What is your optimal cleat placement for anchor line.

What are my fellow PA folks using to cleat the anchor line when using the anchor trolley? I did a quick rig with a zig zag cleat and I quickly realized there must be millions of better ways to do it. I vary the placement of the anchor line tangent anywhere between the bow and stern, so it must be useable with an anchor line anywhere in between. I appreciate any feedback.

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Mike

I have been using the YakAttack Sidewinder and I lock it into my gear track mounted on the mounting boards. I'm planning on getting the gear track and installing it on the carry handle of my Pro Angler 14 this way I can use the Sidewinder and keep it out of the way a bit more. This far I'm happy with this method and it works fine with the anchor trolley.

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I use a Harken cleat screwed into the mounting board.

I run the tag end of the anchor line through the SS ring on the anchor trolley, position the anchor fore or aft, then run the tag end through the Harken cleat. A quick lift of the anchor line out of the Harken cleat & you can wind-in the anchor line or jettison in case of emergency or if you want to chase your fish.

Like Jambone, I also use the YakAttack Sidewinder which I can mount on the geartrac on the PA handle. I do this only in calm conditions. Since I fish in saltwater tidal creeks, which can have strong tidal currents or wind, I just toss the Sidewinder overboard (attached to a float of course).

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PA 14; 2012
Cape Fear River - NC

This is a really great topic and I'm sure there are more than one good answer to your question.

On general principle you'd want the location of the anchor cleat to minimize the force applied towards overturning your kayak, right? In an emergency you want to be able to ditch the anchor in a hurry, and in the meantime you want to avoid having any unexpected pull on the anchor flip the boat.

So, for example, the worst place for your anchor cleat would be the back rail of your kayak seat. It's both high, with a long lever arm to tip the boat, and also hard to reach in a hurry. Somewhere down low, and within easy arm's reach would be better.

If you put the cleat on the centerline in front of your seat, it would be much better. Easier to reach and less leverage to tip the boat. But the action of the anchor line, leading over the rail and down to the anchor would still try to tip your kayak over in an emergency.

To minimize the tipping action, you could put the cleat on the side of the kayak, just above the anchor trolley line. That would still be pretty convenient but the pull from the anchor would be almost at water level and shouldn't exert much force towards turning the kayak over at all.

I could be missing something here, but I think your best bet is to put a cam cleat or jam cleat on the side, of your boat. If you're using a sidewinder or Palmetto Kayak quick release with a float a quick snap of the anchor line can free it (and you) and you can come back and retrieve the whole setup at your convenience.

http://palmettokayakfishing.blogspot.co ... ystem.html

Tight Lines.

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Know where you are, don't be a fool.