Anchor rope buoy and rope storage system

[pmmpete]

I'm trying to devise a combination of a buoy for the end of an anchor rope and a quick and convenient system for storing and playing out the anchor rope. Does anybody have any good ideas about how to do this, or know of any such system which is commercially available?

[LunkerBuster]

the challange of yak diving is that space is ata huge premium and access is limited based on balance and conditions.

the best rig i know of is to add an anchor trolly to your yak for having it tied to the bow or stern as waves dictate. and to tie off your anchor rope with a loop every ten feet. that way you can play out the desired depth, tie to the closest loop and stow the rest of the rope.

[cmburch]

I just use a bag to store. A plastic float like the type that holds up swimming pool lane lines and a nylon clamcleat. A C-cleat may work also.
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SiteSearchView?Ne=2000000&beginIndex=0&view100page=100&Nao=0&langId=-1&storeId=11151&page=CategoryDisplayLevel1&N=377%20710%202010191&catalogId=10001&pageSize=10&sType=SimpleSearch&viewTaskName=SiteSearchView

[LunkerBuster]

to store the rope, I use a laundry bag from the dollar store..it is non-rotting and has a plastic zipper, great for saltwater

[pmmpete]

I want a system which allows me to dump the anchor quickly if I need to, and to come back later and recover it via a buoy at the end of the anchor rope. After I lower the anchor, I pull a loop of rope through the ring on my trolley system and attach it to a cleat, and then toss the rest of the anchor rope and the buoy at the end of rope into the well in back of the seat, or into the footwell. If I need to detach the kayak from the anchor in a hurry, I just take the loop of anchor rope off the cleat and heave the rope and buoy into the water. The loop of anchor rope runs out of the ring, and the kayak is off and away.

What I'm looking for is a single convenient unit for storing and paying out the anchor rope, which is attached to or part of the buoy at the end of the rope. I'm trying to devise some kind of spool or bracket which is attached to the buoy, from which I can quickly and easily wind the rope on and off as I raise and lower the anchor. I want to be able to tie the anchor rope off to the buoy/bracket combination so if I chuck it into the water, the entire anchor rope doesn't come off the bracket. Any ideas?

I use rope throw bags in whitewater kayaking. The rope never tangles, and it's very easy to deploy the rope, but it's time consuming and a hassle to stuff the rope back into the bag. It would be easier if I used a large widemouthed bag so I could stuff handfulls of rope into the bag quickly, but a bag isn't the kind of rope storage system I want.

[Akimbo]

I have been evolving an anchoring system that has started working pretty well. It is different from others I have seen mostly due to my personal preferances. I hate handling small line/string — smaller than ¼" tangles too easy and is hard on hands. I also want to carry about 300' for a 4:1 scope. I use a 3½ Lb folding grapnel with 4' of ¼" vinyl coated chain (red in photos). I don’t use a buoy.

I made a set of horns out of ¾" PVC pipe that mounts to the kayak port-starboard between the hatch and cockpit. This lets me wrap the line in a figure-8 about 2' wide, which is fast and eliminates twisting. I pay out enough line to hit the bottom counting un-wraps and multiply by 2' to estimate depth. I then pay about 2-4 X as much line depending on conditions and dive profile. Then I tie a Lineman's knot at this midpoint in the anchor line, to create a loop.

http://www.animatedknots.com/alpinebutterfly/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

Then I clip off to the bridal on the bow using a stainless carabineer. I slipped pieces of ½" PEX tubing over each side of the bridal and from the knot to the carabineer to make it easier to flip the bridal over the bow handle. Then I cleat off the anchor line off so I can easily pull the carabineer back into the cockpit and haul the anchor. Photos were taken with the yak on saw horses in the garage so hopefully they won't be too confusing.

The downside of so much line that is so much larger than required for tensile strength is added weight. I use ¼ Nylon double-braid with a 1900 Lb breaking. To me, it is worth it so it doesn’t wrap around kelp and every %#$@! thing on the boat… as much. It is also a lot easier on hands, especially with a bag of scallops tied on the bottom.

