Hobie Cat Forums

We sail lot in shallow water with a lot of sandbars. We are thinking of getting some sort of anchor which would allow us to keep the boat secure in sandy areas while we swim, explore the beach etc. We are not very handy so we would like something that would require few if any modifications to our TI. The "Sandshark" looks interesting on their web site but is a bit pricey. Does anyone have any suggestions.

Thank you for your help.

I find a stakout pole excellent for anchoring the boat in shallow areas. Hobie sells them (among others).

It can also do double duty as a shark prodder, should the need arise .

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Thank you for your suggestion.

In order to use this, so I need to install an anchor trolley? If so, is there a way for a "mechanically challenged" person like myself to install one?

Thanks again for your help.

You don't need an anchor trolley. Just tie it to the boat at any point that suits you.

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Stakeouts are nice. If it's the right size, you could just pass this through the rear scupper holes or the mirage drive well and pound it in. Never get wet.

I usually use mine when camping. With the hammock up, I can't put the stakeout pole amidships, but I put it between the ama, the akas and the hull, so the boat still can't drift more than about 4' in any direction.

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These are useful little tools, even if no sharks or pirates are around.

You can tie a line to it and set up a tarp shelter anywhere.

Or use it through the mirage opening to keep your kayak from sliding back into the water on a steep beach. (Bring a small rubber mallet or fish donger with you).

But my favorite use has to be wrapping a bow line around the upper handle and using it as a ratcheting lever to "hand-winch" a loaded AI over a tall beach berm, without getting a hernia.

I am using one of the Cooper Anchors on my TI. It is small, light (1kg) and made of blue nylon plastic with a moulded weight inside.

http://cooperanchors.com/

Great little anchor for sand and weed areas in anything from shallow sand to 30m depth.

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Geordie
West Ausie

For all us Yanks, Larry Cooper emailed me a few weeks ago and Cooper anchors are now available for shipment to the U.S. The cost is 49.50 which includes postage.

The most important thing, is to put enough scope on your anchor rope. Almost any 2lb anchor would hold your AI or TI provided you have enough rope out. In 5 feet of water, you might require as much as 50 feet of line out. Most folks use way too much anchor weight because they don't understand the angle most anchors are designed to work at.

I take a pretty conservative approach. When you really need an anchor, it is too late for half-measures.
I have a 1kg Cooper anchor plus 2 metres of heavy chain (2kg worth) plus 10, 15 and 50 metre anchor lines with shackles. If 75 metres of line with that gear on the bottom isn't enough, I shouldn't be attempting to stay there!

I also have a 24 inch sea anchor, and recently bought a pair of 120cm Nordic walking poles (carbon/glass) for stakeouts (only $15 at Aldi). If just stopping at a beach. I push them into the sand and then loop the 10 metre line (permanently attached to the front crossbar and out through an "O" shackle at the bow) in a figure 8 around the base of the poles. With the line level with the sand, the holding power is huge even without hammering the poles in. I keep them under the starboard (rear) paddle holder bungee.

For overnight at a beach, I would set the anchor well out, and tie another line to the rear of the Ti to the poles (driven in deep this time) so the Ti sits just out from lowest tide

Tony, if you take the tramps, those sticks might stow nicely in the nylon straps at the rear Aka.

I stuff break apart spears/ tent stakes/ umbrellas etc in these straps and they prove quite handy.

No tramps on mine NOHUHU, goiing the haka route, but they effectively hide well in the otherwise unused stbd paddle holder

Have you seen the Squid Anchor? It works great, it allows me to anchor up and get the SUP board out

You can fill the anchor with Rock, sand or anything you can find. If you are interested I made a couple of improvements to how its deployed - good luck

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Al Stillman