I had been using a mighty mite anchor and it worked OK with my smaller boat but my my larger boat was just too much for it. It held but eventually lost its tines one at a time . Now it is just a weight for the gopro.

I have had to step up to a larger heavier steel wreck anchor by "the anchorman" out of NJ. Looks very well made and strong. ( TheAnchormanWreckAnchors-PhotoGallery-ChuckTheAnchorman-WreckAnchors (http://www.chucktheanchorman.com/the-anchorman-wreck-anchors-PhotoGallery.html) ) Interesting set up.... The chain or rode is attached at the rear, you tie-wrap the chain to the shank and when you want to pull up, you reduce the scope and the zip tie's break and you haul it up backwards. SO far so good. My biggest worry is that it the zip tie's will break when anchored and it blows hard but according to the reviews I've read they do not. Have you tried this approach?


I saw a guy the other day using the run and gun technique with a danforth and a buoy. he was really gunning it and the anchor was hung and there was a loud sound of fiberglass breaking as the cleat tore out and a guy on the bow waving his arms and screaming to stop. He almost fell over as the boat came to a abrupt halt. That looks very dangerous. He went home with a short length of line and no anchor.

I saw a guy the other day using the run and gun technique with a danforth and a buoy. he was really gunning it and the anchor was hung and there was a loud sound of fiberglass breaking as the cleat tore out and a guy on the bow waving his arms and screaming to stop. He almost fell over as the boat came to a abrupt halt. That looks very dangerous. He went home with a short length of line and no anchor.

Someone forgot to tell him the ball is supposed to do all the work, not the boat.

yeah- ^^^ what he said...... if yer gonna go with the anchor ball method, then you connect the ball to the anchor line and drive in a wide circle. if that doesn't work, then drive the other way until if floats up with the ball.....

the wire-tie/reverse anchor pull does work..... I have that set-up for my everyday anchor and haven't lost a hook ever since changing over........

The ball while doing circles has an amazing amount of lifting power, we picked up a cable cutoff in quicks hole from a dragger with one. Not fun.

The whole key when using a ball is to pull in the opposite direction from the way you lay on the anchor. DO NOT run in circles around the anchor! Just look at your compass before you even start the engines. Then steer a course past the anchor and take up the course as the one you read as soon as you go past the anchor and go forward until the ball starts leaving a wake.

For example, if you are laying on a course of 180 degrees before you start the engines. Go up past the anchor and as soon as you pass the anchor take a course of 180 degrees until the anchor comes up.

That way you are flipping the shaft and pulling the anchor out at exactly opposite to the way it was set.

To answer the original question, yes the zip ties work. The key is to use a tie that is strong enough to hold you on, when you are anchored, but weak enough so you can break the ties when the anchor gets hung up.

Re : ball method...This probably will work if in sand or mud but not rock. If the anchor is hung or stuck, no ball is going to pull it up. When the boat reaches the end of its rope something is going to break or bend badly. You should have seen this boat stop, it was sudden. He had tried several approaches (not sure what he was trying to do) but when he gave it the gas and I heard the engine rev I mentioned to my crew..."this could end badly."

Like said before, you don't "gun it". You do circles on it. Worst case you'll either break blades on danforths (fortress will replace them for nothing) or bend tines on wreck anchors.

what he said

I had the mighty might also and the integrity of the aluminum lets go in short time, then broke like yours. I have two of these babies made of stainless, never leaves stains. I can't say enough good things about'um. When a tine or tines is wedged in huge rocks the tines will bend if you apply "A LOT'' pressure which is nice because you always get your anchor back. These anchors have never let me down no matter how much its blowing. Find yourself a good welder and have one made you wont regret it.

I had the mighty might also and the integrity of the aluminum lets go in short time, then broke like yours. I have two of these babies made of stainless, never leaves stains. I can't say enough good things about'um. When a tine or tines is wedged in huge rocks the tines will bend if you apply "A LOT'' pressure which is nice because you always get your anchor back. These anchors have never let me down no matter how much its blowing. Find yourself a good welder and have one made you wont regret it.


What Goose said.

I made a few here at work with different rod diameters until I got the right one for my boat and needs. It will bend and free up with minimum pulling with the boat if need be. Just bend it back. Stainless wont break after many many bending cycles.

just use a bigger ball :hee:

Re : ball method...This probably will work if in sand or mud but not rock. If the anchor is hung or stuck, no ball is going to pull it up. When the boat reaches the end of its rope something is going to break or bend badly.

If you use the zip ties, like was described on the anchor the ball will pull it up without a problem.

If you use the zip ties, like was described on the anchor the ball will pull it up without a problem.

We use it in the rocks, w/ a danforth all the time Jim.

The grapels are tough in deep water to anchor accurately on small structure, even with a ton of chain, the danforths are a lot more accurate b/s they drop so much faster...

Like RIRock stated grapples are tough in the deep. We usually fish 95+ feet and we've bent the s%$t out of the Danforth but a little heat and a press ant it's ready to go again do be shy about the chain.
Getting short strong ties can be a challenge but I found them at some of the industrial parts websites. Also lobstermen sometimes use them.
The heck with an expensive SS anchor go down to your local commercial fishing pier and I guarantee you can buy one cheap. They drag them up and lobstermen get them all the time.

Getting short strong ties can be a challenge but I found them at some of the industrial parts websites. .

You can use the longer ones and just cut them short after they are installed.

I have a guy on my site, that makes them, and sells them, they are great!

Mike, you can cut the tail off but to get the thick ones you end up paying for the extra length. We like to use the thick ones esp if it gets rough or sloppy they don't have a tendency to break. The ones we get are 6" or 8".
George