My plan to retrieve anchors off a local wreck

[caruso]

Now that summer is finally here in the NE, I'm out on Smithtown Bay off Long Island exploring the artificial reef which includes several barges.

I'm finding dozens of boat anchors left behind by unlucky fisherman who hooked the wreck and could not retrieve them. Some have been down a while and are encrusted but there are some newer ones down there as well, including a larger version of my own spade anchor which will probably work better than mine does. Why pay good money for an anchor when there are so many just sitting down there?

The problem is that these anchors have some thick chain and line on them and they're entangled to the wreck and other debris. Simply lifting the anchor off the bottom causes a huge silt cloud and visibility almost immediately drops to zero.

Here's my plan to retrieve some of these anchors on an upcoming trip, please advise if any changes should be made.

Find the target anchor during the dive, deploy my SMB and clip off my finger spool to the anchor to mark it. Finish the dive with enough reserve gas for the upcoming "recovery mission" (or bring a second tank), return to my boat, motor over to the SMB, drop down again, with a heavier line with a hook at the end of it, tie it off to the anchor, and on a prearranged signal such as 3 tugs on the line have someone on the boat lift the anchor until they can't pull it any more due to entanglement.

Since the anchor will be free of the bottom, hopefully by 5 or 10' or even more, vis shouldn't be too bad and I am free to work on cutting the rope wherever I can get a knife into it. Once the crewmember feels the line free up they can slowly pull the anchor to the surface with me holding on, my SMB is also attached to the anchor and will be retrieved at the same time.

We're talking depths of 35-50'. The only issue I see is that if the anchor chain is entangled (rather than just anchor line) then it will not be recoverable at which point I'll unhook the rope from the boat, untie the SMB and surface.

 

[grf88]

Putting tension on the line while you are in the close proximity to the anchor could end up in a world of hurt if something suddenly let go.

 

[tbone1004]

I would recommend using something like a boat bumper instead of an SMB *boat bumpers are cheap, smb's are not*, and I would not recommend pulling the anchor off the bottom while trying to work with it. You want it clear before you try to raise it.

If they're chained, I'd just go to harbor freight and get a cheap set of bolt cutters *less than $20*, and just make sure that you rinse, soak, rinse, and dry them off properly so they don't rust too badly. They have a lifetime warranty on them as well.
For anything with line, just get a dedicated cheap serrated knife and cut it free first.

Once the anchor is free, you can tie off a lifting line and off you go

 

[caruso]

Putting tension on the line while you are in the close proximity to the anchor could end up in a world of hurt if something suddenly let go.

Makes sense. I wouldn't have the crewmember pull with great force, just until it gets stuck. Maybe at that point have them ease up a bit to create a bit of slack- not too much to make it easier to cut- but remove tension so it won't release like a coiled spring.

 

[caruso]

If they're chained, I'd just go to harbor freight and get a cheap set of bolt cutters

Problem there is as soon as I start to lift the anchor, or trace the chain back to where it's entangled, the whole area gets completely silted out, and I'm only starting with about 2' of visibility. I guess what you're saying is just cut the chain close to the anchor without disturbing anything. Yes, that works too. Thanks.

 

[johndiver999]

I would follow the chain and cut the rope off. Attach a lift bag to the anchor and get it started, with the chain still hanging down. Go up the chain to the anchor and add more air to offset the chain, and allow it to rise past you and then move to the side, in case it falls,

 

[Bob DBF]

...on a prearranged signal such as 3 tugs...

There is already system that divers and tenders use, this one is from PSD for search and recovery. Use the ones you want, and if you find retrieving anchors, or anything else, gets addicting, you have a base for expanding the signals you use. Why reinvent the wheel.

Communication
STANDARD LINE SIGNALS
FROM TENDER TO DIVER

• 1 Pull ''Are You All Right?'' While moving one pull means ''Stop''
  
  
• 2 Pulls ''Going Down'' or ''Going Out'' While ascending or coming in toward shore 2 pulls mean ''You Have Moved Too Far, Go back Until I Stop You.''
  
  
• 3 Pulls ''Stop and Stand by, Instructions To Follow''
  
  
• 4 Pulls ''Come Up''
  
  
• 2 Pulls pause 1 Pull ''I Understand''

FROM DIVER TO TENDER

• 1 Pull ''I Am All Right'' While moving means ''I'm Stopping'' or ''I'm On The Bottom''
  
  
• 2 Pulls ''Give Me Slack''
  
  
• 3 Pulls ''Take Up The Slack''
  
  
• 4 Pulls ''Coming Up''
  
  
• 2 Pulls pause 1 Pull ''I Understand''
  
  
• 1 Pull pause 2 Pulls ''I've Found The Object''

SEARCH SIGNALS

• 7 Pulls ''Go On (or Off) Search Signals"
  
  
• 1 Pull ''Stop'' or ''Stop and Search Where You Are''
  
  
• 2 Pulls ''Go''
  
  
• 3 Pulls ''Go Right''
  
  
• 4 Pulls ''Go Left''

EMERGENCY SIGNALS FROM DIVER

• 2 Pulls pause 2 Pulls pause 2 Pulls ''I Need Assistance''
  
  
• 3 Pulls pause 3 Pulls pause 3 Pulls ''I Am Fouled But Can Get Out"
  
  
• 4 Pulls pause 4 Pulls pause 4 Pulls ''Haul Me Up Immediately'

 

[tbone1004]

Problem there is as soon as I start to lift the anchor, or trace the chain back to where it's entangled, the whole area gets completely silted out, and I'm only starting with about 2' of visibility. I guess what you're saying is just cut the chain close to the anchor without disturbing anything. Yes, that works too. Thanks.

depends on how much saving the chain matters to you. Chain is cheap and it may be in bad shape anyway. Get as far as you can from the anchor and cut it there. If you're in 2ft viz and just want the anchor, it wouldn't be worth the effort of 2 dives to save $10 on a few feet of chain....

 

[Wookie]

Do what we do in the keys. Get a lift bag and lift the anchor clear of the bottom. You will have enough rope on it for it to make it to the surface. Tie the bitter end off to something strong enough to hold it against the tide, but not so strong you can’t break it. When you come up from your dive, grab the lift bag, haul it in the boat, break it away, and bob’s your uncle.

 

[lionfish-eater]

disconnect the anchor from the chain by removing the clevis
Attach rope with float directly to anchor
Surface and retrieve