I have two stainless eyes near the bow. Next time I fool with the bridal I will make in one piece so line runs over the top of the bow to reduce strain on the eyes, maybe out of 1" webbing. Obviously, tweaking the layout is needed for different yaks. This is a Malibu Pro-Explorer, 12' 6" long.

This yak has a really large bow hatch that I haven't needed for dive gear so I carry the life jacket and hand bilge pump in a mesh bag inside. I found strapping a mesh bag on top of the hatch works great for freediving fins and short hole guns popular here in Northern California. The horns are easy to reach over, but makes it awkward belly up the bow or straddle forward of the horns. The PEX on the bridal eliminated my need to move that far forward so I don’t mind now.

[DivnSurf]

Akimbo,

I'm curious why you have such an elaborate anchor setup when you live and dive norcal, with lots of kelp? Can't you just tie off to kelp? This used to work fine for me even in big seas or blown out conditions. I'm not criticizing your setup, It appears well thought out and I'm sure it works fantastic - just wondering about the need for it.

[Akimbo]

Akimbo,

I'm curious why you have such an elaborate anchor setup when you live and dive norcal, with lots of kelp? Can't you just tie off to kelp? This used to work fine for me even in big seas or blown out conditions. I'm not criticizing your setup, It appears well thought out and I'm sure it works fantastic - just wondering about the need for it.

Several reasons. Chasing after my yak as it heads out to sea takes all the fun out of it for me. Kelp isn't on surface the surface year-round and doesn't grow everywhere. Around the end of fall the kelp starts to die-off becoming very weak. Winter storms tear it all off and great piles litter the beaches. The new kelp had not made it to the surface, even in shallow water, by the opening day of Abalone season. I also Scuba off my yak in deeper water.

I think I mentioned that I want to be able to have a 3-4:1 scope and really don’t like handling "string" below ¼". We get a lot more swell and wind up here compared to places like Monterey. I use a kelp clip when the conditions are right, but I never know until I pick the dive spot.

[Diablo Loco]

I have been evolving an anchoring system that has started working pretty well. It is different from others I have seen mostly due to my personal preferances. I hate handling small line/string — smaller than ¼" tangles too easy and is hard on hands. I also want to carry about 300' for a 4:1 scope. I use a 3½ Lb folding grapnel with 4' of ¼" vinyl coated chain (red in photos). I don’t use a buoy.

I made a set of horns out of ¾" PVC pipe that mounts to the kayak port-starboard between the hatch and cockpit. This lets me wrap the line in a figure-8 about 2' wide, which is fast and eliminates twisting. I pay out enough line to hit the bottom counting un-wraps and multiply by 2' to estimate depth. I then pay about 2-4 X as much line depending on conditions and dive profile. Then I tie a Lineman's knot at this midpoint in the anchor line, to create a loop.

http://www.animatedknots.com/alpinebutterfly/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

Then I clip off to the bridal on the bow using a stainless carabineer. I slipped pieces of ½" PEX tubing over each side of the bridal and from the knot to the carabineer to make it easier to flip the bridal over the bow handle. Then I cleat off the anchor line off so I can easily pull the carabineer back into the cockpit and haul the anchor. Photos were taken with the yak on saw horses in the garage so hopefully they won't be too confusing.

The downside of so much line that is so much larger than required for tensile strength is added weight. I use ¼ Nylon double-braid with a 1900 Lb breaking. To me, it is worth it so it doesn’t wrap around kelp and every %#$@! thing on the boat… as much. It is also a lot easier on hands, especially with a bag of scallops tied on the bottom.

I have two stainless eyes near the bow. Next time I fool with the bridal I will make in one piece so line runs over the top of the bow to reduce strain on the eyes, maybe out of 1" webbing. Obviously, tweaking the layout is needed for different yaks. This is a Malibu Pro-Explorer, 12' 6" long.

