Yesterday, we tested our anchor retrieval system for...

Yesterday, we tested our anchor retrieval system for when we have a lot of rope rode out(friction knot around rope with a line led back to a cockpit winch to hoist it), in very difficult conditions.
We had to get out of an anchorage fast in worsening weather. We were anchored in 65 ft, so there was a lot of weight to haul back on deck(100 ft of chain, 100ft of rope rode plus 33 lb anchor). It's not a fast, or stress-free experience, but it works...

Like 9 June at 18:23 | Open on merveilles.town

5 comments

R E K

Taking a day off today, to recuperate.
To hoist our anchor rode back on deck, I had to do a lot of hand over hand. I do hand over hand when there's not too much tension in the rode... but I think I overdid it. Just the stress of the event made me push too hard. My right forearm was a bit swollen afterwards (my fingers are very stiff this morning).

9 June at 18:32 | Open on merveilles.town

[DATA EXPUNGED]

R E K

@klardotsh yea, glad too, sucks that we lost the 15 NM we had done that very same day... but safety matters more than progress.

9 June at 19:40 | Open on merveilles.town

Helvetica Blanc

@rek Oh damn, I hope you have a speedy recovery!

9 June at 18:34 | Open on merveilles.town

Y⃒̸̷̝̜̙ͥͥͥngmar

@rek Yup, mostly an electric windlass is a luxury, but I've been damn glad to have it when shit hit the fan and we had to haul up the anchor in 45 knot gusts while dodging other boats having their own drama around us.

That, and my back acting up :)

9 June at 19:41 | Open on social.tchncs.de

R E K

@yngmar A luxury indeed. Having to dodge others in big gusts sounds awful, thankfully, we were alone.
This is the first time we've had to bail from an anchorage. It's reassuring that we could get the anchor up, I wasn't sure we could do it in big weather.
But yea, retrieving an anchor this way is definitely not kind to the body. A windlass makes it easier(unless it fails, of course).

9 June at 20:10 | Open on merveilles.town