using sea anchors

[onearmedfisho]

Hey fishos, ive just bought a sea anchor for the 1st time and was wondering the best way to rig/set it up. The boats a fibreglass 590 Walkaround. The anchor is 650 mm in diameter and 750mm long...

Would prefer the 1 line so it easy to retrieve but im not sure what length rope i need, weather to use rope or would bungee chord be better? and also where to tie it off too?

With only 1 arm would prefer not to tie it off the bow so i dont have to go up there in a messy sea.

Any thoughts or suggestions much appreciated...

[sydangler]

mate we run the sea anchor on my mates boat off the bow but then have a second longer rope coming back into the cabin so when you want to put it in you just use that rop and pull it up through the window behind the achor well. you could do it round the side of the boat or over your cabin depending on you boat.

[mimyo]

I've got a short length of rope about 2 mt, that's permanently attached to the bow of my boat, at the end of that rope it's spliced onto a stainless steel snap shackle. This reaches into my cockpit. When I deploy my sea anchor it's just a matter of clipping on the shackle and chucking it over. When I need to move I just motor forward till the sea anchor is along side me and I just bend over and pick it up. You need to make sure it's not to long cause you might run it over with your prop. It takes a bit of effort bringing it in when your moving forward and I've got huge sea anchor, but to make it easier for you champ I was thinking you could attach a loop to the end of the anchor then you just gaff it thru that loop which would make it heaps easier. I never have to go to the bow with this system, even when I anchor it's just a matter of throwing the anchor of the side in the cockpit and clipping the shackle onto a overhand loop that's on the rope. Does that make sense????

[f1shen]

I wouldn't use bungee cord as you'd probably just end up bouncing around everywhere. The sea anchor should provide steady drag to slow you down.

If you're worried about things getting messy, you might like to use one of those jaw cleats that you see on sailing boats to hold the sheet lines. they looklike the attached picture. You can put a knot in your line so that it doesn't slip through, but you've always got the option of saying goodbye to the anchor rather than saying hello to some big waves and goodbye to your boat. Having said that, you should always attach it to the bow, you don't want waves coming at you from any other direction when you're trying to concentrate on the fishing.