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Topic: rear anchor attachment for Outback  (Read 8295 times)

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thwack

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Some of my fishing trips happen on slow moving rivers and I like to anchor and fish downstream (letting my fly line dead drift ahead).
 
But the anchor that came with my Outback was intended to feed through the front and that would leave me facing upstream.
 
Can't anchor directly out the back because the rudder would be in the way.
 
Instead, I made a mount point along both sides of the rear storage area and thread a second anchor line through it up to the cockpit.  I put tie downs on the left side of the cockpit that match the ones that came in the Outback along the right side.  That lets me have a front anchor and a rear anchor without trying to re-rig on the water.

I found some stainless steel collared eye bolts at a local shop, drilled a tight pilot hole, threaded one in on each side, backed them with a large stainless washer and a self-locking nut.  They're positioned to let the line flow well towards the cockpit.
 
Here's a closeup pic:



Replace the "S" in the URL with "O" to get a bigger version of the picture.
 
The only problem so far is that on one trip the anchor got hung up (Del Valle snags my anchor every time) and in backing up to unstick it, I managed to tangle the line in the rudder.  Next time, I'll bring something long enough to reach back there and untangle it and I'll use a different anchor (one less likely to get snagged).
 
Yeah, it's not a sexy GPS mount but it's also something I haven't seen anywhere else so I figured I'd share and listen to feedback, questions, gripes, etc.
 
Thanks for chiming in,
Thwack


CGN-38

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I too am looking to re-do my anchor attachment point(s)  Have you considered a break-a-away anchore that you can come back to?  Having an anchor release system would allow you to not have to reach back with something long to clear a fowled rudder.  You could simply release it, and come back to it.  Course you'd have to have a float on the anchor line to do this.
  I'm in the process of planning my anchor trolly line.  Haven't decided yet on which line to use, bungi or para-cord.  I like the idea of being able to anchor from either end.


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I would opt for a quick release for safety reasons. If a log came floating down and hit your line, it could drag your yak under.
A couple months ago, I was anchored in such fast moving current, that the back of my Hobie was lowered enough to let water leak into the rudder holes. Since my anchor set up is in the rear, I didn't notice this until my yak felt unsteady. I looked back and saw my back end half way submerged - literally had a "sinking" feeling in my gut.
I quickly unlatched, bailed the water out, and returned to pick up my anchor.
I coulldn't imagine trying to pull my anchor up in this situation, and if it got stuck, well it coulda turned ugly real quick.

btw: Concerning your stuck anchore. Do you attach the line to the "bottom" of the anchor and then attach the line to the end of the anchor w/ some breakaway mono? If the anchor ever gets stuck, you pull on the line till the mono breaks, which frees the line, allowing you to pull the "business end" of the anchor free.
~Elric

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thwack

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Thanks for the great suggestions.  When I'm on moving water (Fall River mostly) the current is pretty lame but it would be good practice to get in the habit of doing it right so if I go somewhere with faster current, I'm already set up properly.
 
I keep a short cord attached to my anchor line with a carbiner.  That lets me pull the line up and pivots me towards the anchor but doesn't let me disconnect it quickly.

I'll get that fixed.  Can somebody clarify "breakaway mono"?  Is that any chunk of say, 15 lb mono line?  

Thanks!


CGN-38

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The small folding anchor that came with our outbacks is designed to have the rope attached at the rear via the tiny shackle.  I understand the principal you described by attaching the rope to the front and anchoring it at the rear with something that would allow break-away, thus allowing the rope to pull from the front (hopefully releasing it from stuick)  but I don't have my anchor in hand, so I can't picture how one would go about attaching something to it's front, and I'm not sure the design would allow an attachment to the front end with ease.
  There might be enough surface to drill a new hole in the front to relocate the tiny shackle.  (Can't say for sure just now.)


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Thwack,

Your kayak anchor should have 2 holes, 1 at the bottom (the folding end that digs into the muck) and 1 at the "top".

You tie your anchor rope to the bottom and then use 15lb mono to tie your anchor rope along the top hole (do not run the rope through the hole).

The mechanics are if your anchor ever gets stuck in a rock, as you pull up hard, the mono breaks and you are no longer pulling up on the snag, but rather pulling the bottom away off the snag.

