Recommendations For Long-Term Anchoring

[Freeebird]

As a cost saving measure, I'm seriously considering rafting both my boats and anchoring them in the cove where I live on the Tennessee River. There is a 6' drop during the winter, and I don't have enough depth at my dock for either during that time. I would basically be looking at winterizing them and using my smaller boat for access.

I'm not looking for a full blown mooring set-up as this would only be used in the winter months. My primary concern is the long-term effect on anchor rode. I'm assuming it would not be an issue, but then again, I've never left a boat at anchor for ~5 months. I'm in the back a very well protected cove, so I figure I can use bow and stern anchors on both boats and be perfectly safe while giving me the ability to move one without disturbing the other. The bottom is very soft mud, so I can get a very good set.

I've checked the legalities of such a thing, and there are no problems since I am a landowner, and they will not present any hazard to navigation. Anybody have any experience with such a thing?

 

[bigbill]

randy, i'm not sure what grows in the tennessee river, but if i put an anchor down for 5 months in my area..........i would have a rope/chain full of grass,slime, and barnacles. you may want to use poly rope that you can throw away every season instead of more expensive nylon. bigbill

 

[ThirdHatt]

I would use Danforth anchors on the bow and stern on both boats since you are in soft mud. They hold better than any other design in muddy bottoms. Their only flaw is that they do not reset well when the wind shifts but you will not have that issue because you will have bow and stern anchors, so you will be just fine.

No worries with long term anchoring, blow boaters do it all the time to save money. Use Danforths and set each one of them WELL with a good bit of thrust. Make sure you have a good length of chain on the anchors before it changes to 3-strand.

 

[Avenger]

I hear that a V-12 Detroit makes a really good mooring. You got any that you're not using?

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I think I would also add a small solar array to keep the batteries charged.

 

[Freeebird]

I hear that a V-12 Detroit makes a really good mooring. You got any that you're not using?

That was cold man. Not sure my windless is up to the task.

randy, i'm not sure what grows in the tennessee river, but if i put an anchor down for 5 months in my area..........i would have a rope/chain full of grass,slime, and barnacles. you may want to use poly rope that you can throw away every season instead of more expensive nylon. bigbill

Nothing but algae in the Tennessee, and it's much less a problem when the water cools. The water there is very shallow, as in less than 10' at winter pool, so I won't have to put out a lot of rode. In fact, it's probably closer to 6'. We're talking super gooey, up to your knees mud here.

 

[rsmith]

Our local city fills 55 gal drums with concrete for the city moorings. They cast old navy anchor chain in them. They put enough chain on them to pull it up and change the rope once in a while.

 

[Freeebird]

I don't see a regulation mooring being an option, but now that I'm living on that lot, it's hard to justify spending the money to keep these boats in marinas. I considered extending my dock and/or using pilings, but I doubt I could secure the permits to put them out that far into the cove.

If only the water didn't fluctuate, many of my problems would be solved. I'd be living on the 41 while whipping the interior of the 58 into shape.

 

[Pascal]

Our local city fills 55 gal drums with concrete for the city moorings. They cast old navy anchor chain in them. They put enough chain on them to pull it up and change the rope once in a while.

a drum shape will not develop enough suction to be reliable, pouring some concrete with rebar in a flatter shape (36x36"), 5 or 6" thick, will make a nice mooring. it's pita to get in position but if you can truck them alongside at a dock then you can lift them with a dinghy crane and put them in with the crane. for more holding and if your crane is heavy enough you can make 2 of them and stack them.

much better than anchors for long term mooring if you cna't find / dont' want to pay for a big mushroom anchor

 

[bobk]

Randy, if the mud is that soft, put the engines in gear as the water level drops and dig your self a hole for the boats at the dock. <VBG>

Bob

 

[Freeebird]

Bob, given the depth and softness of the mud, it wouldn't hurt a thing to have the props settle into it a foot or so. I plan to do some more research on this thing over the weekend and may be able to come up with a better solution.

