Anchor retreval system

[Old Sarge]

Has anyone tried one of these. It seems it would make raising the anchor easier, but I wonder if there are drawbacks?

[8gv]

Yes, in Alaska.

The system works well. It requires a bit of space for maneuvering to retrieve so it is not suited to a crowded area.

It also takes up some space where you stow your anchor.

I only drop anchor in shallow parts of the lake but would possibly use it for fishing in deep water with a sandy bottom.

[upthesaukee]

Here is a link to an article in Boating magazine on using an "anchor ball".

http://www.boatingmag.com/how-to/using-anchor-ball

[DesertDweller]

Originally Posted by 8gv

Yes, in Alaska.

The system works well. It requires a bit of space for maneuvering to retrieve so it is not suited to a crowded area.

It also takes up some space where you stow your anchor.

I only drop anchor in shallow parts of the lake but would possibly use it for fishing in deep water with a sandy bottom.

Well said. A lot of the fishing guides out here on Lake Mead use them. Definitely better suited for deeper water.

[Rich]

one word.... Windlass

But when I was a teenager, I would have loved to have a ball setup like this, my dad's boat didn't have a windlass and I was the anchor muscle!

[Barney Bear]

My earlier years of boating were spent on the Ohio River as well as on other inland rivers. We would anchor at night along the shore out of the way of river traffic. Secured to the base of our danforth anchor was a light line with an attached float [called a trip line]. In the event of the anchor being snagged under a submerged log, it could be retrieved by pulling on the trip line until it came loose from under the log.

[Twox48]

My friend has a 34ft fishing boat and we use this method all the time deep sea fishing in 100-250ft of water. Works like a dream but as stated above, it takes quite a bit of space to maneuver to use it properly and probably not worth using at Lake Winni unless you're out deep and away from others.

[Phantom]

Originally Posted by Rich

one word.... Windlass

But when I was a teenager, I would have loved to have a ball setup like this, my dad's boat didn't have a windlass and I was the anchor muscle!

Hmmmmmm .... on our boat it's called "Wench" not windlass as my wife always gets the pleasure of dropping & pulling anchor......... her choice, she doesn't like maneuvering the boat at sandbars !



.

[Descant]

We went out of Naples FL with a fishing guide who used the ball system. Raised, lowered the anchor in 3-4 spots, quicker than a windlass, I think. We were on nylon line, not a lot of chain. 29' center console. Yes, it takes a lot of maneuver space, and some storage space.