Sounds like a plan

Thanks 4 sharing.

I have a rope with a spliced loop at one end that is permanently fixed to the bow bollard, the length of it is about 300mm short of the stern cleat. I have a float at this end and a stainless "spring" loaded clip. I use a bungee cord around the cleat to the stainless clip to keep this rope under tension and stowed along the gunnel when not in use. The anchor I keep on deck -- in a plastic crate, as i can't get to the front of my boat easily. When anchoring I just feed the anchor over the side, when i have put out enough scope, I just put a loop in the anchor rope at that point, and clip my fixed rope to it (After releasing it fron the cleat). It now forms a "Y" between the bow bollard and the stern cleat. By feeding out more rope, you can anchor normally, or anchor sideways. Or adjust to move the boat as the current takes you either side of the anchor.

This method works, but the deck has the clutter of the anchor and rope. Its a good system if you are solo and need to be by the helm. Anchoring sideways to the sea is a great way to get everyone sea-sick, but I think is not very safe.

My choice would be an anchor winch, getting the anchor away off the deck and moving weight forward. This I will do as soon as I win tattslotto. Until then I'm stuck with this system.

scubafish@westnet.com.au . For details.

Sorry didn't mean to pinch your patent. As "I" wrote, this is the system "I" use, and have done for many years. Quote" By feeding out more rope, you can anchor normally, or anchor sideways. Or adjust to move the boat as the current takes you either side of the anchor." Quote "Anchoring sideways to the sea is a great way to get everyone sea-sick, but I think is not very safe." Who anchors sideways, or angled, I do seas permitting.

  I also run a similar set up for anchoring with a fixed line from the bow to the stern and anchor and rope ffrom the  back deck - I have a couple of different length anchor ropes for  10 m  20 m or 30m depth  -  usually able to motor up slowly enough to pick up the anchor rope  - I didnt have a float line on it - but will try it - shoulld make retrieval a bit easier - especially when  solo 

and pass on years of boating & fishing knowledge to anyone who needs it and wants it .

I made up a bit of rope which was tied to a cleat alongside the driver's position in my boat. No float but a clip on the end which was clipped over the anchor line using this to drive up one side of the anchor line and then pull the anchor in on the side using the rope - was usefull when fishing alone and saved having to climb through the cabin when shifting  - particularly when only moving a short distance and in the same depths. 

That being said I found it a bit of a pain having the extra rope around the bow and eventually worked out it was easier or just as easy to forgo the rope all together.  I now just drive up the side of the anchor line, use the boat hook to grab the anchor line as it comes alongside and pull it in, shift to where-ever then drop it back over - simple.

Iana - Your side-anchoring methed is sometimes helpfull to fine tune positioning say if you wanted to swing the boat slightly more to one side if you slightly miss a sandhole etc when you initially anchor and dont want to go to the hassle of pulling in and re-anchoring.  Mainly a calm water option for obvious reasons.

One thing to keep in mind if doing either method is to make sure the anchor rope is secure (from bow to side of the boat) when moving - don't want it to drop over when moving and get caught around the prop, caught around limbs etc. etc. potentially disasterous.

Cheers

If you incorperate the float you will find it so much easyer to get the anchor line with the boat hook and also better to see the float at night.Mark your float with your gear id or boat name  (if you have one )you will be suprised on how much it comes in handy.

Scuba, do you mean you basically drive forward and pull the anchor line through the clip on the float which in turn lifts the anchor to the float/surface and then just pull in the float/anchor (as one unit) sitting on the surface???. 

Cheers

No,drive up to the float  slowly and the float witch is connected to the end of the anchor rope via the clip,it will rise to the surface as you take the strain off the anchor, then retreve the float and continue to go forward with float & anchor rope (end ) slowly (bearing in mind not to run over the anchor rope with the prop )to the point where you think the anchor is directly below you and retreve it with eze.In fact you should be going forward into the wind ,if it is blowing a bit go over the mark by 10 or 15 mts and then start retreving your anchor as you drift back .FLOAT & 1 TO 2 @ mts OF ROPE , S/STEEL CLIP  IS A SEPERATE ITEM on its own . The method in witch you refer is pulling the float down through the water colum so the boyancy of the float pulls the anchor up , I find dangerous because if the float does not lift the anchor because it is stuck or somthing and you get to the end for your rope doing 10 or 20 knots ,I think we both know whats going to happen in that situation .Aso having the float out the front of your boat at anchor allows other boatys to see  that you" are at anchor" and not drifting & what direction the rope is going ,not everyone has 20-20.

Cheers gott ya now.

I sort of do this anyway at times (without the float) when pulling in either from side or front.  I.e start motor and motor foward and on one side with a view to by the time i get the slack rope in I'm pretty well above the anchor and can lift it straight up rather than pulling boat to anchor.  If I have 2 aboard I'll motor foward slowly as they pull slack rope in until over anchor and then just a straight lift.  I'm often in water clear enough to see at least most of the rope and have a fair idea where the pick is due to knowing how much rope is out.  Usually drifting when on the deeper drops.