Wreck Anchor and Anchors in General

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rangerdog

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I am going to add a wreck anchor to my arsonal. I have pretty much decided on a Mighty Mite. Any one have experience with these or wreck anchors in general? This one is pretty sweet. The design seems ingenious. How much chain should I have. I was thinking six feet

"The Mighty Mite anchor tine is a mallable
and designed to bend out and release from
structure when the right pressure is applied.
Normally only one or two tines will bend to
release.

The tine or hook can be reshaped to use
over and over again. Put the tine on a hard
surface and use the shaft of the anchor to
apply slow pressure. It will bend back into
shape easily."

http://www.mightymiteanchors.com/

Also I want to add a swivel between the chain and my danforth. Good? Bad? Ugly? It doesn't always load into the windless straight.
 
Ranger - I fabricate anchors similar to the Mightmite out of rebar. I had a friend weld rebar together similar to that found on the store bought anchor, however I added window sash weights to the shank of the anchor. I like having the extra weight. I feel the anchor will grab faster and free fall much faster. Most importantly, my anchors are very inexpenseive and therefore I don't get upset when they break off. I will try to get a picture for you this weekend.

Brad
 
I had one of those nice mightymite wreck anchors.... I used it once... I know exactly where it is.....

They are nice....... but I've learned that a wreck anchor needs to be ready to stay with the wreck...

I've used cinder blocks in some situations.... they are easy to leave behind.

There is a tackle shop in Va. Beach on Northamptom Blvd that sells a wreck anchor that is as good as the mightymite for around 30 dollars....

If you are going to spend a lot for a wreck anchor you should have a lot of chain to keep the rode off the rocks and off metal.

Richard
 
rangerdog":138s9pr5 said:
Also I want to add a swivel between the chain and my danforth. Good? Bad? Ugly? It doesn't always load into the windless straight.

That tells the tale right there.
What you want is called a "Jaw-to-Jaw Swivel". I have one on my HydroBubble and it does work to keep the hockles out of my rode.

Image-2DB73A4239BB11DA.jpg


Here is a close-up of the one I have. It is made by Suncor...

24079F-p.jpg


If you use that type, make certain that you safety-wire the pins with stainless steel wire, or you will loose an anchor at some point.

Sea-Dog makes one without the "barbs", which looks like this...

24083F-p.jpg


Whatever type you use, a Jaw-to-Jaw swivel is good insurance.
 
Esteemed fellow Parker owners,
My main hook is a Delta Fast Set which is just the ticket for anchoring on the Chesapeake bay oyster rock bottoms. But I also have a MightyMite for a backup and for holding the boat on structure while I'm fishing. Had a rebar wreck anchor and I know exactly where it is cause I marked the spot on my GPS.
 
How much chain do you guys use on your main anchor? I have a 16.5 lb. SS claw anchor, 15' of 1/4" SS chain, and 200' of 1/2" rode. This setup is a little heavy to pull up sometimes, especially after a long day. I haven't even tried it on my Parker yet. I had this setup on my 26' Seaswirl. Worked great. Can I get away with less chain now since I have a 23 footer though? :?:

Dom
 
96TL":3mteounc said:
How much chain do you guys use on your main anchor?

Dom, I have 25' of chain attached to my 25# (model 40SA) Hydrobubble.
I bring it aboard by hand 99% of the time, but on those rare occasions when I need help, I use an anchor float.

Image-51675649AEE311D9.jpg
 
I was thinking of getting a windlass but from what I've heard they're not very reliable.

Dom
 
I love mine. Works every time. Factory option. I haven't measured it but the rode has perhaps 30 feet of chain and I don't know how much rope.

I need to look at the book and see what kind of PM is due on it.
 
Ranger - here is a picture of one of my inexpensive homemade anchors..hope this helps
 

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Parker,
That's the ticket! Looks good. I am not much of a welder, but you don't really need to be for that!

The window sash weight idea is great, kudos to you. What do they weigh? Looks just right to me......

Cost looks to be cheap.
 
Ranger - this particular anchor was made by filling a piece of pipe with lead. It weighs about 15lbs. Other anchors were made by welding four sash weights together and then welding on the rebar. Nothing too fancy.
 
My 2510 was delivered with 15' of 1/4" BB chain, but it wouldn't get to the bottom in the swift current at the CBBT a couple of winters ago. In fact the current was so swift one night the danforth came back up and smacked the chine, taking a chunk out of the gelcoat. So...I doubled it to 30' and haven't had a problem. Of course I use a windlass.

BTW, I repaired the gelcoat slick as a whistle. I have another gouge to repair and I'll take pics of the project. Fixing small gouges in gelcoat is a snap--much easier than you would think.
 
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