My plan to retrieve anchors off a local wreck

[caruso]

Do what we do in the keys. Get a lift bag and lift the anchor clear of the bottom. You will have enough rope on it for it to make it to the surface.

Good idea with the lift bag. Some of these anchors may be so entangled that the lift bag won't make it to the surface but it's a good start and at least that way I can work on freeing it without surface support.

 

[caruso]

There is already system that divers and tenders use, this one is from PSD for search and recovery.

I'm gonna have to get a REALLY big slate to write all of them down. I can't even remember my cellphone number.

 

[Johnoly]

The others covered the lifting part. We skip past a bunch of anchors because they just don't sell. But one brand is called 'Fortess' and they are big bucks, always in demand, and lifetime no questions warranty (bent/broken/anything fixed free - gotta pay freight). Some anchors can easily bring $300 with chain/swivel included. I've pulled up shiny ones that still had the paper tags on them. Just my experience, but visit your 'catch' sites immediately after major holidays (like 4th of July). Captain Budweiser usually left you a present. P.S. if a name is engraved/dogtagged, I'll always call and usually the reward is similar to the selling proceeds.

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Wookie
stated :
"Do what we do in the keys. Get a lift bag and lift the anchor clear of the bottom. You will have enough rope on it for it to make it to the surface. Tie the bitter end off to something strong enough to hold it against the tide, but not so strong you can’t break it. When you come up from your dive, grab the lift bag, haul it in the boat, break it away, and bob’s your uncle. "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ditto for California
It does not take a very large life bag to jerk the normal anchor of the bottom.
I suspect but don't know that the fresh water anchors are smaller than the ones used in the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans

Many commercially produced items other than the current commercial lift bags can be used as lift bag. I have been using WW11 emergency water purification bags as a small lift bag for many years with great success.

So check around- hardware stores or good ole Harbor Freight co aka Disposable Tool co

SDM

 

[Bob DBF]

I'm gonna have to get a REALLY big slate to write all of them down. I can't even remember my cellphone number.

You only need to write the ones you use, over time you may want to add more. Standard signals may be handy if you find yourself playing with the big kids.


Bob

 

[2airishuman]

Lots of hazards. We threw in a scrap boat motor and retrieved it in a class once. More to it than you might think.

From what you describe I would free the anchors and recover the anchors on two different dives. Start by getting the easy ones loose from the wreck with the rode either cut off or disentangled. You'll silt out, just do as much as you can, surface, wait, change cylinders.

Then you can raise them on the next dive, ideally with a lift bag. With a surface line being pulled up by someone in the boat you have to be careful not to get under the anchor in case it falls. With a lift bag you have to be careful to control it without an excessive ascent rate, assuming you're following it up.

A good size Spade is a nice find. Lucky you!

disconnect the anchor from the chain by removing the clevis
Attach rope with float directly to anchor
Surface and retrieve

Works sometimes. In most cases the clevis is going to be badly stuck.

 

[johndiver999]

Cutting the rope off makes the entanglement hazard much less. If it goes partially up on a sent lift bag and is suspended by a rope 30 feet away in 2 ft. Visibility could be a real problem.

The idea of maybe cutting off ropes and freeing the anchor from the bottom and then coming back when there is some visibility, might be safer. Loose ropes, lift bags, and very poor visibility can come together to bite you in the xxxx in an almost unlimited amount of scenarios. Take a good sharp serrated knife or two.

 

[Celt]

Use a lifting bag with a dump valve, take the weight of the anchor on the bag but not the chain, clear the chain and take it to the bag when the chain is under the bag dump some air and let the anchor and chain come together. Tie it in a bundle and pump the bag till you can just lift it off the bottom. Put a rope from the surface to the bundle and give it a lift from the surface and the bag will come up to you and haul it to the boat. If you can’t dump it never lift it.

 

[caruso]

I went diving today in the Long Island Sound and retrieved my first anchor. Despite all the great advice and tips I got from the members I followed my original plan. I had my hands full for a few minutes, I was in about 2' of visibility at 40' with my reel deployed from where I tied it off to my boats anchor line, in my hands were a dive light, cutting shears, SMB, mini reel and the anchor and chain that I dragged off the bottom and laid on a flat surface on the wreck. Working in almost zero visibility with the silt stirred up from moving the anchor, I managed to deploy the SMB, hook it to the anchor, cut the anchor line free from the wreck, and then left it all there as I finished my dive.

After I surfaced we motored about 50 yards to my SMB, I splashed carrying about 50' of line with a hook on the end. Wrapped it around the anchor chain and followed it to the surface as my girlfriend reeled it in.

I was so proud of my achievement and my enthusiasm was only slightly dampened when she said "That anchor is WAY too big for this boat!" followed by."I sure hope you don't plan on doing more of this!".

Here's a picture of my first recovery. Does anyone think it's worth anything?

 

[Jcp2]

How heavy is that anchor?