Ya i use the grappling hook style of anchor only 3.5lbs, works great and very compact. Use about 1-2 feet of chain to help it grab the bottom properly.
Rig it something like this pic. That way if it gets really stuck the zap ties will break ad youll be able to pull it up from the bottom no problem.
I know where you're coming from, but in all my years of backpacking I've never come across a sectioned tent pole with enough strength to hold a boat in position against wind and water flow. The moment you break something into pieces it's never going to be as strong as it was, regardless of how you reattach it.
One trick I've pulled is to use both my oars and ram them down into the river bank mud handle first, with the oar being between the boat and that black rope that runs around the edge. This is course requires having a squishy river bank, but it does the job.
You've mentioned that you go diving so I'm assuming you're trying to come up with a simple means to hold your boat in position on the surface while you go seeking pirate treasure right? If you don't trust standard anchors to keep the boat in position, perhaps a custom anchor might work.
Find a decent sized bucket that comes with a lid you can clip over the top. Drill holes in he bucket's side so that it will take on water when submerged. You attach two lengths of marine rope to the bucket. One is attached to the bottom of the bucket via a drilled hole and a knot on the inside to hold it in place. The second is attached to the removable clip on lid the same way. Before you set off, you fill the bucket with some rocks from the shoreline and clip on the lid.
Once you find a spot you like, you drop the bucket into the water and let it sink to the bottom rocks and all. This should weigh more than the average anchor and definitely hold the boat in position.
When you're finished, you pull the rope attached to the lid to remove it from the bucket, then pull the second rope to tip out the rocks before retrieving your bucket anchor. Only downside is having to find more rocks for the next spot. Might work. Has the advantage of being light when not in use and you can use it for storage when traveling too and from the water. And... if you're diving at the time, tip the rocks out yourself while down there and fill bucket with the 'treasure' you find.
As regards the 'stick anchor,' the stronger the better. If I had to go with sections, I'd go with a eighteen foot hard wood pole cut into six foot sections that connect using brass screw joints.
You basically store the sections on the floor of the boat and use whatever length you need. However the bottom end would likely require a metal tip for when you drive it down into mud or between rocks and shingle etc. This would also serve as a terrific defensive weapon should you find actual pirate treasure and they catch you in the act.
l, The tent pole was meant to reference the same concept (but I left that part out :-(). I really like your bucket idea and think today I will make it while out in the garage waiting on the rain to stop. Yes I am a pirate hunting treasure under water ( I used to just do it on land but the last couple of years have used my scuba skills to take it to the water) and I am just looking for a more "secure" way of anchoring and not worrying if the boat will be in the same area when I surface and 2 miles down stream :-( . I know the ultimate solution is to either tie off on shore (but at times that could be a good distance from dive spot) or have someone in the boat all the time (which to be honest is a good idea and really shouldn't dive alone (safety), but at times the wife or friend isn't available so I risk it for a quick dive or two).., some of my relatives have visited our relatives over there and said it is beautiful! In all of my travels in the USMC I never made it there, so it is on my list!Greetings all, this will be my first post here.
So i discovered this thread/Forum a few days ago while researching the Mariner 4. Outstanding resource. This thread is easily what convinced me to order one of these. I am currently on page 38 and thoroughly enjoy seeing what can be done with these inflatables. Ordered from Amazon.CA as they have best price here in Canada as far as i can find. Problem is that they have none in stock and they say i should be receiving it by June 2-14, Bummer. So now I'm looking at Minn Kota motors.
My first question is having never owned a motorized Boat of any type, am i going to be ok with a 50 or 55# Minn Kota in the St Lawrence river (hopefully that river is well enough known that you guys can answer that question lol. It surrounds Montreal and has to be one of the biggest in the world) I mean I'm not gonna be going out in any type of bad weather but anything can happen while I'm already out i guess. This is not a deal breaker as Quebec has thousands of lakes of all sizes so lots of options.
2. Looking at motors, what do you guys think about these options. Minn Kota 50# Endura C2 for 240CAD$ or Endura Max 55# for 360$CAD (Yes our dollar sux right now lol) The price difference almost pays for a battery so I'm leaning towards the Endura C2 50#, but is the Max 55# worth the extra 120$ +tax(15%).
Thanks all, Keep up the good work. Along with being an avid angler and hunter, i also love woodworking and got lots of great ideas for this inflatable
PS. Just checked with my buddy Google and St Lawrence is 16 largest river in the world in terms of Mean annual flow
but the wife and I try to take a two hour drive every weekend just to get out of the house and "explore" lol. I am going to hit amazon in a few.
