Anchoring near or on the wreck?

[Jupiter31]

In a perfect world, we anchor from the surfact - see the wreck on the DF/sonar and throw the anchor as soon as it starts coming up - that works +/- 30% of the time. Many times if you throw the anchor from the boat, you end up hooked in rocks, sand, mud - anything but the wreck - as you desend, you end up doing your dive on an new site called "Sahara Desert"

What I end up doing is taking the anchor down, securing it to the wreck, then come up - a pain, but theats the way many dive charters in S FL do it, so I'm in good company, plus I know for sure the anchor is set on the wreck.

Don't know if its easier in a larger boat; ours is 31'

 

[Nemrod]

I think sometimes it is a lack of a good sonar picture. A couple of years ago a well known skipper and boat put us on a well known wreck but he failed to notice that the wreck had been damaged by storms and a piece was broken off and now lying a good 150 feet away. Yep, he put us on the broken piece. In my boat it shows clearly on sidescan which is the imposter. I just don't usually have a problem getting on a mark--but--there is that once and a while. N

 

[BGF]

the way we do it off RI usually depends on the state of the wreck. With an intact superstructure with good relief off the bottom we head to the numbers, spot it with the bottom sounder, then drift back over the site from up wind/current and toss a grapple to hook the wreck. First person or team down secures it to the wreck then proceeds with the dive. Last person or team down uses a length of light weight line to tie the hook to the wreck, then attaches a bag and partially inflates it to lift the hook off the wreck and prevent entanglement. Last team conducts their planned profile then heads back up the line. Once everyone is back on the boat and ready to depart, we use the engines to break the small line and shoot the bag, then just haul it in. A neat trick learned recently from friends, as it prevents damage to the wreck from dragging a large danforth over the site and the bag prevents the hook from getting snagged back on the wreck when trying to haul it in. If low relief we will use a danforth to hook it, then use the bag trick or else make sure it is clear and won't re-hook itself when pulling it in. Although we have had to send someone back down to unsnag a danforth on occasion.

 

[Jupiter31]

I think sometimes it is a lack of a good sonar picture. A couple of years ago a well known skipper and boat put us on a well known wreck but he failed to notice that the wreck had been damaged by storms and a piece was broken off and now lying a good 150 feet away. Yep, he put us on the broken piece. In my boat it shows clearly on sidescan which is the imposter. I just don't usually have a problem getting on a mark--but--there is that once and a while. N

Its not a problem, for us, in finding the wreck, the problem comes if there is any current, seems that by the time the grapnel (and I'm using a fairly heavy one, with 6' of chain) gets to the bottom, we are often "off" the wreck - I'll give it 2 or 3 trys, then end up taking it down.

No better feeling (well, maybe a few...) than hooking it the first try, from the surface. :cool2:

 

[kwflfire]

That is why I added weight, had the same problem..

 

[flw]

Why bother anchoring at all, leave the boat free, that way it can pick up anyone drifting - and allows for a free ascent. Use a shot line - we've tried all shapes and sizes, but generally a 56lb weight is ok for most dives, though sometimes we'll use a heavier narrow one. Drift over the wreck, then drop the shot so that the tide will take it slightly off to one side - judge the point at which to let it go on the strength of the tide and the depth. - I've seen skippers do it reliably on very tidal wrecks up to 100m
Drop it so that the line drifts over the wreck rather than away from it, so it's easier to find on the way back. Having said that - occasionally a shot will drop into the wreck and become entangled - so make them sacrificial

 

[rjack321]

Its not a problem, for us, in finding the wreck, the problem comes if there is any current, seems that by the time the grapnel (and I'm using a fairly heavy one, with 6' of chain) gets to the bottom, we are often "off" the wreck - I'll give it 2 or 3 trys, then end up taking it down.

No better feeling (well, maybe a few...) than hooking it the first try, from the surface. :cool2:

What is "fairly heavy"?? 6ft of chain is almost nothing weightwise.

The danforth often acts like a sail, esp if you aren't holding the bow at your target drop spot. That is, if you motor up to the spot. Put the boat in neutral. Run to the bow. Toss the anchor, you are now where near where you started.

Instead:
Approach from downwind
Hold the boat still on the mark (in the current and/or wind) with the engine
Have your buddy toss a much heavier anchor

My boat is only 16ft but I have about 30lbs of anchor and chain.

 

[rustybatey]

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.

Thank you Tsunami. That sounds like an even better plan than mine and easy enough. I appreciate all of the responses too. I will give it a whirl on Sunday if the weather cooperates

 

[SkipperJohn]

What is "fairly heavy"?? 6ft of chain is almost nothing weightwise.

The danforth often acts like a sail, esp if you aren't holding the bow at your target drop spot. That is, if you motor up to the spot. Put the boat in neutral. Run to the bow. Toss the anchor, you are now where near where you started.

This is very true. I have dropped my anchor in 400 foot of turbulent water (an area known as the Mud Hole in the NY Bight) and after 800 foot of line the anchor never hit bottom. I've tried increasing my 10' chain to 25 foot but that was just too heavy to retrieve. My trick was to scale down the line. I use 1/4" line now and this plays nice in the current.
As for hitting the wreck, this is my trick that has served me well for over 25 years with no divers to make adjustments.
1- drop a buoy or marker on the wreck.
2- stop with your bow on the buoy and wait till the boat drifts around 30 feet away
3- take a compass reading to the buoy-you now know the direction of the drift
4- use the compass reading to pass the buoy by as many feet as you need for proper anchor scope (usually twice the dept for under 100' in calm conditions)
5- drop your anchor and drift back to the wreck.

This is for your danforth. If you are using a wreck anchor or grappling hook use the same procedure only when you motor past the wreck you need only go 50 foot or so past.

Don't use your engine(s) to come back, the boat will settle where it wants to unless you double tie. Speaking of double tying, consider it unless you are using a wreck anchor. Often (usually with a change in tide) the wind will shift direction. If you are on a wreck in 60' of water with 120' of line out, the shift can put you more than 50 foot off the wreck.

I hope this helps.

 

[Jupiter31]

What is "fairly heavy"?? 6ft of chain is almost nothing weightwise.

The danforth often acts like a sail, esp if you aren't holding the bow at your target drop spot. That is, if you motor up to the spot. Put the boat in neutral. Run to the bow. Toss the anchor, you are now where near where you started.

Instead:
Approach from downwind
Hold the boat still on the mark (in the current and/or wind) with the engine
Have your buddy toss a much heavier anchor

My boat is only 16ft but I have about 30lbs of anchor and chain.

We use a 20lb grappnel w/ 6' of chain; never a danforth - weight I don't believe is the issue.

I think we are lining up OK; often we deal with current in S. FL and thats what is pushing us off - I let the anchor go from the stern (but tie it off the bow when hooked) so I can feel it bite/hook the wreck.

Lots of good suggestions though - going to review and see if this helps.

Would be a ton easier if they put mooring buoys on the wrecks; even if they positioned them 10 - 15 ft underwater, as they do on the "Eagle" off Islamorada - but in the 20+ years we have been diving off our own boat, its never happened.