Quick Release Anchor System~Step-By-Step Tutorial

Oooooooh! I have one of these just tied to a carabiner, it is a pain in the ass to clip/unclip to the kayak, this is a much better rig! (Note to self!)

A lot of species we fish for in the UK are caught using a static bait so anchoring is essential.
Guys like these below fishing for skate in the Scottish sea lochs always fish at anchor. Depth? Between 450ft and 500ft.

I guess it is all down to local conditions and tactics.

Terry

I tried implementing this QR system last week and tried it out at an inland lake, although I chose to use a 3lbs folding anchor, 1/4 inch anchor line (5/16" appeared to be over-kill to me) and the Woods 2803 Mountable H-Frame Extension Cord Reel (amazon).

However, I ran into problems deploying the anchor because the anchor line would get hung-up in the extension code reel (line wrapped around one of the legs).

A friend of mine with a lot of sailing experience suggest using a sack or bag to store the anchor line, which is a very common practice in sailing. The rope should put in the sack using first-in-last out fashion. 

-John

Cut the ends of the extension cord reel at the bottom so they only stick out about 1/4 inch beyond the coiled rope. That should fix the problem. The sailing bag will be a real beotch to keep from deploying when in the water.

If the opening of the bag has a draw-string with one of those squeezable locks, then I think it would work great to prevent accidental deployment.

The main problem that I see with using a bag is that retrieving the anchor line and stuffing it back in the bag would be time consuming and will tend to get you more wet then necessary.

Doing some google searches, I found another option that look promising, which is a Swivel Handle Rope Reel. It appears that these are used commonly to store tow lines for water skiing. For anchor lines, deployment would be easy by just holding the center handle of the real over the side of the kayak and letting it spin. Also line retrieval would be fast by cranking both handles to rewind the rope back onto the reel. Does anyone have experience using one of these?
http://www.attwoodmarine.com/store/product/Swivel-Handle-Reel
http://www.amazon.com/AIRHEAD-AHLW-1-Waterski-Towable-Winder/dp/B000OF72VG

In the UK we tend to go for a Dive Reel as in the blog below:

http://kayakingangler.blogspot.co.uk/p/anchoring-set-up.html

Terry

The usual set up is to have a short length of warp attached to the reel along with a buoy. The reel and buoy sit in the water and the extra warp goes through the carabiner and into a cleat. The caribiner then being 'trollied' fore or aft for anchoring depending on preference.

To quick release the short length is slipped from the cleat and let go, the buoy keeps the reel afloat and it can be recovered.

Terry

In the UK we tend to go for a Dive Reel as in the blog below:
http://kayakingangler.blogspot.co.uk/p/anchoring-set-up.html

This above design uses a very thin anchor line cord (I think it's 2mm), which is appealing because it is light and more compact. Also would allow you to carry a much longer line to anchor in deeper water. I suppose a thin cord is necessary to fit in that reel too.

Tote's design calls for 100 feet of 5/16’’ (~8mm) nylon braid rope, which I personally think is over-kill for a Kayak. So I went with 100' of 1/4" nylon braid rope. However, if I need to have more than 100' in the future, I'm planning to use Type III paracord, which is inexpensive, good for 550lbs and is only 4mm (~3/16").

I have about 80 metres of 3mm paracord on my reel the thinner line reduces drag on the warp significantly but the breaking strain is still more than needed. We work on about 3 times the depth for the warp but if in strong tides this can be increased to up to x5. Thus keeping the angle to the anchor as shallow as possible to promote more secure setting of the anchor tines.
By having a full length anchor trolley the anchor can be hauled at either the bow or stern thus not compromising stability which could occur if hauled amidships.

Terry

Here is a 3# anchor using the AIRHEAD AHLW-1 Waterski Line Winder with 100' of 1/4" line.

How does that water ski reel work with weight on the end?

This is a great video and how I set up my anchor on my yak



Chris
Pescadoman66

This is a great video and how I set up my anchor on my yak



Chris
Pescadoman66

At times I've thought it might be nice to be able to anchor to the front of my kayak. I could simply put on a second QRAS for the front. I understand the concept of a QRAS for safety, what are the benefits of a trolley?

Thanks for the video....I've been wanting to set up an anchor trolley system....this makes it easy and CHEAP!

IMO~Trollies suck.
Less is more.

On anchor line, I use the smallest diameter reasonable.  Anything put into the water creates drag (or force) when the current pushes on it.  Which in turn puts force towards pulling the anchor along the bottom.  Might not seem like much but it matters.

I just use an old 5# dive weight and am OK most places, plan to upgrade to a 5-7# pyramid, but don't plan on using anything with claws, gets stuck too easy in rocks and has little holding power in bay mud and sand (sturgeon).

When I say smallest reasonable I mean something you can still handle with comfort.  80# braid would work but I wouldn't want to handle it.  Currently I think my line is about 1/8" nylon braid.