ChuckA's method will work fine as well. I do not care for nylon tie wraps since I had some very bad experiences with them. I use to test hydrophones for the navy up at Lake Seneca. We used nylon tie wraps all the time to keep our over-the-side cabling neat. These cable ties were probably made in China (lowest bidder) as one would never know what their strength was. One cold morning, I was popping 50 pound ties with less than a five pound pull. Other times, the locking mechanism would just fail prematurely. It is hard to beat 30 pound test nylon line as you then know what you have. I oftentimes wonder about police using them for handcuffs. Given a very cold day, the bad guy could suddenly find his hands free. The sliding ring anchor is still sold by West Marine. It is one of their cheapest anchor lines and comes in several sizes. Probably made in China as well, but I use them for my small ride without a problem. I would never use a fortress anchor for togs. There is no question that with their strong cast aluminum alloy construction, and adjustable holding angle, not to mention that they can be broken down easily enough for storage, they are really a great anchor. However, anytime you drop a hook in a rock pile, there is a chance that you may never see it again. Fortress is just too expensive for my blood to gamble it on a rock pile when a cheap China made anchor will work fine. I noted that all of you younger, so called experienced boaters, missed another neat anchoring trick.
When you have an anchor of the type ChuckA has think of the following:
how many times were you at the controls when a guest, whose is an oaf, picked up your anchor and allowed that nasty steel leveling anchor rod to smash into the side of your bow with a resounding thud. The next thing you have to do is make a trip to West Marine for a gel coat repair kit. Do yourself a favor, slip a short piece of tight fitting hose, any kind, over the two leveling anchor rods. The hose need only extend by 1/4 inch or so beyond the steel rods to give you a cushion to protect your gel coat from idiots. Do not mention I told you about this trick to my West Marine boss, as gel coat repair kits are a popular seller. |