Retrieval Ball

[AstroDiver]

Well, yesterday I wanted to straighten out my tangled mess of anchor line on my boat. I also wanted to wash off the salt residue. So, I paid out the anchor and some line and tied it off. I got the rest of line untangled. When I tried to get the anchor back in, it had gotten hung up on something on the bottom of the lake. Something mean!
This is where I tried to use the anchor ball thing I bought before the MackFest trip. Well, I guess it only works in the ocean and not in lakes. I went in several directions to no avail.
This was the first time I've had to cut an anchor line. I've got a fender tied to the line as a marker bouy. I wrote on the fender that it was marking a hung anchor and do not take. It's in 70-80 feet of water. I pulled up right next to the bouy and pushed the MOB button to mark the location. I'm thinking of diving down for the anchor if I can find the nerve to do so. It's dark, cold and spooky down there. This would be a good testing ground for my 50 watt underwater light I just constructed from my video light.

The anchor was FREE but the 15 foot chain was not. It's some of the good stuff from West Marine that I had just replaced from the Home Depot chain that was a rusted mess.
West Marine is having a sale. Guess I'll get some more chain for when I 'find' another abandoned anchor.

We use to do a lake clean up with scuba divers and that's where we find the FREE anchors.
Seems that a lot of boaters don't know that there needs to be chain between the anchor and the line. DUH! Chain doesn't come in the "package" with the boat from the dealers.

[Genelie]

thats a bummer, but it should be a breese for you to retrieve, being a diver and all. But only a 50 watt light...I take it you do not dive much at night, want to borrow my dive light?? OOPs, you do not live near me, my bad.

[woodNfish]

What the heck is retrieval ball?

woodNfish

[Putershark]

Originally Posted by woodNfish

What the heck is retrieval ball?

woodNfish

Just use the site search tool to view threads on this subject but I would use the words "anchor ball" when doing such

[AstroDiver]

Thanks Puter for the correct wording of the 'anchor ball'. I couldn't remember what it's called. But if you put that as a search at West Marine, you get this thing that is hoisted above a boat to indicate that it is anchored. They have it listed as an "Anchor Retrieval System". See link below.

WoodNfish, check out this link: http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...allpartial/0/0

[woodNfish]

Thanks guys. I rarely use my anchor, but I can see where a retrieval ball would come in handy.

woodNfish

[Codfish]

Astro,

That anchor must be stuck real bad. I have used my anchor ball many times in the Columbia River, works just fine. I have also been on a charter boat in Alaska when they used one on a stuck anchor and never got it up.

Seventy feet, murky water, sounds like fun.

Codfish