Anchoring near or on the wreck?

[rustybatey]

This seems to still give me fits . I have a wreck anchor and a danforth. My plan is to find the structure, cross it going against the tide, and drop anchor a guessed distance past the wreck to drift the boat somewhere just on the other side and have the anchor set near or against the wreck. Or, alternately, a lot of people use the wreck anchors to hook up directly. These approaches work when conditions are ideal and the wind plays nice. Sometimes however i miss the drift completely and we end up yanking the anchor around for an hour until we get it just right. I like to be able to descend and ascend the anchor line and end up right on the wreck for spearfishing. Visibility is usually only about 20ft so I don't want to have to hunt the structure down and then have to find the anchor to ascend.

I am looking for how others approach "the anchor"

 

[Dsix36]

Use the GPS to get to it, use the depth finder to verify that you are directly above it, and drop the anchor. Let the wind/current set the anchor and tie the line off.

Do the dive and throw the anchor in the sand before ascending. I know, the boat is drifting, but you have an ascent line directly to the boat and the anchor isn't stuck.

 

[rustybatey]

That is how I have been doing it but if the anchor doesn't set right away we sometimes end up too far off the wreck. I know some people use wreck reels from the anchor to the wreck. I'm looking for alternate ideas but thanks for the input anyway. I know it seems simple and it can be, but there are times I waste an awful lot of time.

 

[Nemrod]

I usually put the anchor in the wreck. I run to my number, scope it out with sonar, take a good mark over the center of the wreck, circle around coming up wind/up current, whichever is dominant and with the anchor at ready when I see my bow touch my mark, I drop anchor, give it a moment, play some rode out for scope and then draw back on it in reverse to set it. Done dealio.

N

 

[DevonDiver]

Why not use a shot line rather than an anchor?

If you have the numbers and fish finder to confirm the wreck - just drop a weighted line with buoy onto it. That way the boat drift will not pull you away.

 

[rustybatey]

Devon- That's actually my new plan. I have a dive flag buoy with a fairly heavy wight to drop on the wreck to mark it and then i can maneuver the boat where i need to anchor it. I am just trying to get some alternate ideas from some more experienced people.

 

[kwflfire]

I think that's the only way to do it, but I add an extra 20lbs to the anchor to get the anchor down quick.

 

[dkktsunami]

This seems to still give me fits . I have a wreck anchor and a danforth. My plan is to find the structure, cross it going against the tide, and drop anchor a guessed distance past the wreck to drift the boat somewhere just on the other side and have the anchor set near or against the wreck. Or, alternately, a lot of people use the wreck anchors to hook up directly. These approaches work when conditions are ideal and the wind plays nice. Sometimes however i miss the drift completely and we end up yanking the anchor around for an hour until we get it just right. I like to be able to descend and ascend the anchor line and end up right on the wreck for spearfishing. Visibility is usually only about 20ft so I don't want to have to hunt the structure down and then have to find the anchor to ascend.

I am looking for how others approach "the anchor"

Rusty, I am a few miles south of you and frequently dive the Nettleton. What I do is use the GPS to find the wreck, then the bottom finder to "see" that I am over the wreck, then drop a small anchor with a large orange buoy attached (not attached to boat). Then I drive off the wreck, taking current and distance into account, and drop the boat anchor in the sand. Then I reverse the boat backing to the orange float which I fasten to the stern lifting ring of boat. First diver down ties in the small anchor so boat is secured from both ends. At the end of the last dive we move small anchor to the sand and use line to ascend and do safety stop.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Add more chain for weight and will hook anchor easier. seperate line with a ball is a fast way and you can tie your scuba unit and weight to it, so you can easily swim back to the boat.



HAPPY DIVING

 

[captain]

I agree with the seperate line and a bouy. That's the way I have always done it. You can look at a GPS plotter but to me having a visual reference on the surface where the wreck is helps me get the boat orientated where I want it easier. It gives me a visual reference of distance you can't really get looking at a GPS.