This yak has a really large bow hatch that I haven't needed for dive gear so I carry the life jacket and hand bilge pump in a mesh bag inside. I found strapping a mesh bag on top of the hatch works great for freediving fins and short hole guns popular here in Northern California. The horns are easy to reach over, but makes it awkward belly up the bow or straddle forward of the horns. The PEX on the bridal eliminated my need to move that far forward so I don’t mind now.

Nice setup. But I think I'd have an issue with getting my fins under the rope holder. I only like to put my fins on one time and dive with them until I am done and ready to go in for the day. With that setup, it looks like I would have to repeatedly remove my fins everytime I wanted to get in or out of the kayak. For me, that would be too much trouble and an inconvenience. Is this an issue for you that you just deal with? (Just an observation). :thumps::beer::beer:

[cmburch]

Tying off to Kelp
One can tie off a kayak to a Bull kelp stalk if freediving in relatively calm conditions. I would not tie off to Giant kelp with a kayak or inflatable. I do tie my Boogie board to both types of kelp. I also just push my Boogie board or kayak around with me when freediving.

For freediving, kelp clips are sold for grabbing onto clumps of kelp. I do not use one.
http://www.neptonicsystems.com/kelp%20clip.htm (http://www.neptonicsystems.com/kelp%20clip.htm)

It is risky tying off to any type of kelp because not all kelp have a properly secured holdfast. How many times has a holdfast come loose or is attached to a less than 20 pound rock? These will come loose in less than 10 foot swells or 15 knot afternoon winds with a kayak or inflatable attached. Our ocean is unpredictable. You can surface at the end of a dive to find you're in 10+ seas or a rouge wave can come through without even noticing while underwater. I have seen kayaks floating free without their owners because not properly secured.

If you are SCUBA diving, you do not want to surface to find no boat.

[sweatloaf]

Nice setup. But I think I'd have an issue with getting my fins under the rope holder. I only like to put my fins on one time and dive with them until I am done and ready to go in for the day. With that setup, it looks like I would have to repeatedly remove my fins everytime I wanted to get in or out of the kayak. For me, that would be too much trouble and an inconvenience. Is this an issue for you that you just deal with? (Just an observation). :thumps::beer::beer:

Second that MO for diving from the yak, that setup looks like it makes entry / exit a pain unless deployed already. Also don't want anything across my legs or lap through the surf.

[Diablo Loco]

Also don't want anything across my legs or lap through the surf.

And there is that issue. You are right! It could get ugly trying to get through the surf with your legs trapped under that thing. :eek::eek: :beer::beer:

[Diablo Loco]

I'm trying to devise a combination of a buoy for the end of an anchor rope and a quick and convenient system for storing and playing out the anchor rope. Does anybody have any good ideas about how to do this, or know of any such system which is commercially available?

If you want somthing that will store your rope and allow you to wind it up after use and have it out of the way, then I suggest one of these bags. Just find the size that will work with your size rope, with about 4' of chain and your small anchor. If you are not sure on size, call Wespur and ask them. You can strap this to either end of your kayak and its out of the way. :thumps::beer::beer:

http://www.wesspur.com/bags/bags.html

[Akimbo]

Nice setup. But I think I'd have an issue with getting my fins under the rope holder. I only like to put my fins on one time and dive with them until I am done and ready to go in for the day. With that setup, it looks like I would have to repeatedly remove my fins everytime I wanted to get in or out of the kayak. For me, that would be too much trouble and an inconvenience. Is this an issue for you that you just deal with? (Just an observation). :thumps::beer::beer:
I guess it depends on your yak and your size. I can wear fins comfortably for short distances with the heel down and blades up. I would have moved the horns forward except I like hooking my feet under the bar on longer paddles.

One thing for sure, 300' of ¼" double-braid is too heavy to hold up on a loose set of horns — especially after it get wet. You could do something similar on a yak with a smaller hatch and mount the horns forward of the cockpit. The whole idea does not matter if you don’t mind using smaller diameter and/or less line. I just put the idea out there because it has worked so well for me. Your mileage may vary.