In theory this should work. Of course I learned this the hard way.

As for the quick release - you'll wish for one if you hook into something BIG that starts spooling you.

Don't forget the brightly colored float and to mark your position w/ gps. In fast moving water, your float may still go under. Also, write you name and contact on the float.
~Elric

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thwack

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Thanks.  I'll dig out my anchors and see about re-rigging them.  I think I have some 15 lb mono around here already.
 
The quick disconnect and a better way of wrapping the line sounds a lot easier than the original points that came with the Outback...man, what a pain to use.
 
Anybody have pictures of how they keep their anchor line neat, handy, and quick-disconnected?


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I'm interested in learning more about anchoring in current so it's been good to read of other's exeperiences and ideas.

I have a (sit-in) Old Town Loon 111 that I've setup with trolling motor, fish finder, GPS, rod holder, transport wheels, and anchor.  The spare set of computer speakers Velcroed to the bow with subwoofer stuffed under it wired to a minidisc player never made it to the water, but looked and sounded "cool" on the work stand.  I've spent more time having fun messing with modifications to the kayak than actually using it.

For a convenient easy to use anchor line setup I came up with a neat solution. It's a Butts Mfg. model R400 clothesline reel.  It's a completley enclosed spring loaded plastic reel with about 40ft of plastic coated line.  The line doesn't absorb water and is easy to wipe clean.  It's been strong enough to anchor me in Lower American River, below Nimbus Dam, current that had my yak "fishtailing" for a short time in a scary way.  This was when I was first testing the anchor and don't recall if I ran it off the bow or stern.  Most of my limited use of it has been from the stern WITHOUT the motor.  I haven't figured out to set it up for use with the tip-up (foot pedal steered) motor mounted.  I had hoped to come up with a line system that would allow me anchor from the stern then release the line from the stern anchor point so I could retrieve it to the bow.  

The approx. 7" diameter clothesline reel mounts inside the hull.  The line threads through a hole just large enough for it and then it passes through a sailboat line cleat.  At the end of the line I've tied a aluminum imatation climber's caboneer (sp?) clip that makes it just a "snap" to attach or remove the small folding anchor.  My recollection is that the reel cost about $10 at a discount store like Walmart or Target.

I have pictures of my yak in a Webshots album.  If you're interested in seeing them let me know and I'll go through Webshot's proceedure to send you an invite.




ChuckE

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Gordon, how would you do a quick release with that device?
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Gowen4bigfish

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I'm the nervous type when it comes to anchoring in ocean and when I was  thinking of going after the Dino's which requires letting lose of your anchor I didn't want to try messing with even a quick release, so I came up with the auto-release.

 it's pretty simple I just used one of those clamps that looks and works just like a clothsline clip and clamp it to may anchor rope which has a float. I'm using the smallest clap they make and it held with the bay tide by the rock wall Oakland-airport and a ten mile wind so I don't think I'll need a bigger clamp. still testing the real test will be if I hook a Dino and the auto part of this thing works :smt001 sure hope I get a chance to really test this thing out. :smt003 seriously though it feels like it really will work when I felt how much pull it took to brake it lose.


thwack

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I keep forgetting to post new pics, but I did mount a new anchor connect/disconnect to my Outback.  I can't test it on the Fall River until mid-July (that's the next time I'll be up there with my Outback).  If it works well enough, I'll mirror it to the other side so I can anchor off the left or the right (for now, it's only on the left rear).
 
I put one of these just behind the rear built-in rod holder:
 

 
There are a few styles of these available and I made sure to pick one that did not have a line guard/guide built in (which would've blocked quick disconnect).
 
I backed it up with a thick plastic plate (similar to the material used in cutting boards but I found this chunk in the scrap pile at TAP Plastics).  The screws are tapped into the hull of the kayak but the backing plate screw holes are just barely big enough that it could be slipped on and held in place with large stainless steel washers and nylon locking nuts.
 
I also put a Scotty rod holder on its side just behind the ice chest well (behind the seat).  I needed somewhere to tuck a spare fly rod while on the river and didn't like using the bungies on the side (like the one that holds the paddle) since it's too easy to tangle up the tip of the spare rod while landing a fish.
 
