Boat anchor.

admin

OK this SHOULD be easy right? Big hunk-o-steel on a rope...Problem is I love to fish but dont  do boats. My buddie wants me to make him an anchor to use in a bass boat for catfishing in the Ohio river. This is what he is using now. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Danielson-...nchor/20593854 He wants one that weights in around 25-30lbs and made so the boat wont drift in the current. I have looked a some pics online, but like I said, Im a landlubber. Any pointers or sugestions? Other than burn a hole in a piece of 3/4" plate that I have and call it good? If you cant fix it with a hammer, it must be an electrical problem."Boy, everyone starts with a full bag of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before the bag of luck is empty."-Grandad circa 1990ish
Reply:Make him one of these.http://www.pugetsoundanglers.org/fishing/anchoring.htmI know dozens of boat owners that LOVE them. and they work on any river bottum surface, sand, rock, silt, Mud, clay, Etc.Should be a pretty simple build.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:Insert Longevity/Everlast/Chicom Joke here _________________________________________!!!  haTiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:heres a better picture of the actual anchor.http://www.columbiariveranchorsystem.com/There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:to easy southpaw. I'd like to think the majority of us are better than that.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:Thanks Thor. After reading thru the first link I think that should work dandy for him. LOL. Southpaw, I was actually was expecting that. If you cant fix it with a hammer, it must be an electrical problem."Boy, everyone starts with a full bag of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before the bag of luck is empty."-Grandad circa 1990ish
Reply:It is all about conditions, substrate and knowing what you want from the anchor you drop. It will always pay to find out what the locals use on a regular basis, and why.For instance, around here, the popular choice is a Bruce type anchor. That is the core of the system, but the rigging can vary, depending on your boat and the space you have to store any accessories. There are lots of available accessories, more than any one boater can use.http://www.reliancemarine.com/Produc...10kg/View.aspxhttps://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...HYbRiALJzK3OAgCity of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:My 8th graders built me two anchors for the catfishing rig this morning. I'll post pics tomorrow.
Reply:Build one like the slip ring penetrating anchor in the link you provided, or tell him to go buy that one. A heavy anchor is not always what is needed to hold a boat in a current, it is the design that creates the holding power. That type will hold a good size boat with minimal weight, and with the slip ring design it is easy to retrieve. The trick is to know how to properly use it. Drop it to the bottom, pay out additional line as you drift downstream, then set the line on the boat so it drags it along the bottom till it digs in and holds. Five or six feet of 1/2" chain on the ring(tie the rope to the other end of the chain) helps it sink and dig into the bottom. How much line to pay out depends on water depth. To retrieve it, motor up over the top(taking up the slack as you do) of it and pull it up. Go by Super Wally World and look at one up close, the pointed flukes are what does the holding, not dead weight like you are wanting to use. Those mushroom anchors in the link are useless in any kind of current or bottom conditions. They only help Some in slackwater conditions without much wind. Remember the heavier the anchor you drop over the side the more weight you have to haul up when it's time to go. Go look at one of those anchors I mentioned and it will be apparent how to make one. I have made and used this type before in strong currents and they hold well once properly set and are easy to pull back up when time to go home and clean fish.
Reply:I have an 18' Lund and use the river anchor shown at the top of that walmart page. It works fine for me, but you need a long line."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:All you need is a five gallon bucket, bag of concrete, a few stainless steel washers, nuts, and a eye bolt
Reply:DO NOT LOOK AT THE WELDS. the old fire extinguisher body was not the easiest for my old stick welder. (it's all it's fault) i built this prototype for my boat about 20+yrs ago for holding on the Sacramento river here in Ca. after losing many various type store bought anchors in the bottom snags and not digging in on the different types of bottom in the 20+ mph current, i decided to make my own. i used this one for one season and then made another using angle iron for the prongs. note the 3/8" chain 6' long(necessary for any anchor to work properly) . my 17 yr old boy is still using that anchor on his boat (my old boat)today. the new anchor held my 16' alum and my buddies 18' fiberglass boat tied gunnel to gunnel on the river when he lost his anchor and was going to have to call it a day. caught some nice salmon that day by the way. i think from the pics you can tell that as you pull the boat towards the anchor the chain eye slides up the shaft to tip the butt of the anchor up to release it form it's resting place. i have never had a problem releasing it even when the anchor tied up in the limb crotch of a sunken snag. it securely ties in gravel, mud, hard clay, and even SNAGS lol. for ballast in the fire ex. body i just filled full of sand to displace the air. also there is enough pin holes in those mighty fine welds to allow water to displace the air in the sand. Attached Images225NT bobcatAEAD200LEScott 125mm175, mm252 w 30A, PT225mm211, TA 181iHyper Therm 380, cut master 529100X & XX, Digital Elite6 Victor setssmith little torch, meco midget kalamazoo band sawsteel max saw evoulution circular saw
Reply:Originally Posted by jbmprodsDO NOT LOOK AT THE WELDS.
