Anchor Trip Link

Anchoring is a once in a while procedure for me. I often go out and never pull the anchor out of the bag. The anchor in the photos is one of my anchors and the one best shown to explain an item called the “Anchor Trip Link”.

The Lewmar claw type anchor holds very well when it can dig into the bottom.  The fact it has to dig in also makes it difficult at times to retrieve. If you keep pulling on the handle end you’ll just make it bury deeper. If you try to pull straight up; that may work but usually not, because of the suction derived by the digging in process. The best way to pull a stuck claw anchor or others for that matter is from the head. You’ll notice the Lewmar, as well as some other anchors, has a hole at both ends to facilitate this.

In the past I’ve gone to some extreme measures to make the anchor line drop off the handle and allow the pull from the head. Light string works pretty well, as does the smallest zip-ties.  This is where the Trip Link comes in; you cannot forget it; it becomes a permanent part of your anchor chain.

Notice in the photos the anchor chain is attached to the handle end with the Trip Link; there is slack in the chain as it travels up to the fitting at the head. This link on the handle end is the adjustable tension “Anchor Trip Link” a steady pull and it stays engaged. A sharp strong pop and it opens allowing the pull on the anchor to be moved to the front to easily pull the anchor out of the bottom, be it debris or just mud.

Using Google search I found reference to the “Anchor Trip Link” on EBAY. The Inventor, manufacturer is also the seller. Rather than bring up EBAY and search, it is much better to bring up the Trip Link website and then access EBAY from the Website. So many of kayaking’s new and great products come from small manufacturers; in this case, if the seller is out of town, he does not post sales and ruin someone’s day by not providing.
You can visit the Website at: http://www.anchortrip.co.uk/. Available on the site is instructional video and contact information so you may give a heads up that you are interested in purchasing one or maybe more. Wouldn’t they make great presents? They are reasonable and work excellent. Mine took about 8 work days to arrive from the UK.

Now, about the rest of the rig; photo number one is the anchor assembly inside of a mesh bag. Since I do not often use the anchor it is not necessarily ready to deploy and is usually stored in the hatch. A Scotty clip tied on with a bowline knot with a couple of stitches in the tag end of the line keeps it from untying itself. I used a very handy tool called a Speedy Stitcher (see photo); I’ve kept this from my sailboat days where I used it for most all emergency repair including sail patching. Then there is a round disc cut from an old plastic storage box lid to keep the Scotty clip from riding down and damaging the float. Then the float and the anchor line mesh bag with at least 50 feet of anchor line. The anchor rope attaches to the anchor chain with the anchor rope wrapped around a thimble (typically used for wire rope) then stitched with the Speedy Stitcher and covered with marine heat shrink tube (has glue on the inside) for protection; I found the marine version of heat shrink at West Marine Jewelers (you call it jewelers if you own a sailboat – sailors know what I mean).

Another item hard to see is a second round disc I put into the bottom of the anchor line mesh bag. I tied a figure 8 stopper knot before and after the disc to keep the bag from sliding back against the float, or down the line.

When I want to use the anchor I hook the Scotty clip to a dedicated pad-eye within easy reach of the cockpit, drop anchor allow the kayak to drift a bit to get some anchor line out, then weave the anchor line through the Figure 9 Carabiner shown, which when needed stays attached to the anchor trolley.  This allows me to adjust anchor line in and out and to drop the entire anchor assembly overboard, while I battle a fish. I’ve seen regular carabineers used for this also, with a slip knot holding the anchor line. Retrieving the anchor is easy enough and stuffing the anchor line into the mesh bag is done by the handfuls and doesn’t seem to cause problems when it is time to redeploy the anchor.

I use two mesh bags, one for the storage of the assembly as in the first photo and the second smaller bag for the anchor line. You’ll find these very handy bags at many of the outdoor gear shops. They are available in several sizes and very handy as you can see the contents without opening the bag.

P.S. The Yak-Angler site is still under construction. Should be ready for prime time in a week or less - peek, if you'd like: www.Yak-Angler.com some of the links work, some do not yet. I'll be aggressively seeing material from fellow kayak owners in the near future.

Anchoring is a once in a while procedure for me. I often go out and never pull the anchor out of the bag. The anchor in the photos is one of my anchors and the one best shown to explain an item called the “Anchor Trip Link”.

The Lewmar claw type anchor holds very well when it can dig into the bottom.  The fact it has to dig in also makes it difficult at times to retrieve. If you keep pulling on the handle end you’ll just make it bury deeper. If you try to pull straight up; that may work but usually not, because of the suction derived by the digging in process. The best way to pull a stuck claw anchor or others for that matter is from the head. You’ll notice the Lewmar, as well as some other anchors, has a hole at both ends to facilitate this.

In the past I’ve gone to some extreme measures to make the anchor line drop off the handle and allow the pull from the head. Light string works pretty well, as does the smallest zip-ties.  This is where the Trip Link comes in; you cannot forget it; it becomes a permanent part of your anchor chain.

