Anchor alternative?

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Gem Morris said:
So kbprice,

I want to make sure I understand what you’re saying about how you deploy your anchors. Do you set the anchors out on the sand and then use the rear end of the houseboat to drag them into the sand and “bury“ them that way? Then repeat for the other side?
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I may be wrong but I think you misunderstood the burying the anchor part. Once you have chosen the 45 degree angles for the anchor positions, you dig holes about two and a half feet deep minimum and lay the anchors in with the pointed end pushed downward into the sand and kick the back of the anchor to help initiate the angle. Probably around 15 to 20 degrees. Lift the flat bar that has the rope attached and fill the hole, packing the sand with your foot as you go. At this point, the harder the rope is pulled by the boat, the deeper the anchor will dig in. Very clever design and Powell tested. I have to agree with everyone who says big boulders are as good and easier but sometimes they aren't available. Never use the sand anchors if the sand is not deep enough, they will pull out.
 
birdsnest said:
I may be wrong but I think you misunderstood the burying the anchor part. Once you have chosen the 45 degree angles for the anchor positions, you dig holes about two and a half feet deep minimum and lay the anchors in with the pointed end pushed downward into the sand and kick the back of the anchor to help initiate the angle. Probably around 15 to 20 degrees. Lift the flat bar that has the rope attached and fill the hole, packing the sand with your foot as you go. At this point, the harder the rope is pulled by the boat, the deeper the anchor will dig in. Very clever design and Powell tested. I have to agree with everyone who says big boulders are as good and easier but sometimes they aren't available. Never use the sand anchors if the sand is not deep enough, they will pull out.
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That definition of how to properly bury anchors makes me tired just reading about it.
 
Gem Morris said:
I understand what you’re saying.

So have you been through one of those white knuckle, can’t sleep, wind blowing like crazy storms in the middle of the night when you’re anchored that way?
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i've dug to china, included a trench, rocks, logs for that matter and still had it pull out on one of above mentioned types of night, thought i was at 45 degrees to top it off, so if anyone has a better way, i'm all ears and would love a better way.
 
Chain. Almost no one on the Lake uses chain between anchor and rode/ mooring line or cable. Look at any ship that relies on anchors. There is always chain. Always. The weight of the chain forces the tensile load on the lines or cables downward, which in turn directs the force downward into the flukes of the anchor thus increasing its holding power. Running lines or cable straight off an anchor is just plain wrong. Anchoring.com Help and Support Articles And much better than the imbecilic use of drilling and staking in the rock. Leave no trace. Don’t be a land lubber..

Also: Why do large ships use anchor chains and not anchor lines (i.e. land lubber’s ropes)? - Quora
 
Our last big blow was recorded at 75 and no coming loose with danforth buried normally and certainly no chains. Chains are not for beach anchoring at Powell. At least not for me. Countless HB trips. A proper set up will not let you down. Boulders are the easiest for ropes tying. Using engines to swing boat for tight cleat cinching is key, as well as at least 45 degree angle from the stern. I am only talking about hb anchoring, not cruisers. Some older danforth anchors do still have a short chain attached but that would be for anchoring offshore which we don't do with houseboats. No rental houseboats have chains attached to anchors.
 
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Chain is not needed for BEACH anchoring due to the angle of the line from anchor to cleat. The flukes will always dig in. Just be sure to dig a channel for the anchor line so it is not pulling the shank up and out of the hole.
When dropping anchor in a lake/ocean bottom because the anchor is lower than the boat, chain (and enough is needed not just a short length) to keep the anchor shank low so the flukes can dig into the bottom.
Not many places on Powell to anchor off shore where chain is needed.
 
buckin_ho said:
Chain. Almost no one on the Lake uses chain between anchor and rode/ mooring line or cable. Look at any ship that relies on anchors. There is always chain. Always. The weight of the chain forces the tensile load on the lines or cables downward, which in turn directs the force downward into the flukes of the anchor thus increasing its holding power. Running lines or cable straight off an anchor is just plain wrong. Anchoring.com Help and Support Articles And much better than the imbecilic use of drilling and staking in the rock. Leave no trace. Don’t be a land lubber..

Also: Why do large ships use anchor chains and not anchor lines (i.e. land lubber’s ropes)? - Quora
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If you look at large ships moored they use ropes, no chains. When you look at large ships anchors they are chains, no ropes. There is a difference from being moored vs. anchored. When you beach your boat to shore your are mooring your boat. It just so happens that you use anchors to make the mooring point on shore. You are correct that if you anchor you should use chain from the anchor to your anchor line.
 
kbprice...I'm interested in the anchoring how-to book you were talking about. How do we connect to exchange the info?
 
thladek said:
I'm interested in the anchoring how-to book you were talking about. How do we connect to exchange the info?
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There are several good resources online - even here on WW. The Search button is your friend. :)

Here are a couple -

Houseboat Anchoring

There was a "pinned" thread on the old forum on anchoring a houseboat? Does anyone have that information?
wayneswords.net wayneswords.net



 
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