Reply:oh hell Mr. Sticky, now ya went and done it. ya know how sensitive i am. i'm feelin totally crushed. i was havin a bad day. actually that bar is some unknown stainless alloy and i don't know what steel that fire extinguisher body was made of and i probably used 6011 to glue it all together. but for a scrap pile prototype it got the job done. i have refined my later models with known materials and have almost got the hang of welding them up.225NT bobcatAEAD200LEScott 125mm175, mm252 w 30A, PT225mm211, TA 181iHyper Therm 380, cut master 529100X & XX, Digital Elite6 Victor setssmith little torch, meco midget kalamazoo band sawsteel max saw evoulution circular saw
Reply:http://www.danforthanchors.com/A butterfly without wings, is just an ugly bug
Reply:As has been mentioned and the best advice so far is to check what the locals are using and what works for them.Many different forms out there, but no "best" for all bottom conditions.  I've always used a Danforth style but the Fortress (basically an aluminum style danforth) works well also.  The Bruce and plow style anchors offer good holding power and store nicely in a pulpit.  Kinda unyieldly for storing below though.The "mushroom" anchor is good for holding an intertube in place in a still lake (if there's a soft mud bottom).Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:This is what we have, a Navy anchor. [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Greenfield-Products-915RD-NAVY-ANCHOR/dp/B002IVAI7E[/ame]
Reply:My old neighbour used to use old worn out disk brakes. Free and plentiful so if it's lost, it doesn't hurt too much. He was fishing in the ocean.  FWIW200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:Most Anchors don't work very well in River Current and even WORSE in Silt Bottomed, Shallow lakes, especially ones that are even moderately 'breezy'.(This design is based on the same type of Claw Anchor as "jbmprods" red one above...)Drifting in the lakes I fish is BRUTAL (Shallow, Windy, Silt Bottoms) and I became fed up and finally just made my own.  Although I sold this last unit with my boat, it worked like a Charm and you didn't have to let out NEAR the line that ANY of the anchors here require.  Also, mine is 'ridiculously' easy to 'Un-snag' (just tug hard enough to break your zip tie/ties) and requires no dangerous re-positioning of the boat in order to release said snag.Simple Aluminum or Stainless Construction (this one was Aluminum) filled with Molten lead for weight (total weight was 22.5 lbs).  Alternatively, you can also use Sacrete, Tin or Bismuth for Environmentally 'Sensitive' waters and even river rock if you cap the ends properly.Cheers, Attached ImagesLast edited by jman; 05-16-2012 at 04:18 AM.Miller Diversion 165120 amp Buzz BoxVictor Oxy/Ace Oxy/LPGSmith "Little" Oxy/LPGHypertherm Powermax 30Lot's of Misc. tools n' crap....
Reply:That's how we used to rig most of our anchors for diving wrecks off Jersey.  We'd use twine instead of zip ties, but it amounts to the same thing..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:nice anchor jman. nice long heavy chain also. i think i'll build one like it and have my boy try it out on the river. as a side note .. i see so many folks on the river that tie their anchors on the line with no chain or a foot of chain and i have to laugh when they drift for a 1/4 mile past the hole they want to fish only to have to pull up further ahead of the hole and try again and they wonder why their anchor won't grab hold and set. i tell them to put about 6' of chain on the anchor to give it a chance to do it's job.225NT bobcatAEAD200LEScott 125mm175, mm252 w 30A, PT225mm211, TA 181iHyper Therm 380, cut master 529100X & XX, Digital Elite6 Victor setssmith little torch, meco midget kalamazoo band sawsteel max saw evoulution circular saw
Reply:I fish rivers. Those round anchors SUCK! I use these but bigger and heavier:
Reply:For weight and convenience the danforth has other anchors beat. (Wall-mart slip ring penetrating anchor) The important part is that it will penetrate the mud and if it gets caught on a snag you can motor up current and the slip ring will pull the anchor away even then caught under a boulder.A few feet of chain on the end before the rope is very important to create weight and a cantenary ( sort of a curve to absorb shocks)  Danforths are ugly but light.  The only thing better is a CQR plow but it is a bad experience pulling out of snags.  So bad that I often set a secondary retrieval line.  Scope is your friend.  Pay out about four to one at minimum.  For ten feet of depth you need 40 feet of line out.  At 7:1 it is next to impossible to pull out a danforth.
