# Anchoring in your Kayak...



## Samboman (Sep 6, 2010)

Howdy guys, Am thinking of getting out soon to chase some inshore snapper.... Am just wondering how everyone uses their anchor trolley and whats the best way?? I have a small folding anchor with around 20m of rope..... I haven't used it yet...

Cheers guys
*****


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## Ranger (May 31, 2008)

Opposite to a boat. On a kayak the anchor is best deployed from the rear, and you fish forwards.

With the anchor trolley you can make adjustments to turn yourself slightly if wind, wave or tides are working against each other.

It also pays to put a floating buoy on your anchorline, so that if need be you can unclip the anchor to head off fighting a fish, and then return later to retreive it.


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## Samboman (Sep 6, 2010)

Ranger said:


> The anchor is best deployed from the rear, and you fish forwards.
> 
> With the anchor trolley you can make adjustments to turn yourself slightly if wind, wave or tides are working against each other.
> 
> It also pays to put a floating buoy on your anchorline, so that if need be you can unclip the anchor to head off fighting a fish, and then return later to retreive it.


Cheers for that Ranger, thats what i was looking for..... Was just thinking about a bouy for the anchorline.... ;-)

Cheers again
Rhett


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## Marineside (May 8, 2009)

[/quote]

Was just thinking about a bouy for the anchorline.... ;-)

[/quote]

I use a Ski line float the one with a hole down the middle so it can slide up & down the rope


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## Ranger (May 31, 2008)

Marineside said:


> I use a Ski line float the one with a hole down the middle so it can slide up & down the rope


Yep, bout $10 at BCF Gepps Cross, coz I don't know anywhere locally which stocks them.


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

Rhett - these are great for kayak anchor systems - crab net floats - from BCF or Big W. Coil the anchor rope onto it as well as using it as a float if you want to detach from the anchor. I use some bungie cord between the float and the anchor trolley to absorb any swell.


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## Tarkman (Jan 19, 2010)

solatree, that is a brilliant setup!

I noticed the anchor itself is tied up at the top and bottom or is it just my eyes. Is that to assist in retrieval if snagged? Can you give us a close up of that? I've seen some of those star anchors that will completely fold a finger out if pulled really hard, do they work well?


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## Ranger (May 31, 2008)

Tarkman said:


> I noticed the anchor itself is tied up at the top and bottom or is it just my eyes. Is that to assist in retrieval if snagged?


If I can butt in here. The line or chain is only connected at the top end of the anchor, at the ring near the tines.

At the end of the shaft, the line/chain is held in place using only cableties. Use two rather than one, as one alone may not be strong enough.

The idea is that if the anchor becomes snagged, a sharp pull will see the cableties snap, and the anchor will then be pulled out backwards, freeing it from the cause of the snag.

Most people who aren't experienced with boating actually connect the line/chain to the wrong end, as on first sight the ring at the end of the shaft seems the logical attachment point for the novice.


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## doddsj (May 24, 2010)

G'day,

I do the opposite to Ranger i use an Anchor Trolley but manouver it so i am anchore at the front of the Kayak. This way i am usually facing into the current and or wind. I can then see any increase in wave height rather than it suddenly coming over the back of the Kayak without warning. Whichever way you anchor make sure you have a small amount of Bunge cord in the Anchor Trolley Line. This absorbs some of the strain and helps when retrieving the anchor. Also as posted using the Cable Ties will aid you in anchor retrieval if iy gets stuck.

Cheers, Steve.


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## mal.com (Feb 10, 2007)

Hi 
Re anchors and anchoring I have embraced the cheaparse low tech look.

For the last year or so I have relied on one 1.5 kg dive weight and about 18m of 7mm rope. I've had no failures have always been able to retrieve it myself, it even works ok on sand. Before that I have lost or had to cut off 3 folding anchors, yes yes yes  , I had been using a cable tie release. Once I had to get a guy in a tinny to give it a snig to break it out.

I have a swivel tuna longline clip and a pool noodle float, so the anchor can be easily let go & retrieved later.

I've rigged an anchor trolley system through the existing Hobie fittings.

You can use the storage board as a bait/ filleting board if you make it big enough to go across the kayak.

cheers

Mal de mer


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## BIGKEV (Aug 18, 2007)

The cable ties must be the smallest ones that you can get to fit around the anchor and the line. If you get too large a cable tie you may not be able to break it and will most certainly capsize your yak trying to pull the anchor off the sea bed. I use ties that are only about 100mm long and around 2.5mm in width and these will generally snap out easily.

Kev


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

Mate re the zip ties even that is not a must, before zips were around we only ever used string on our powerboats as there is little strain on the ties when at anchor, but did use new string each trip.

As an anchor I am similar to mal.com and only use a 2kgs dumbell that has nothing to snag with the bottom.


