how to anchor a boat at the sand bar. NEED HELP AND IDEAS

[Home Cookin']

Re: how to anchor a boat at the sand bar. NEED HELP AND IDEAS

Because your anchor is your most important piece of safety equipment for the boat (besides PFDs for you), please don't buy one just for your sandbar excursion; buy one to secure your boat in your typical waters, maybe line for 50' of depth and correct anchor and chain for your boat. This is why a lot of us carry small anchors just for seconds, sterns, etc. b/c they are easier to use than the big one and do the job in light conditions.
Also, I don't know much about stern drives, but 4' is pretty deep to stop motoring, and it may even be dangerous for you to be in chest deep water trying to horse your boat around--a series of wakes while you're at the stern and you have that stern drive smacking you around, and a stopped prop will still cut you. With outboards, I can raise the motor so I still get some traction with just inches under the hull, so I can get all the way in.
But as said above, backing into shallow water is risky. Also assess whether there are rocks among the sandbar; I boat on sand and mud and am ever grateful for the margin of error of no rocks!
How about this: most boaters are helpful people. Land far from other boats and ask someone who looks squared away to help you anchor and to learn. He will probably appreciate the opportunity to secure YOUR boat from hitting HIS, rather than watch you flopping around out there. Then offer him a beer.

And relax. It's sand; your boat won't get hurt unless you fly in backwards. You can even let your bow keel touch the sand-- I promise your boat won't be ruined from the experience!

 

[dkorzun21]

Re: how to anchor a boat at the sand bar. NEED HELP AND IDEAS

Thanks for all the help. Im going to get my anchor, rode and chain tonight
danforth 15lb anchor
75' of rode
4' of chain.

I will let you all know how I make out this weekend and take a pic. Most boats at the sandbar are park everywhich way they can be because its not that big most with bow to shore but some people are faced side ways. Typically the pontoon boat and venders. Also this is on saratoga lake ny.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[dkorzun21]

Re: how to anchor a boat at the sand bar. NEED HELP AND IDEAS

I see you are in albany....are you going to lake george by chance...if you are dont sweat it .....just drop you anchor, let out some line...make sure your not still moving....if you are , put out a little more.

.

No havent tryed lake george yet hopfully soon only been boating for 4 months so I want to feel comf before I move to a bigger lake. its only like 45 mins away tho.

 

[dkorzun21]

Re: how to anchor a boat at the sand bar. NEED HELP AND IDEAS

And by the way- do everyone on the water (including yourself) a favor and take a boating course[/QUOTE]

Did that thanks buddy.

 

[iBrent]

Re: how to anchor a boat at the sand bar. NEED HELP AND IDEAS

In my personal, humble, and very inexperienced opinion, I have found the best anchor to use is the box anchor.

http://www.slideanchor.com/Hlm_ShopIT_ProductDetails.aspx?ID=024a8189-c4ba-41dc-9a41-c5e749bb8688
(hit home to watch the video of it working)

A buddy of mine boats on a river with a 3-4 knot current. When he dropped his box anchor with a 2:1 scope and it held us all day on the first set, I was sold. I bought one for my boat and have loved it. I still keep 100' of line on it and I use my danforth with 50' + 6' chain as a secondary anchor (mostly for beaching).

 

[Boats2go]

Re: how to anchor a boat at the sand bar. NEED HELP AND IDEAS

I found a great lightweight beach and sand bar anchor called sand-stik. It just augers into the bottom and you can tie your boat to it just like you were at your dock. No need for 30 foot anchor lines. I have a pontoon with a canopy and it would just pull my regular anchor along the bottom in a stiff wind. The sand-stik does not move. No more waking-up from a nap to find your boat drifting across the lake.

 

[73Trihull]

Re: how to anchor a boat at the sand bar. NEED HELP AND IDEAS

Seems like you are way over thinking things. There is a huge difference between saltwater and freshwater and the tactics used to secure your boat. I can honestly say that I have never seen an anchor with chain on it here in Wisconsin. When I beach at a sand bar I simply will trim the motor up and kill it with enough momentum to hit the beach. I jump off the front, unload the wife, kids and football. I pull the boat up as far as I can and tie up my anchors one off each bow cleat. If it's really busy and the boats are close I will throw a 3rd off the back to limit any sway back there. If the lines are tight upfront there shouldn't be much movement anyway. The biggest things are to be sure that the sand bar is all sand and that on approaching the sand bar the motor is trimmed up to avoid a rock or something.

 

[Sikiguya]

Re: how to anchor a boat at the sand bar. NEED HELP AND IDEAS

I do this type of anchoring every time I go to my lake. My only bit of advice is not to get too big of a danforth. I thought the bigger the better...Guess what, the smaller anchor bites into the sand and set much quicker. Hope that helps. I have a chain on my anchor, it just helps it set better.

Oh, by the way, it is somewhat of a trial and error. There are days when I have to reset my anchor quite a bit. Some days, like today, it was just perfect.