Reply:You guys made me dig thru the junk out back to take these. All "free"... I found them diving. I need to clean up the plow and the danforth and get rid of them on Ebay. I need to look around and see if I've still got one of the SS grapples I used to make for guys in Jersey. Attached Images.No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by VPTI fish rivers. Those round anchors SUCK! I use these but bigger and heavier:I also bought one of these, "Chene" anchors, JUNK! I have NEVER gotten it to work, under ANY conditions."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:WOW a plethora of great designs and ideas.  Thanks!I think I am going to go with a design along the lines of jbmprods's and jman's.  I will post up pics of what I come up with. If he dont like it, too bad he is getting a free anchor. I think I got a nice long length of heavy chain I can give him too.If you cant fix it with a hammer, it must be an electrical problem."Boy, everyone starts with a full bag of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before the bag of luck is empty."-Grandad circa 1990ish
Reply:I use a 12. I worked a boat that used an 18.http://www.kolstrand.com/products/forfjord-anchors.htmlAlthough, hydraulics make it a whole lot easier...-IanMiller Dynasty 350Miller XMT 304
Reply:Originally Posted by jbmprodsthe bottom of the Sacramento river is lined with all styles of anchors and two of the ones i donated are of the style you prefer. there are Valley oak, Black walnut, and English walnut   snags in that river that would make those little trees you fellers grow in Wisconsin look like saplings.oh did i mention i fish rivers also.
Reply:MAN! that is cool!  Why was it drained?God only knows what a person would find if the Ohio river was drained. I know I have a couple of fishing poles in it. I found an old out of date fire extinguisher today. Had to drain it first (had some fun with THAT, got a wrench thrown at me ) Slapped it in the bandsaw to cut the top off from it and THEN noticed the dang thing is aluminum. Now welding it isnt the issue, I probably have the material and skill to do the work, the problem is that I am not sure this "buddie" is worth the extra hassle.If you cant fix it with a hammer, it must be an electrical problem."Boy, everyone starts with a full bag of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before the bag of luck is empty."-Grandad circa 1990ish
Reply:that motor is an oldie VPT. nice hover craft. i almost bought one last year till my 17 year old  boy started talking about all the great stuff he could do with it. i decided it wouldn't be such a wise investment on my part. i catch too much hell from his mother already because of the boat i gave him. if we weren't already divorced she would divorce me and take the stuff she didn't get in the first battle. i could probably retire on the salvage $$$ i could make on anchors if they drained the Sacramento river not to mention old cars and trucks. i know of one lower unit i left in the river a few years back of my 45 horse evinrude.225NT bobcatAEAD200LEScott 125mm175, mm252 w 30A, PT225mm211, TA 181iHyper Therm 380, cut master 529100X & XX, Digital Elite6 Victor setssmith little torch, meco midget kalamazoo band sawsteel max saw evoulution circular saw
Reply:The river was drained to fix the dam and flood wall which after they filled the flowage back up they say they found more holes bigger than the ones they fixed... lolI mostly found anchors but saw all kinds of things. Old houses that were flooded over when they built the dam. Those pilings pictured earlier for log control back when they used the river to transport logs. boats, car seats, old horse and buggy wagon wheels, bikes, pay phones, many many many glass bottles/whine bottles, you name it it was down there. I'll post a couple more pics for you guys. I found it very neat!The rock "dams" are old roads that went out to houses and whatnot.If you want to see the whole collection google "wisconsin river virtual hovercraft ride" lolLast edited by VPT; 05-23-2012 at 09:48 AM.
Reply:Neat pics, even tho it would pi$$ me off to see how much trash is thrown into waterways. It looks like a hovercraft would be the best way to go in that case. Back to this boat anchor, I found another (steel this time) fire extinguisher and finished it up today. I tried to copy jbmprods's just by going by memory. I think its pretty close, one of these days I will have to get one of those fancy phones with internet just for cases like this.  The piece of bar the chain is on ended up being a bit too short, so I improvised.  For ballast I used a bunch of battery terminals I had saved for making sinkers. After every thing including the 6 foot chain it weighs in at 34 lbs, glad I aint the one who has to pull it up. If you cant fix it with a hammer, it must be an electrical problem."Boy, everyone starts with a full bag of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before the bag of luck is empty."-Grandad circa 1990ish
Reply:Great job on the anchor! Is that a miller 212 in the background? How do you like it?Yeah I get a bit mad about all the stuff I seen in the water but this is a collection of over 100 years of junk thrown in so really it wasn't to bad. If the whole thing was like a junk yard sure, but the junk was just here and there. About as much as can be expected.I spent a good amount of the one day searching for two buddies stuff. One was a buddies dad that lost a boat and motor and the other was a snowmobile that went threw the ice and never recovered. Didn't find either. lol
Reply:Originally Posted by VPTGreat job on the anchor! Is that a miller 212 in the background? How do you like it?Yeah I get a bit mad about all the stuff I seen in the water but this is a collection of over 100 years of junk thrown in so really it wasn't to bad. If the whole thing was like a junk yard sure, but the junk was just here and there. About as much as can be expected.I spent a good amount of the one day searching for two buddies stuff. One was a buddies dad that lost a boat and motor and the other was a snowmobile that went threw the ice and never recovered. Didn't find either. lol