Advice

In this section you can find frequently asked questions  about the System, its Instalation and its Operation, with ideas and tips for our product, and also a selection of Links to anchors and auxiliary elements websites, with our comments, and a Review of the classical anchor retrieval systems and a few more, .

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The difficulties of retrieving an anchor entangled on some underwater obstacle is a common situation for all experienced seafarers.

If an anchor refuses to rise, the first manoeuvre is normally to try to move it along the bed in the opposite direction to the way it was being used. This may prove successful if the wind and sea conditions, the manoeuvrability of the boat and the expertise of the skipper allow it, and if the anchor is only slightly stuck.

If this manoeuvre does not provide the desired result and the boat has been anchored in good weather and relatively shallow water which is not too cold, it is normally possible to free the anchor if there is someone on board prepared to dive down to free it by pulling directly on it or, preferably, by attaching a line so as to pull on the crown (the bottom part of the anchor) from the boat.

If this is not possible, the only alternative, so as not to lose the anchor and part of the anchor rode, will be to lower the whole chain and indicate it with a buoy to try to retrieve everything later with the right equipment.

The classic solution to this problem are tripping lines or anchor buoys, which are complicated to use, so they are not often employed to pull up the anchor, unless there are reasons to suspect the anchorage.

The tripping line is a line connected to the anchor crown, where there is normally an attachment point. Its use is not easy. It must be let out carefully while the anchor is dropped, taking care to let out both the line and the chain while the boat is moving backwards slowly and ensuring at all times that the line is longer than the chain, so that the weight of the anchor does not fall on the trip line, but without being too long either to prevent the trip line becoming wrapped around the chain. This is not always achieved because when the anchor is lowered it sometimes turns. After finishing the anchoring manoeuvre, it needs to be assured that the trip line does not pull directly on the anchor, and then rechecked in case the boat swings, because if it has become entangled on any underwater obstruction it might pull directly on the anchor, which could have negative consequences. If the trip line has been correctly rigged and the anchor is snagged on any obstruction, it can be retrieved by pulling, but the trip line itself might also get caught on some object on the bed.

The anchor buoy is a variant of the classic tripping line solution, whereby a line (also normally called a trip line), slightly longer than the depth of the point where we anchor (there are anchor buoys whose line can be adjusted with the help of a counterweight or spring), is attached to the anchor crown. With the buoy it is less likely that its line and the anchor chain will get tangled, but it is very awkward to use as it needs to be prepared in advance, not to mention the problems with retrieving it once the anchor is aboard. What's more, if there are other boats nearby in the area where you have anchored, precautions need to be taken, so that the line joining the buoy to the anchor does not cause any problems, because it could easily become entangled in a rudder or propeller if it has not been ballasted with a weight that allows the section closest to the surface to stay vertical.

Another classic system, widely used by fishermen and boats that only anchor during the day, involves securing the chain directly to the anchor crown, allowing it to run down the shank and joining it to the eye through a lashing with a small diameter line, or with just one or various simple nylon ties. As a result, when the boat pulls in the direction of the shank, the lashing does not break because the lateral or vertical component is minimal, but if the anchor fouls, it  can be pulled vertically on the shank and, in this case, the lashing breaks and the anchor can be retrieved. As can be seen, this solution offers very little assurance and is not at all advisable unless someone stays on board and keeps continuous watch, because the lashing could easily break if the boat were to swing due to any change in wind direction and the anchor did not change its direction simultaneously, meaning it would not hold any more. Furthermore, if the anchor gets caught by a chain or similar obstacle, allowing it to pivot vertically, it would not be possible to free it because even if the boat was right above, the shank would rotate vertically and the lashing could not break.

Another family of systems for freeing anchors is based on inserting a mechanism in the chain that can be opened by dropping a release device down the chain, so that the anchor rode pulls on the crown rather than the shank. A small auxiliary chain is used for this that joins the anchor crown to the mechanism in question. These systems do have some serious drawbacks because they insert a large object in the chain which makes it very difficult to pass the chain through the hawse hole or roller (with this in fact being clearly impossible in some designs), and they also alter the anchor rode, therefore inevitably reducing its reliability. Furthermore, when an anchor is recovered with this system, it will be suspended by the crown, which creates a problem when trying to bring it back on board and store it again on the foredeck. This problem is exacerbated if the anchor retrieved weighs more than 15 or 20 kg, especially if there are waves. Several years ago a system of this type was available under the Ankorex brand, but it is no longer available.

Another system uses a steel tube, which the chain passes through joined to the anchor crown by means of a small diameter auxiliary chain. If the anchor is caught on an obstruction, a piston device activated by springs passes along the chain and is coupled to the tube, making it possible to pull up on it, thereby transmitting the force to the anchor crown while the chain slides through the tube. Visit the Advice / Links section for a link to this and other systems for comparison with our product.