anchoring an empty dive boat

[Uncle Pug]

Well... this may sound crazy... but when the viz is really bad and there is no guarantee of returning to the anchor I have been known to set it by hand in such a manner that it will trip easily from the surface for retrieval.

Of course I've had to chase the boat a couple of times too.

 

[Bill51]

We need to talk and exchange stories before the wife talks me into buying a Grand Banks to replace the Sundancer.

The worst time (and only time with a big boat) I’ve had to chase it down was when I left a supposedly competent adult on board. She fell asleep sunning herself on the foredeck and I came up in time to see the boat drifting into trees and a rocky shore ahead of a fast moving squall. I’ve been told that no one had ever seen anyone swim so fast in a dry suit with doubles on, but that was nothing compared to jumping over the transom and into the helm with my fins and tanks still on.

I now assume that anytime I’m not aboard the boat it’s unattended, no matter how many people are still on it. I did get one of those anchor rides when I had to go down and clear the anchor while I had someone drive the boat up to release the tension on it, but they didn’t understand they were to stop going forward after the rode was vertical and slack.

 

[offroaddiver]

I went to check a boat's anchor and found myself doing a face plant in mud. Zero viz experience that i hope not to repeat. Still washing mudd out of things. (don't ask where) I talked to a charter captain that leaves his boat unattended at times while doin recovery jobs about how he secures the boat. He has a anchor he built that resembles the grapler claws that you see at junk yards. He claims to have been in 15+ foot waves and his anchor hold fast. The only problem is the size of this anchor and it requires a second line to release it. If anyone's curious the dimensions of the anchor are approximately 15 x 15 with 5 foot long paddles. Suprising it is light enough for most windlasses to retrieve and can be picked up by hand. This holds a 49 foot sail boat.

 

[jchaplain]

I went to check a boat's anchor and found myself doing a face plant in mud. Zero viz experience that i hope not to repeat. Still washing mudd out of things. (don't ask where) I talked to a charter captain that leaves his boat unattended at times while doin recovery jobs about how he secures the boat. He has a anchor he built that resembles the grapler claws that you see at junk yards. He claims to have been in 15+ foot waves and his anchor hold fast. The only problem is the size of this anchor and it requires a second line to release it. If anyone's curious the dimensions of the anchor are approximately 15 x 15 with 5 foot long paddles. Suprising it is light enough for most windlasses to retrieve and can be picked up by hand. This holds a 49 foot sail boat.

A buddy of mine was telling me about a setup that some fisherman use to raise heavy anchors....

I didn't really understand, but what he was saying is that they use a second line attached to a large float and then somehow it is set up so that as the boat pulls under power the float gets pulled down ( lifting the anchor up.)
This sounds like a real nice option for those who don't have a windlass and like to use the heavy anchor option.
I have to do more research on the exact setup for this, but it makes sense.

John C.

 

[jchaplain]

Well... this may sound crazy... but when the viz is really bad and there is no guarantee of returning to the anchor I have been known to set it by hand in such a manner that it will trip easily from the surface for retrieval.

Of course I've had to chase the boat a couple of times too.

Yep, bad vis plus poor navigation skills ( me, I have to work on that...) = getting lost away from the boat.
A reel is the way to go. There are times when you can't get back to the boat due to tides, and that scares the heck out of me, so I really try to make sure thats not gonna happen.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Well, we have a little current here at times too. <-(understatement) so if we are going to end up a long way from the boat I like to move up current and after ascending the current can drift us back in the general direction of the boat.

However in some locations and certain times during the exchange, currents are going different directions at different levels. We have successfully drifted away from the boat on the bottom and been able to ride the counter current back on ascent. We have also messed up and had to swim a far piece too. More than once I've had to thumb a ride.