Breakaway anchor system based on a tie wire reel

What size and type of anchor do most people use on the willamette?, freshwater lakes like Hagg?

Thanks

I think most people on the Willamette use a mushroom or pyramid anchor.  There are lost of rocks to snag on with a claw anchor.

This discussion has been hashed and rehashed, but I'll just throw out that I use a 3lb. claw anchor (with 3 feet of heavy chain) and hold just fine in the Willamette, with two boats tied up or my tandem, and am still on my first anchor. I also choose not to anchor in super deep places or places with unusually high current.

Here is the set up that Pete based his anchor system on. I have used it for 3 years and have anchored up to four kayaks in heavy current. You will notice the simplicity of using the belt loops for attaching the bouy and tie off line. As I have said three years and no problems. I like to have certain weak spots that will break before I tombstone.

As for reeling up your anchor. It can be done. I use a 6 pound jello mold anchor and find it tedious to reel it in. I usually pull up the anchor and then reel in the excess line. As for the pin, it too is designed to fail in a bad situation. To break the plastic around the pin takes about my body weight, 180#. It is very close to the limit on the leader I use for the anchor line.
I have been in a Kayak that started to tombstone. I would much rather have my anchor system systmatically fail before I am presented with that scenario again.

I hope this answers any questions.

Wobbler

Here's a close-up of the crank handle which I added to the spool of my anchor line reel. A stainless steel bolt is attached to the rim of the spool with two stainless fender washers and a stainless lock nut.  Then I slid two hard nylon spacers over the bolt, held them in place with another stainless lock nut, and cut off the end of the bolt.  The spacers spin freely on the bolt.  Once you have the parts, it's a five minute job.



When I don’t need to be able to break away from my anchor, such as when anchoring while spearfishing, I can replace the buoy with a leash.  I lock off the anchor line with a zig-zag cleat, position the line at my bow with my anchor trolley, and stash the anchor line reel behind my seat.



A mesh bag is a convenient way to transport and store an anchor system.

 I have a couple more questions for you guys. Where did you find nylon spacers that size? Also, how do you have the D rings secured to the strap? Is it just bolted in under the fabric from that handle? Thanks again fellas.

I bought the nylon spacers, and all the other hardware for the cable reel, at my local hardware store, which has several rows of drawers and bins with parts and hardware of all kinds.  The advantage of the nylon spacers is that they're very hard, so they turn freely on top of the threads of a bolt, because the threads can't dig into the plastic.  If you can't find spacers, you could drill a hole in a drawer handle knob, or make your own fishing-reel-like handle from plastic.

I used a soldering gun with a hot-knife tip to cut the webbing to length.  Then I ran each end of the webbing through a D ring, folded it over, and used the soldering gun to melt a hole in the webbing for the bolts which hold the handle to the tie wire reel.  Then I bolted the webbing to the body of the reel with a fender washer.  This is all you need to attach the D rings securely, but if you have an industrial-strength sewing machine or a hand speedy stitcher, you can back up the bolt by sewing the webbing together before you bolt it.

I happened to have some metal D rings.  If you can't find any metal D rings at a hardware or horse equipment store, you could use a metal ring.  I don't think that a plastic D ring would be strong enough to attach a kayak to an anchor system.

Thanks! I actually just ordered a nylon Kayak handle, I think that may work. The D rings haven't been the problem to find. finding spacers that size has been the equivalent of squaching! I'll have to keep hunting..

Wobbler's setup is precisely what I would recommend for anchoring in the Willamette. Right on the money.

This tuna line is proving to be a challenge, I was aiming to have this done this weekend. One of the suggestions I got was weed whacker line, has anyone tried this?? I may just have to order a spool on line...

This tuna line is proving to be a challenge, I was aiming to have this done this weekend. One of the suggestions I got was weed whacker line, has anyone tried this?? I may just have to order a spool on line...

Tuna line? Weed Wacker line? What are you using this stuff for on the setup?

I picked up a 400' spool of ashaway 200 lb. tuna leader at Englund marine in Astoria. Cost $42.00. They had 300lb. test a little bit heavier. Would work to.

Unfortunately, I'm in MD, I guess I'll have to turn to the interwebs... All the local shops here look at me like I'm insane when I ask for the leader, then explain what I'm doing with it. One of the dudes in a local shop said that they use the weed whacker line on their planer boards, for striped bass.  I'd prefer to use what has already been tested.  Well thanks again fellas, you've been extremely patient with my endless questions..

The reason I ask is to make sure you're not using something like tuna chord as your anchor line.  I mean, it would work, but pulling an anchor up with thin line is really hard on the hands.  1/4 inch line is as thin as I'll ever go with anchor line.

Paracord should work fine.  Most are rated at 550lbs, some a bit less.  Not to harsh on the hands, especially if wearing nitrile gloves.

Just finished building my reel. A few changes using what I have on hand. For the lock I decided to install a loop over the handle. Pretty simple. I put the loop over the handle and pulled on the line to see how it held. Gave it a jerk and the line started coming out with the handle locked. The face plate unscrewed and feel off. Going to use a pin.

Just finished building my reel. A few changes using what I have on hand. For the lock I decided to install a loop over the handle. Pretty simple. I put the loop over the handle and pulled on the line to see how it held. Gave it a jerk and the line started coming out with the handle locked. The face plate unscrewed and feel off. Going to use a pin.

You wound the line on the reel backwards.  You have to wind the line on the reel so you turn the handle counter-clockwise to reel in line, or the face of the spool will unscrew.  If you wind the line in the correct direction, you'd be tightening the face of the spool both when reeling in line, and when you put the loop over the handle to lock the reel in place.  So no changes are necessary to your reel, unless you decide that you prefer to use a pin to lock the reel, like Wobbler does.