"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:37:36 -0700, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:

So, to be on topic.... what did you think of my anchor retrieval system
using a fender? Here it is again:

Here you go... obviously this is not to scale, but I think you'll get the
idea. More than one fender could be lowered, and in the drawing, the
anchor
marker is already on board.

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/7...rretrieval.png

All you have to do is to have the marker attached to a line that already
goes through a block at the anchor. You could even leave it as a light
line,
then if there's a problem, tie a heavier line to the lighter line and pull
it through to the point where you could attach a fender.

Another option (not sure if it's really workable) would be to have a CO2
cartridge ready at the anchor... you pull the float line, and pop! My
inflatable vest claims 36 lbs. of lift... something like that..., but I
still think the multiple fender option would work better.


Creative thinking and good art work but not useful in real life - no
one ever sets a trip line with a block at the anchor, and it would
take a much heavier trip line than normally deployed.

Thanks!

I wasn't actually advocating using a trip line. I was advocating a small
line with a buoy to mark the anchor spot, which I understand is a fairly
common technique. If one had a block on the anchor as well, then it would be
fairly simple to route a larger line through it using the buoy line as a
beginning.

In actual practice trip lines are usually referred to in the context
of: "Should have used a trip line".

That took me a second... LOL

Fortunately broken anchor windlasses are a fairly rare event, and much
easier to deal with on a sailboat due to the availabilty of powerful
sheet winches.

Would it be common for a 40' sailboat to have a power winch? All we saw had
them as options... but I suppose you could add one yourself.