Best ways to retrieve anchor buddy?

[NorCalBoater]

I just got a an anchor buddy and it's working pretty well, except for when I go to retrieve it. I found that pulling it in just stretches and stretches it until you get to the end, so you can pull it in, but it's difficult.

Does anyone have suggestions for best ways to retrieve?

Thanks!

 

[jeffrt]

I’ve only used mine a couple times, but rigged it like the pic below, so you’re still pulling it in with your main anchor line and not on the anchor buddy.

 

[Bruce]

As shown above, the Anchor Buddy is not intended to be your anchor rode but to be parallel to the anchor rode.

I have a 50' anchor buddy parallel to the first 50' of an 100' of 3/8" anchor rode (rope). I stretched the anchor buddy out to 50' between a tree and my truck then attached it to carabiners at the end and middle of the rope wrapping the two together every 10' with a velcro cable tie. When retrieving the anchor we pull on the rode not on the anchor buddy. The anchor rode is clipped into the anchor locker at the 50' and 100' points. If we need more rode we unclip the 50' point allowing more out. This has worked really well for the last nine years.

 

[Babin Farms]

When I use mine I am always in shallow enough water at a beach or sand bar to just walk out and retrieve it. I haven’t seen a use for it in water that’s any deeper.

 

[Bruce]

When I use mine I am always in shallow enough water at a beach or sand bar to just walk out and retrieve it. I haven’t seen a use for it in water that’s any deeper.

I normally drop mine in 15' to 20'

 

[Babin Farms]

I normally drop mine in 15' to 20'

So you just walk out and retrieve your anchor too????

 

[NorCalBoater]

As shown above, the Anchor Buddy is not intended to be your anchor rode but to be parallel to the anchor rode.

I have a 50' anchor buddy parallel to the first 50' of an 100' of 3/8" anchor rode (rope). I stretched the anchor buddy out to 50' between a tree and my truck then attached it to carabiners at the end and middle of the rope wrapping the two together every 10' with a velcro cable tie. When retrieving the anchor we pull on the rode not on the anchor buddy. The anchor rode is clipped into the anchor locker at the 50' and 100' points. If we need more rode we unclip the 50' point allowing more out. This has worked really well for the last nine years.

Interesting - I understand the first part but the latter part around the every 10' and then at 50' and 100' I'm still a bit confused on. Would you be able to make a drawing please? That would be sweet!

 

[Bruce]

Interesting - I understand the first part but the latter part around the every 10' and then at 50' and 100' I'm still a bit confused on. Would you be able to make a drawing please? That would be sweet!

The blue anchor rode and red anchor buddy are stretched parallel with velcro cable ties every ten feet. That is three cable ties along the length. At the anchor end both connect to the anchor chain which is connected to the anchor with a shackle. Can't remember if I have a shackle or carabiner tied into the rode just before the 50 foot point connecting the boat end of the anchor buddy to the rode. Beyond that I have two carabiners tied into the anchor rode. One just after after the 50 foot point and a second at the boat end of the 100 foot rode. Normally both carabiners are connecting the rode in the anchor locker. If I want more than 50 feet of rode out then the 50 carabiner is released.

 

[Bruce]

@NorCalBoater, in this picture you can see the carabiner or shackle that connects the boat end of the anchor buddy to the rode. The rode is hanging down while the anchor buddy is partially stretched.



In this photo I wanted a little more than 50 feet of rode so you can see the carabiner that is normally clipped in the anchor locker. Farther out you can see where the anchor buddy ties in.

 

[jeffrt]

Learned something catching up on this thread. Thought everywhere I saw "rode" above was a typo, but it was used so often I looked it up, and it's actually a thing! Heard of line and rope, but never rode. Learn something every day! Started sailing last year with my sister in-law, and there's lots of new terms I'm learning there too. Ha ha.