Anchor Rings and Anchor Lifts When manually pulling an anchor is too much work, but you're not ready to invest in a windlass, an anchor ring or anchor lift could be the right answer for you. Both products use the power of our boat to lift your anchor, leaving it floating at the surface.
Anchor RingsPopular with off shore fishermen, scuba divers and spear fishermen, anchor rings are designed for use when your anchor line includes more than 2 or 3 feet of chain. Your boat pulls the anchor agains the resistance of the ball or buoy and the weight of the chain folded over the ring keeps the anchor from slipping back out. You clip your anchor ring onto the line when you are ready to pull your anchor and remove it when you are done.
Anchor LiftsA close cousin to the anchor ring, the anchor lift or anchor puller is designed for use in on straight rope anchor lines. Again, the power of your boat pulls the anchor against the resistance of the buoy. A locking bar keeps the line from slipping back out. Your anchor lift is always on the anchor line. When you set the anchor, you will hold back the locking bar, allow the anchor line to run out, then toss the anchor lift overboard. it will mark the end of your anchor line, and if rigged correctly, can be used as an anchor marker so you can cast off and follow a big fish, then come back and retrieve your anchor.
Selecting Your Anchor Buoy SizeYou will want to select a buoy with buoyancy greater than the weight of your combined anchor and chain. (You can ignore the weight of your rope.) Each product includes a buoyancy table to help you choose. The larger the buoy, the more resistance and the faster your anchor will come up. The trade off is space needed to store the Anchor ring or anchor lift when it isn't in use.
A Note on Colors Red buoys tend to be the most popular for daytime anchoring, although some will choose yellow to make their buoy stand out from the crowd. Yellow us popular for night time or low light situations. Duct tape a chemical glow stick to your florescent yellow buoy for high night time visibility
|