When I was a kid living on that same cove, our neighbor had a 25' wooden cruiser he built in his garage. He built a boathouse for it and kept it at his dock in the back of the cove where the water is only about 4' deep in the summer. When fall came, he would move it to a neighbor's dock where there would be enough water though the winter.

As fate would have it, I left my 41 for a few days on that lady's dock a few weeks ago when I had an impeller go south on me. She is retired, and her daughter is living with her. Could be I can come up with the same arrangment my neighbor had. That would allow at least enough electrical service to operate the chargers, and I could dock them bow in as to keep the sterns in deeper water. That may also allow access to the boats without the need for another boat.

It would seem I can't give these damn things away, but keeping them at home would save me $700-$900 per month. Given my current situation, that's nothing to sneeze at. Besides, it would be kinda nice to look out my window and see my two Hatts keeping each other company.

 

[Canuck Dennis]

If that idea is going to be permanent, then do it right the first time, drop a 5000Lb block down there and hook to that, We have boats here in the PNW that do that all year and some in not so protected areas, do it once and sleep easy. Then run a power line out for battery charging and ice making !!!!

 

[Freeebird]

If that idea is going to be permanent, then do it right the first time, drop a 5000Lb block down there and hook to that, We have boats here in the PNW that do that all year and some in not so protected areas, do it once and sleep easy. Then run a power line out for battery charging and ice making !!!!

At this point in my life, the word "permanent" is no longer in my vocabulary.

 

[Vincentc]

Randy,
Do they sell uh "manufactured home anchors" in your neighborhood. I purchased a few of them from Lowes and used them to moor a 25' sailboat to a soft mud bottom for a hurricane. I made a "T" handle driver out of 2x4's and used that to drive the augurs down into the mud. It was not too much of a hurricane and worked fine.

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Up here, mushroom anchors made out of a rail car wheel and axle are the norm. ws

recycling at its finest!

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Take 10 minutes to read these... life is simple up north eh ?? ws

http://sz0071.ev.mail.comcast.net/s...er2009.pdf?auth=co&loc=en_US&id=155840&part=2

http://sz0071.ev.mail.comcast.net/service/home/~/Piers2009.pdf?auth=co&loc=en_US&id=155840&part=3

 

[yachtsmanbill]

OORAH!! ws

Wheres capn' Randy ??

 

[Freeebird]

Randy,
Do they sell uh "manufactured home anchors" in your neighborhood. I purchased a few of them from Lowes and used them to moor a 25' sailboat to a soft mud bottom for a hurricane. I made a "T" handle driver out of 2x4's and used that to drive the augurs down into the mud. It was not too much of a hurricane and worked fine.

Hey, it's OK to say trailerhouse in my neighborhood as I'm actually living in a 5th wheel camper on the lake until this divorce thing gets settled. Talk about wholesale changes, 5 years ago I was living in a $800K home on 500+ feet of main channel with 14' of water at the end of my dock. Hence my comment about the word "permanent".

Can't say I ever thought of using mobile home anchors for a mooring, but it might not be a bad idea to strap down this camper. Either that or strap it to some pontoons and join that raftup Willy posted.

 

[GJH]

Here in Carolina, the mooring anchor of choice are hog sty grates, galvanized or concrete. Say 4x4 or 4x6. Sink down right nice all the way down into soft mud. Once sunk, no way to ever get it back up. Can't say that about some wussy-a$$ Danforth...Gotta be some old boys there in your neck of the woods that can hook you up.

 

[Vincentc]

Randy,
30x8 travel trailers were very popular here post Katrina. We spent two years in a 80' singlewide and I was quite impressed with the anchor system they used to set it up.

I had an interesting discussion with the fellow who sold me the trailer/mobile home/manufactured home. It is not a question of pretense but accuracy. An 80 long singlewide is not very mobile. What ever you call them, I am not going to disparage it as I was glad to have a place to live, what ever name you give it.

Few things stay the same. Like the tide, things go up and down. I'm sure you will weather your personal hurricane. Hope it passes soon.