass put on. I would have never bothered, but now that I have it, it's proven really nice to have. One big advantage of a windlass is the ability to easily use an over-sized anchor. I use a 22lb Delta on my 25' boat. When I anchor overnight and sleep aboard, or anchor and leave my boat unattended, I never worry about it dragging the anchor.

 

[JH3]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

We use an anchor on both boats. A windless on the cruiser and manual on the bow rider. We use them often. Typically we will drop the hook on the cruiser and tie the bow rider along side.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

I have 2 anchor mates, one front, one back and am saving my pennies for an electric to compliment my new wireless trolling motor.

 

[SNye45]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

I use a Columbia river anchor which will hold on any river/lake bottom. After a year of hauling it up by hand I saw the error of my ways, and bought a buoy system. Now all I have to do to for retrieval is to apply power (up stream) and the anchor rope comes up via the one way shackle attached to the buoy. After running the distance needed, I drift while taking aboard the slack anchor rope. The only effort is then lifting the anchor aboard (which is directly under the buoy). A great system !!!!

 

[boat1010]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

I only use an anchor when we go into the shore. I put the anchor on the beach so the boat doesn't float off. Other than that we do not use one.

 

[BassSpotter]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

We keep one in the boat but hardly ever use it.

 

[cr2k]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

I go boating on lakes. I use an anchor with a bungee line. I anchor off the beach on my way in (attached to the stern). The bungee will let me go to shore. Once we are off I use the bow line to feed the boat back out off the beach to keep it from getting bashed on the shore. To retrieve just pull the boat ashore get on and you will be pulled out to deeper water to drop the drive. The bungee is disconnected and left to float with the attached float or fender until we return.

Really cool deal.
I had to look for one for a boat as most are for PWCs. Got it at West Marine.

 

[ebry710]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

An 18' boat probably doesn't need to have a winch.

 

[Landscaping Wiz 808]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

I use the anchor occasionally, but I like coasting with the current the most and just using my trolling motor to keep me out of harms way.

BOB

 

[tboltmike]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

I use a Columbia river anchor which will hold on any river/lake bottom. After a year of hauling it up by hand I saw the error of my ways, and bought a buoy system. Now all I have to do to for retrieval is to apply power (up stream) and the anchor rope comes up via the one way shackle attached to the buoy. After running the distance needed, I drift while taking aboard the slack anchor rope. The only effort is then lifting the anchor aboard (which is directly under the buoy). A great system !!!!

SNye, Can't picture what you are talking about??

 

[Biggems]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

I really dont "need" a winch for my 14.5' tinny. But I use my anchor alot and where I usualy go (occoquan reservoir) is very deep in some spots so it just becomes a pain the rear to haul up that much line all the time and it starts to blister your hands. Especially as I dont stay in one spot for very long.

 

[idrownworms]

Re: Do you use an anchor? Winch?

Right now I use the armstrong method of raising anchors. I've been thinking of how to put in a winch but so far everything I've thought of is pretty Rube Goldberg so until I can figure out how to do it simple I'm not going to switch.