Anchoring boat in the current

[DRICH]

I like to bottom fish at times on the river. I use the bow eye as my front cleats are a ways back and when I use one of then the boat is not pointing very straight up river. Bending over the bow is a real pain to get at the bow eye. Has any one made up something to make this better? I was thinking of running a rope from each cleat then out the front of the boat, but not sure how I would attach the anchor line to it. Thanks

[Explorer]

If you could get one of these Drop and Saty Systems that would solve your problem. Ask around and on this web sight. Someone might be able to help you find one.



http://www.drop-n-stay.com/

[Hot Runr Guy]

any chance you could add another cleat up front?

HRG

[Stripehunter]

If you tie a rope to both front cleats, make an overhand knot to make a loop in the middle of it. Loop a carabiner (IMO any boater should have a couple of these onboard) onto your anchor line at the position you want it, then clip to the loop in the cleat to cleat rope.

I generally skip the cleat to cleat rope and just hook the carabiner to my bow eye, but i'm still pretty nimble.

[T Mac]

You bet!
The finally rigging tweak, on every new boat I get is ....adding some Cleats (I use gripper style) to the bow deck. (left and right)
These are used for anchoring...and for the drift sock when I backtroll.

[Jack G]

I usually know how much anchor line I would deploy from the bow eye. Before I launched I tied my anchor line to the bow eye and then about ten feet from the bow eye I tied a loop in my anchor line. To this loop I tied a line (call it a retrieval line) long enough so that when the anchor was deployed the retrieval line could reach from the loop back into the boat where I secured it to a cleat.

When I wanted to retrieve the anchor I simply used the retrieval line to bring the anchor line into the boat where I could then grasp the anchor rope. If the current is very strong you can motor into the current long enough to create some slack in the anchor line which makes it easy to use the retrieval line to pull the anchor line into the boat where you can get hold of it.

That's the idea but there are multiple ways to rig the thing for different requirements.

Jack

[yarcraft91]

Put one or two of these cleats on the bow of your boat. Easy to use, quick to release rope and rope will not slip in this cleat. I've used this style cleat for anchoring for many years.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Boati...3Bcat104376780

[ffishman]

I put the cleat on as mentioned by yarcraft. Works great.

[REW]

Drich,

It is very simple.

Tie a loop in your anchor line that is about 10 feet from the end of the anchor rope and its snap that you use to snap to the bow of the boat.

Then, have a short rope of about 15 feet with a snap on the end and a loop on the other end.
When you go to use your anchor, snap the end of your 15 foot snap rope to the loop that you have tied into your anchor rope.

Snap the anchor rope to the bow eye of the boat.
Let the anchor out. Then, just hook the loop of 15 foot rope to one of the bow cleats. After you have done this once for the day; you won't have to do it again for the rest of the day.

Now, when it comes time to retrieve the anchor, simply go to the bow cleat and begin to pull on the 15 foot snap rope. When you get to the anchor rope, continue retrieving the anchor rope with your hands and put the anchor in the boat.

Now, when it comes time to drop the anchor again, just drop the anchor over the side, the boat will slip back tightening up the rope and just giving your a nice loose 15 foot snap retrieve rope.

The big advantage of this system, especially when anchoring up in a lake that has big waves, you never have to ever bend over the side or front of the boats bow to retrieve the rope. Just grab the loose snap rope, and get nicely centered and braced in the center of the boat and retrieve your anchor up over the side of the boat.

I saw this system first used many years ago when first fishing Mille Lacs in Central MN that often has very large waves, and lots of anchoring for use with slip bobbers on rock piles.

REW

[Phil T]

I threaded my anchor rope through the bow eye and tied it to a cleat. It's been there for many years. I drop the anchor, let out the length of rope I need, and loop if off under the cleat.