Question about anchoring on the deep reefs

[moore_rb]

Last weekend was my first trip out to the famous 51 mile reef with Scott and Doug, and even thought we caught tons of fish drifting, the drift was pretty fast (nearly 2mph), so when I got home I started gathering up the rebar and chain to weld up a "Rocky Point Claw" style anchor for my boat, and that got me thinking about the fact that I've never anchored over water that deep before.

Most boating guides suggest a minimum 4 to 1 scope on the anchor line, which would be 1200 feet of line at the 51.

Do you guys really run out that much rope when you anchor up out on the deeper spots?

 

[Shawno]

Hi Robert - When anchoring on the reefs, you should use as little scope as possible without breaking loose. You will need a minimum of 400' and preferrably up to 600' of rope and at least 20' of chain. I need a new rebar anchor for my boat. If you want to make two, I'll buy one from you when I'm back again in March or May.

Anchoring up on the best spot is the hardest part about fishing in the Sea of Cortez. Ric Felder is the master. Check with him if you need some pointers.

A really good investment is a good sea anchor/drift sock. Get the biggest one they make. It will make a huge difference when drifting the deep reefs.

 

[moore_rb]

Thanks Shawn!

Makes sense- I think most boating books are basing their guidelines on the expectation of overnighting or long term anchorage, and not using the anchor as a drift-brake.

Great advice on the drift sock. I had one in my Skipjack but I let it go with the boat- I needed an excuse to run to BassPro anyway.

I had the opportunity to meet Ric over dinner last week and he gave me some great tips about how to use your GPS to make sure you end up over your desired spot after you've dropped the anchor, but I forgot to ask him about the recommended rode scope.

Done deal on the anchor- I'll have yours waiting for you when you get home. I'll PM you my contact info.

 

[Stuart]

Shawn is right on. I have 600 ft. of line, 25 ft. of chain. You don't want 4 to 1 scope. Get yourself a Mighty Mite anchor. Bendable aluminum tongs.

There's lots of cut off and busted anchor lines on the 51 (Hi Ric!). Easy to get hung up on; we've actually pulled a couple of them out of there.

 

[moore_rb]

Well, I unloaded (and untangled) my rope box and measured out 480 feet of rope, and 20 feet of chain, so I guess I'm good to go.


Spent the afternoon out in the garage whipping up two of these:

 

[AZ ROB]

Pretty awesome looking anchor

 

[Stuart]

Definitely a good looking anchor!

 

[Shawno]

Robert - Very impressive anchor. Nice job! I think you're my new go to guy for welding jobs...

I have owned a couple of Mighty Mite anchors and don't recommend them. I have found that the aluminum tongs bend far too easily for use in moderate wind or current. Also, the tongs wear out and break off too soon. Last, they are twice as expensive as a good rebar anchor.

 

[dmcauley]

Shawno is right, they do bend. This makes it easier to release the anchor when it gets stuck. I have one one on my boat only because I did not want an old rusty rebar one on my new boat. Good looking anchor.

 

[moore_rb]

Ya know, when I was at Home Depot getting the rebar, they had 1/2 inch aluminum rod and I thought about doing one in aluminum since aluminum doesn't rust, but yeah, aluminum only bends a few times before it snaps, and it is considerably more expensive.

Since I already had the center shaft material (which is actually from an old busted high-lift jack that I had lying around) I went ahead with the iron design.

Hopefully the cold-galvanizing spray I shot on it will reduce the rust somewhat, but I have my doubts- the rust is just something that goes with the territory.

Here it is all mounted up on the boat. Another nice benefit of this design is that the nose of my boat cover fits right over it, so I don't have remove the anchor to install the cover.

 

[don]

sea anchor/drift socks

Could I suggest a para anchor for a drift sock? I gave up on small drift socks and went with a 6 foot para anchor. Not only does it do a phenomenal job of slowing the boat down, but it also doubles as a emergency item. Extremely well built, easy to use and effective even rough stuff. Take a look if you've got a minute: http://www.para-anchor.com/
BTW, I found out quite a few sport fishing boats use these as their drift socks.

 

[Kelney]

I have been using a drift sock as well with good success. Mine probably could be bigger though. Don, yours looks like a freaking parachute! Is it difficult hauling it in? Regarding the rebar anchors, the marine supply store across from La Curva sells them. I bought a fairly heavy one for about $25. I wished it fit my boat as nicely as Robert's anchor fits his but hey, I sort like the Rocky Point trashy look of carrying my anchor, etc in a milk crate on the bow!

 

[don]

Yeah, it does look like a parachute and it puts on the brakes! To answer your question, no, its quite easy. There is a float off the nose chute; you motor up to to float, grab it with the boat hook and pull it aboard. Minimal weight, an 8 year has hauled it up.

 

[azfish]

Shawn is right on. I have 600 ft. of line, 25 ft. of chain. You don't want 4 to 1 scope. Get yourself a Mighty Mite anchor. Bendable aluminum tongs.

There's lots of cut off and busted anchor lines on the 51 (Hi Ric!). Easy to get hung up on; we've actually pulled a couple of them out of there.

Instead of unastrut, why not use a 3" pipe and weld the rebar around that and make a rebar U loop at the top for the chain. Would look cooler.