Notice in the photos the anchor chain is attached to the handle end with the Trip Link; there is slack in the chain as it travels up to the fitting at the head. This link on the handle end is the adjustable tension “Anchor Trip Link” a steady pull and it stays engaged. A sharp strong pop and it opens allowing the pull on the anchor to be moved to the front to easily pull the anchor out of the bottom, be it debris or just mud.

Using Google search I found reference to the “Anchor Trip Link” on EBAY. The Inventor, manufacturer is also the seller. Rather than bring up EBAY and search, it is much better to bring up the Trip Link website and then access EBAY from the Website. So many of kayaking’s new and great products come from small manufacturers; in this case, if the seller is out of town, he does not post sales and ruin someone’s day by not providing.
You can visit the Website at: http://www.anchortrip.co.uk/. Available on the site is instructional video and contact information so you may give a heads up that you are interested in purchasing one or maybe more. Wouldn’t they make great presents? They are reasonable and work excellent. Mine took about 8 work days to arrive from the UK.

Now, about the rest of the rig; photo number one is the anchor assembly inside of a mesh bag. Since I do not often use the anchor it is not necessarily ready to deploy and is usually stored in the hatch. A Scotty clip tied on with a bowline knot with a couple of stitches in the tag end of the line keeps it from untying itself. I used a very handy tool called a Speedy Stitcher (see photo); I’ve kept this from my sailboat days where I used it for most all emergency repair including sail patching. Then there is a round disc cut from an old plastic storage box lid to keep the Scotty clip from riding down and damaging the float. Then the float and the anchor line mesh bag with at least 50 feet of anchor line. The anchor rope attaches to the anchor chain with the anchor rope wrapped around a thimble (typically used for wire rope) then stitched with the Speedy Stitcher and covered with marine heat shrink tube (has glue on the inside) for protection; I found the marine version of heat shrink at West Marine Jewelers (you call it jewelers if you own a sailboat – sailors know what I mean).

Another item hard to see is a second round disc I put into the bottom of the anchor line mesh bag. I tied a figure 8 stopper knot before and after the disc to keep the bag from sliding back against the float, or down the line.

When I want to use the anchor I hook the Scotty clip to a dedicated pad-eye within easy reach of the cockpit, drop anchor allow the kayak to drift a bit to get some anchor line out, then weave the anchor line through the Figure 9 Carabiner shown, which when needed stays attached to the anchor trolley.  This allows me to adjust anchor line in and out and to drop the entire anchor assembly overboard, while I battle a fish. I’ve seen regular carabineers used for this also, with a slip knot holding the anchor line. Retrieving the anchor is easy enough and stuffing the anchor line into the mesh bag is done by the handfuls and doesn’t seem to cause problems when it is time to redeploy the anchor.

I use two mesh bags, one for the storage of the assembly as in the first photo and the second smaller bag for the anchor line. You’ll find these very handy bags at many of the outdoor gear shops. They are available in several sizes and very handy as you can see the contents without opening the bag.

P.S. The Yak-Angler site is still under construction. Should be ready for prime time in a week or less - peek, if you'd like: www.Yak-Angler.com some of the links work, some do not yet. I'll be aggressively seeing material from fellow kayak owners in the near future.

Very good information Sir-  I will make sure I study up on this.

Thank you for sharing.

Roger

I've rigged my anchor with a chain like Yak-Angler rigged his, but with a cable tie instead of the anchor trip link.  However, I'm embarrassed to say that I've never tried to break the cable tie.  If I get my anchor hooked on something, I'll probably discover that I used a cable tie which is too strong.  I should hook the anchor on something and see how hard it is to break the cable tie.

Just saw your post pmmpete; the test you are proposing is a good one.

I started using a zip tie as a break away some time ago,  first on a sailboat and most recently a 15' power boat. The anchors were heavier and I used a little heavier cable tie in those previous applications, but not by much. I know while in a kayak, I can't break the ones I used to use; in fact it's often difficult to separate the smallest zip-tie that I used while in the kayak. The one I used with my kayaks is I believe the smallest one (normally) available; almost 4" long and just under 1/8th inch in width. And it can be tough to break (photo attached). Seems like it would be pretty easy to break the little zip-tie, but sometimes it is very difficult as a kayak isn't too good of a platform to use as leverage.

What I found with the Trip-Link is I could pull steady and the link would hold quite a lot of pressure (it's adjustable). When I gave it a pop, or a pull with a sharp tug, that's when it separated. The difference being with the zip-tie you’ve got to keep pulling until it lets go. Sometimes feels like you're trying to sink the kayak by pulling so hard; I never did try it but I often thought maybe 5-6# mono would work better than the zip-tie. Be interesting to put a hand held scale on the pull of the zip-tie to see where it breaks. If you try yours that way, let us know.