I just hope it won't stick up and catch my back casts.  I may end up instead trying to attach a twin rod tube and carrying the spare rod broken down instead of fully set up.  Changing rods would be slower but the risk of tangling would be much lower.
 
If anybody wants a pic of the cam cleat mounted, let me know.  I had to pick a spot far enough back so I wasn't anchoring too much from the side, could reach it from the seat for quick release, and not in a spot that would interer with putting the Outback upside down on my truck for hauling to/from the water.  Fortunately, I think my arms are plenty long enough to reach past the rear rod holder and the places I fish have mild enough current and winds that it should tip me over if I'm pulled/pushed.
 
I did hook a nice trout while anchored off the original metal eyes shown in the original post.  I was casting downstream at a trout I'd spotted lurking under sunken tree.  It took a bunch of tries, but I got it to hit a Kastmaster but while playing it, the trout tangled the line on the edge of the sunken tree.  It was pulling downstream and the anchor was holding me upstream.
 
I didn't want the tree to cut my line and didn't have the quick disconnect rigged up yet. I managed to pull the anchor with one hand while holding the line steady with the other and got the trout unstuck.
 
Sure, it wasn't life threatening but risking losing a big trout needlessly is stoooooopid.  :smt001
 
Now I'm ready for a rematch with quick disconnect poised and ready.


Fuzzy Tom

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Has anyone tried using what sailors call a "traveler", a line loosely connected to two points with a block (pulley) that rides the line from one fixed point to the other?  I imagine a line looped from one side of the stern to the other, long enuf to avoid the rudder, the anchor line threaded thru the small traveling block up to an "auto release" (great idea) .  that way the anchor would pull from the center line from the two fixed points.  You couldn't have any knots or whatnot in the bitter (boat end) of the anchor line or it wouldn't get thru the block when it auto-released.   The "fixed" points could also be cam cleats in order to adjust the length of the traveler, or as an emergency release so the block and anchor line could all roll off the end of the traveler line to release the anchor.  Affix the clamp quick release to the yak, not the line.


thwack

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Fuzzy Tom,
 
There are pics in another thread of some folks that have a loop from end to end along the side of the kayaks so they can move where the anchor attaches...kind of like a clothes like on pulleys.  I don't know if it's what you're trying to describe (cuz I'm not a sailor).
 
 
Tried out the new mount for the rod holder position...something's not right. The rod holder only snaps down when pointed across my kayak.  I don't want my rod sticking out the side...I think I can fix the problem by adding another notch to the rod holder (so it can snap down in a different direction.  Apparently, the side hole on those mounts isn't the same set up as dropping in from above...it's one of the bases like the one shown below:
 

 
I didn't test the anchor connector today...spent too much time pedaling around and almost forgot to even fish.


Fuzzy Tom

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No, I was thinking of something that couldpull from both sides of the stern but avoid getting in the rudder.  You wouldn't need to have a block run on it, maybe just an o ring.
 It's probably just as good to run a trolley (like a clothesline) from the Prowler carrying handle at the stern, up to a carabiner at the side handle.  I do it that way to get the pulling point to the bow, I doubt if it would interfere with the rudder if done to the rear, after all, you don't need the rudder when anchored.  I have one snap clip onto the carabiner with the rope threaded through it, and another snap clip clipped to the bow carrying handle brass eye pad with the rope runnjing through it, and a 3rd snap clip tied to the two ends of the line.  That way, I can take the whole arrangement off in a hurry, or unclip at the side handle to use the doubled trolley rope as a bow rope, I have even wrapped it around my waist and clipped it to itself to make a lasso so I can use my waist and not my arms to pull the yak up the beach.  I just clip my drift chute rope into the clip that is tied betweed the two ends, tie off the bitter end of the drift chute line to the yak, trolley the clip forward with the drift chute line leading out from the snap clip.  When I get a fish on, I can release the drift chute by untying it from the yak and it slips out thru the snap clip.  I have a float (a piece of pool noodle)  about 10 ft  down the chute line  on the other side of the clip hook so I can find the chute when I return after landing a fish.


 

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