So...ever lose an anchor?
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 9:08 amSomeone on another board lost an anchor, and was looking for a new one...it turned into story time, and here's one I related, copied over from the other board...thanks, Rob!
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The only thing more humbling than the "opened carabiner trick" is not the rock you have to use...but having buddies who "help" you out...
Many years ago I was anchored in two feet of water rigging schit up on the upper Sauk, just above a log jam...all of a sudden, we were floating away.
Damn.
Had a locking carabiner on, and it still came undone. D'oh.
Hopped on the sticks, and got around the log jam, no worries.
Pulled over at the next convenient spot, and did the ol' "look for a big rock" routine...found one, wrapped it in cam straps, and tied it on.
Didn't work worth a schit, but it was better than no anchor...I guess.
Typically knowing people is a good thing...but I guess it depends on who ya know
Got back to town later and called up my buddy Rob Endsley, when he was still guiding up there, and living in Bellingham.
"Rob, if you've got an anchor laying around, I need it tomorrow...I know right where my anchor is, but it's a few miles to get to it and I'd like to have an actual anchor to use to get there."
Since Rob was there daily, and I was up there camping for a month, this was an easy fix...right?
"You know we're moving, right? I have this old homemade POS anchor in the garage...it's three sided, weighs about 20 pounds, and has a crescent wrench sunk in it for a loop. I was going to bury it in the backyard before we moved...it'll be perfect for you!"
"Uhh...thanks!"
Rob showed up at my camp early the next morning with his clients in tow, who thought this was all pretty funny. He comes out of his truck with a small three sided anchor, with the wrench sticking out of it...spray painted bright yellow with the words "Endzlee's Kustom Ankerz" written all over it with a black Sharpie.
He presented it to me like it was the frickin' Stanley Cup, and everyone laughed.
Not one to ruin a good joke, I dutifully tied it on, and went fishing.
It didn't work much better than the rock I had on the day before, but got a few funny looks in the first few miles of river, that's for sure!
When I got to where my own anchor was sitting, I pulled over and grabbed it, tied it on, and tossed the yellow Kustom Anker in my box, where it sat for two years, thankfully never to be needed again.
I gave it to another friend as a pontoon anchor a few years later...don't know where it ever went after that.
Ahhh...friends. Like I said, it's good to know people, just be careful about who ya know.
Honestly...it was a hella nice thing to do, to dig around and find that anchor and give it to me to use for half a day...and if everyone has fun with it, then all the better.
Fish on...
Todd
P.S. I never use carabiners ever, after that...always a good strong knot.
***************
The only thing more humbling than the "opened carabiner trick" is not the rock you have to use...but having buddies who "help" you out...
Many years ago I was anchored in two feet of water rigging schit up on the upper Sauk, just above a log jam...all of a sudden, we were floating away.
Damn.
Had a locking carabiner on, and it still came undone. D'oh.
Hopped on the sticks, and got around the log jam, no worries.
Pulled over at the next convenient spot, and did the ol' "look for a big rock" routine...found one, wrapped it in cam straps, and tied it on.
Didn't work worth a schit, but it was better than no anchor...I guess.
Typically knowing people is a good thing...but I guess it depends on who ya know
Got back to town later and called up my buddy Rob Endsley, when he was still guiding up there, and living in Bellingham.
"Rob, if you've got an anchor laying around, I need it tomorrow...I know right where my anchor is, but it's a few miles to get to it and I'd like to have an actual anchor to use to get there."
Since Rob was there daily, and I was up there camping for a month, this was an easy fix...right?
"You know we're moving, right? I have this old homemade POS anchor in the garage...it's three sided, weighs about 20 pounds, and has a crescent wrench sunk in it for a loop. I was going to bury it in the backyard before we moved...it'll be perfect for you!"
"Uhh...thanks!"
Rob showed up at my camp early the next morning with his clients in tow, who thought this was all pretty funny. He comes out of his truck with a small three sided anchor, with the wrench sticking out of it...spray painted bright yellow with the words "Endzlee's Kustom Ankerz" written all over it with a black Sharpie.
He presented it to me like it was the frickin' Stanley Cup, and everyone laughed.
Not one to ruin a good joke, I dutifully tied it on, and went fishing.
It didn't work much better than the rock I had on the day before, but got a few funny looks in the first few miles of river, that's for sure!
When I got to where my own anchor was sitting, I pulled over and grabbed it, tied it on, and tossed the yellow Kustom Anker in my box, where it sat for two years, thankfully never to be needed again.
I gave it to another friend as a pontoon anchor a few years later...don't know where it ever went after that.
Ahhh...friends. Like I said, it's good to know people, just be careful about who ya know.
Honestly...it was a hella nice thing to do, to dig around and find that anchor and give it to me to use for half a day...and if everyone has fun with it, then all the better.
Fish on...
Todd
P.S. I never use carabiners ever, after that...always a good strong knot.