Trip Link: I believe it's better than the alternative; I like how the proceeds go to the inventor (not a conglomerate) I also like that it's reasonably inexpensive and it does what it is supposed to. I also like that the tension is adjustable; Light pull for my SIK kayak and heavier pull for the Predator 13 SOT.

I've studied anchor systems quite a bit and the Lewmar claw is not rated as a great anchor except to say it works just fine for lakes with grassy, mud bottoms, the kind found in most of the Northwests reservoirs and lakes that are drawn down every winter. I wouldn't use it for an ocean application, I'd prefer the aluminum Fortress for its consistent holding power.
I'm considering the Commando 2.5 pound version of the Fortress to keep in the kayak, that is if I end up with a Hobie like yours; still awaiting the phone call to get my demos in.

What I found with the Trip-Link is I could pull steady and the link would hold quite a lot of pressure (it's adjustable). When I gave it a pop, or a pull with a sharp tug, that's when it separated.

The anchor lines used in kayaks usually have a lot of stretch.  If you have a lot of anchor line out, will the anchor line transmit a sharp tug well enough to separate the Trip-Link, or will the stretch in the line absorb the tug so much that the Trip-Link doesn't separate?  In other words, will a tug which is sufficient to separate the Trip-Link when you have 20 feet of anchor line out be sufficient to separate the Trip-Link when you have 60 feet of anchor line out?  Or when the anchor line reaches a certain length, does it absorb enough of the jerk so you can't get the Trip-Link to separate, no matter how hard and fast you jerk?  Do the experiment and let us know the results.  I'm thinking about buying a Trip-Link, and this would be good to know.

In order for an anchor to hold satisfactorily in the bottom, the anchor line has to be 5-7 times or more as long as the water depth.  But if you get your anchor hooked on the bottom, you'll end pretty much right above the anchor, pulling straight up, when trying to dislodge it.  So when I mention 20 or 60 feet of anchor line, I'm not talking about the length of the anchor line when you're anchored, I'm talking the length of line going straight down to the anchor, which is approximately the water depth.

It seems to me that you need to set the Trip-Link high enough so it won't accidently pop and reverse the anchor if the wind and waves come up, because the anchor will lose its holding power and may drag.  This isn't a problem if you're sitting in your kayak fishing when the anchor starts dragging.  But if you're out of your kayak spearfishing and your kayak heads off downwind, you could be in a lot of trouble.  I speak from experience.  While I usually spearfish from my Trident, sometimes I spearfish with a friend from his powerboat.  He always anchors with two anchors.  This year he got a bigger powerboat, but didn't get bigger anchors.  Twice this summer the wind came up and the boat drug the anchors out into deeper water and then headed off downwind.  The first time the two of us had to frantically swim after the boat.  The second time my friend had just returned to the boat to drop off some fish when it broke loose and took off.  I saw the boat heading off across the lake and thought "Oh no, not again."  Then, to my relief, I saw my friend climbing over the transom and into the boat.  My friend has bought a bigger and better anchor, so I hope this won't happen again.  I wouldn't want my kayak to blow away while I was spearfishing because the Trip-Link popped.

What anchor line are you using that has a lot of stretch?

-Allen

What anchor line are you using that has a lot of stretch?-Allen

I use 5mm climbing accessory cord from REI for my anchor line.  I think it's made by Blue Water.  Nylon rope has a lot of stretch.  Polyester rope has less stretch.  Some ropes are designed to have stretch, and some ropes are designed to have little stretch.  But most readily available ropes and cords in the diameters which are appropriate for a kayaking anchor line will have a lot of stretch.

I've done a lot of vertical caving, and cavers use special static climbing ropes for rappelling into and climbing out of deep vertical pits, because when climbing out of a couple hundred foot pit you bounce up and down like a bungie jumper on a normal climbing rope.  I've rappelled and climbed up to 510 foot drops, and cavers routinely rappel and climb drops over 1,000 feet, such as down in caves in Mexico.  Even over these lengths, there isn't much stretch or bounce in a static rope.

What anchor line are you using that has a lot of stretch?-Allen

I use 5mm climbing accessory cord from REI.  I think it's made by Blue Water.  Nylon rope has a lot of stretch unless it is specifically designed as a static (minimal stretch) line.

I've done a lot of vertical caving, and cavers use special static climbing ropes for rappelling into and climbing out of deep vertical pits, because when climbing out of a couple hundred foot pit you bounce up and down like a bungie jumper on a normal climbing rope.  I've rappelled and climbed up to 510 foot drops, and cavers routinely rappel and climb drops over 1,000 feet, such as down in caves in Mexico.  Even over these lengths, there isn't much stretch or bounce in a static rope.

Different applications.  We're not talking about 150-200 pounds of person bouncing on the end of 100's of feet of line.  But yeah, I understand the issue and would love to see some real world tests.

-Allen