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## benj1706 (Oct 12, 2008)

I lost one anchor pre-zip tie and recovered one with zip-tie.


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

Tarkman said:


> the anchor itself is tied up at the top and bottom or is it just my eyes


Yep - as others have said, tied at the bottom but I actually use some 15lb mono - tied twice to attach the anchor rope at the top. I know I can break it without capsizing the Kayak. Even smallest cable ties can be pretty strong.


Tarkman said:


> Can you give us a close up of that?














Dodge said:


> As an anchor I only use a 2kgs dumbell that has nothing to snag with the bottom.


I find I need to use the anchor when fishing our gulf and the tide is running - Dodge's set up would not hold - even the grapnel anchor drags at times. But sometimes that's not such a bad thing ! ;-) viewtopic.php?f=17&t=41610


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## Samboman (Sep 6, 2010)

Cheers guys lots of good info here ;-)

*****


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## Big D (Apr 28, 2007)

The anchor will spin when you retrieve it. I use the largest ball-bearing coastal lock snap swivel to stop this. A twisted line results in a lot of tangles and knots.

Also, a bit of highly visible pool noodle secured to the end of the rope will work as a cheap, effective and compact anchor float. Cut a slit in the end to secure the anchor line so it doesn't unravel more when you ditch it over the side.

Lastly, don't need thick poly rope. Similar to 2mm venitian blind chord will suffice and make things a lot easier, including less drag in the water and less knots etc.n and you can fit a lot more on the spool so to speak (20 m of rope isn't much - not really sufficient for anchoring in any more than maybe 10m of water with a bit of wind, chop or current)

Big D


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## Marineside (May 8, 2009)

Lost my Anchor last time out, was in a rather strong current & unhooked the anchor from the Anchor trolley expecting the float would float but the current was so strong it dragged the float down never to be seen again if i had time i could have waited around for the tide to turn for the float to resurface but couldn't went back next day but i geuss a stinky may have found it becausr it was gooooorn  :lol: somthing to keep in mind


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

Marineside said:


> unhooked the anchor from the Anchor trolley expecting the float would float but the current was so strong it dragged the float down


Blimey - must have been either bloody strong current or not much rope out or not a very bouyant float !

Certainly if you lift the bouyancy of the float and/or let more line out, the float should float. Just need the vertical bouyancy force to exceed the vertical component of the force on the anchor rope from the current.


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## Marineside (May 8, 2009)

solatree said:


> Marineside said:
> 
> 
> > unhooked the anchor from the Anchor trolley expecting the float would float but the current was so strong it dragged the float down
> ...


Must have got one of those combinations wrong maybe rope to short & not enough bouyancy was using a ski line float


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## tezarity (Mar 2, 2010)

I've learnt a lot from this thread as well.
Cheers


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## Tarkman (Jan 19, 2010)

Thanks guys, Love the crab pot float idea. I've managed about 60 metres of 2.5mm chord from BCF on a crab pot float.

One question though, you have the grapnel all tied up with some white chord. Is that because you don't want to use the grapnel for "grabbing" most of the time? or do you just tie it up for transport?


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## simonsrat (Feb 13, 2009)

I got myself one of the Cooper Anchors ....










It is great and holds the yak really well. It is pretty light as well.

As you can see I had not attached the anchor rope correctly. I have now rectified that.

I like this anchor a lot better than my old grapple anchor.

It also matches the pink of my minnow ..... but I saw a photo of one in blue plastic now, if you are prejudiced towards pink.

Cheers,

s


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## Murphysegg (Oct 21, 2010)

Remember to raise your Rudder when anchoring in strong currents. Can get a bit sketchy otherwise :shock:


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## cheaterparts (Jul 3, 2010)

[quote


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## tezarity (Mar 2, 2010)

i was talking to a guy from work, and he filled up an old valvoline oil container with sand and attached that to a rope.
He said it works a treat except for the fact it weighs almost 5 kilos


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## Tarkman (Jan 19, 2010)

simonsrat said:


> I got myself one of the Cooper Anchors ....


Don't you need chain on that anchor?


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## simonsrat (Feb 13, 2009)

I have not run a chain on mine. But I usually only anchor in a couple of meters of water and I do a lot of anchoring for a few casts, pull up the anchor and relocate to a new location. I have not had a problem.

Checkout the video on how it works ....






I actually just checked the website and they say it is OK with no chain but the angle of the rope needs to be 10 to 1.

http://cooperanchors.com.au/the-cooper-anchor/

http://www.cooperanchors.com.au/

Cheers,

Steven


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## DavidA (Mar 13, 2007)

Saw this on AKFF ages ago and made one up. I have used it for three years now anchoring on sand and reef. The wire tines simply bend (without flipping the yak) if it gets stuck on something solid. If all fails and need to cut it off, there is no huge economic loss. The plastic sccop seems to help it hold on sand.

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=2867

cheers

David


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