An inflatable boat is not just a means of transportation by water, but a complex balance between the ease of construction and the need to withstand loads. Anchorage This is one of the key points of fishing or recreation on the water, where proper fastening becomes a matter not only of comfort, but also of the safety of the crew. Mistaking the choice of a node or anchorage point can lead to the loss of expensive cargo or, worse, to damage the cylinders at a critical moment.
Unlike metal boats, PVC boats have their own specifications: they are lighter, have high sailing and require a particularly careful attitude to the places of fixation of the cable. The most critical parameter when choosing a fastening scheme is the absence of hard contact of the rope with sharp corners of the transom or rim bolts without the use of protective bushings. That is why the question of how to properly tie the anchor requires a detailed consideration of the types of nodes, rope materials and points of application of force.
In this article, we'll take a look at all aspects of the inflatable anchor system, learn about the physics of the process, learn how to knit sea knots that don't untidy under load, and understand why standard store solutions often require refinement.
Choosing the optimal anchor for an inflatable boat
The first step to safe parking is to select the cargo itself. For polyvinyl chloride boats, the weight of the anchor should be approximately 10% of the displacement of the vessel or 1 kg per 1 meter of hull length. Using an anchor that is too heavy creates an excessive load on the anchorages and can lead to an excessive load on the anchorages. transmutation or sagging bottom, especially in conditions of full load of the boat.
The most popular types for small boats are cat anchors and Denforth folding anchors, the former are versatile and well-maintained on a rocky bottom, the latter have excellent engagement on sand and silt.
When choosing, you should also pay attention to the presence of an anchor pyre If the ring is welded dead and has no vertebrae, this can create problems in the sample if the anchor is sucked into the mud. In such cases, it is recommended to use additional carbines or to self-make the vertebrae into the mounting system.
⚠️ Attention: Never anchor PVC boats with sharp edges, rusty metal structures or concrete blocks without soft windings, which can damage cylinders when pitching or lifting.
Mounting points: rim bolts, rings and leer
Where exactly to tie the anchor end is a question that is often controversial. squirt-boltThese are the standard anchorages, but they're designed to be strong for a specific load vector, and if you're in a strong wind or a strong current, you can increase the force many times over, so relying on just one bolt is risky.
To strengthen the design, many owners install additional anchor This allows for a nose-to-wind parking, which is the safest and most comfortable way for inflatable vessels, and it requires care: the hole must be carefully treated and the bolt planted on top of the surface. sealant.
An alternative to rigid mounting is to use a liner cable stretched along the side, in which case the anchor thrust is tied to the lintel, which makes it easy to change the point of application of force, but this method requires that the leer itself be securely fixed and have a sufficient margin of safety, otherwise it can simply cut the handle for carrying or damage the cylinder.
To protect the balloon from rubbing with a rope, use a piece of hose or a special tread at the point of contact of the cable with the sides of the boat.
Choosing the anchor end: rope or chain
The anchor cable material has a direct impact on parking reliability. nylon cord Nylon is good for its elasticity: it stretches under load, working as a shock absorber and quenching the boat's jerks from the wave. Polypropylene is cheaper and does not sink in water, which makes it easier to find it if it falls overboard, but it is less durable and afraid of ultraphyletics.
The use of the chain as part of the anchor system for PVC boats has its own specifications: a small section of the chain (3-5 meters) between the anchor and the rope helps to press the legs of the anchor to the bottom, improving the hook. chain It should be strictly dosed so as not to overload the bow of the light inflatable boat.
The diameter of the rope also matters: too thin a cord will cut the hands when sampling, and too thick will take up a lot of space and get confused. The optimal is considered to be a diameter of 6-8 mm for boats up to 3.5 meters long. It is important that the surface of the cord is smooth, without sticking out villi that can get stuck in the mechanisms or get confused.
| Type of material | Density | Extensibility | Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| nylon | Thunder | High (up to 30%) | Main flogging, damping of jerks |
| Polypropylene | Swimming. | Low. | Budget option, marking |
| kevlar | Thunder | Minimum | Special tasks, high strength |
| Chain. | Thunder | Missing. | Weighting, protection against grinding |
Why is nylon better than polypropylene for anchor?
Nylon cable can stretch under load, accumulating the energy of the boat's snatch on the wave and returning it back, which reduces peak loads on the rim bolts and the anchor itself. Polypropylene is almost non-stretchable, so all jerks are transmitted directly to the attachment points, which can lead to the bolt being pulled out or the anchor is derailed from the ground.
Schemes for the mating of reliable sea nodes
Knowing how to tie the knot properly is a fundamental skill: two main knots are most commonly used to attach the anchor tile to the fry bolt or anchor ring: bayonet (or two bayonets) and baleenThe good thing about the buck is that it's easy to execute and it holds it securely at constant thrust, but it can crawl under variable load if it's not fixed by the control grip.
The boulin, or gazebo knot, is considered the king of sea knots, and it forms a non-tightening loop that does not crawl and easily untidy even after heavy loading. You can use a direct knot with control grips to tie the anchor to the ring, but the more reliable option is to pass the end through the ring and the viscous knot. bayonet.
☑️ Checking the site's readiness
Therefore, when knotting on polypropylene The number of turns and grips should be increased, and once the knot is tied, it needs to be tightened very tightly, pulling the running and root ends in different directions, and a carelessly tightened knot can untie spontaneously under the influence of water and vibration.
⚠️ Attention: Avoid using simple knots, such as a bow or single knot, to anchor, and they behave unpredictably under water and under load and can untie at the most inopportune moment.
Rules for safe anchorage
The anchoring process begins long before the load touches the bottom, and the parking lot should be approached against the wind or current, slowly slowing down. windward It's only after the boat starts to roll back, the anchor end starts to etching, and a sharp drop of the anchor can cause the phalo to become entangled around the engine propeller or cylinders.
The length of the etched anchor end should be at least three to four depths in the parking lot. rangeIf you're straight up, the anchor will be on the bottom, but it won't catch the ground, and the horizontal tension component is necessary to keep the anchor's legs buried in the bottom.
When the boat stops, you have to make sure that the anchor is "settled," and you pick a slack and you feel a characteristic cliff, and if the boat continues to demolish, you repeat the procedure, and then you have to turn your nose to the stream, and if you don't, you might be dragging the anchor along the bottom, which is dangerous when you approach the shore or other vessels.
The golden rule of anchorage: the length of the rope should be at least 3 times the depth at the point of staging to provide the necessary angle of attack of the anchor.
Frequent errors and ways to fix them
One of the most common mistakes is to tie the anchor end directly to the squirt-board It's not a bolt, it's not a loose bolt, it's a broken mounting geometry, and it creates a tipping moment, and the boat can start to draw water with a translucent, especially if there's a wave at the back, and the water that gets into the cockpit is very depressing.
Another mistake is the absence marker If the rope breaks or has to be cut in an emergency, you lose anchor forever, a simple float at the end tied to the anchor (if a two-pointed circuit is used), or a bright mark on the main rope will help save the cargo.
Ignoring the rope condition also leads to problems: twisted anchor end forms a "beard" or "board", which, when sampled, can sharply pull the boat or injure the hands. scuffle and knots.
What if the anchor is stuck dead?
If the anchor is sucked into the silt or stuck between the rocks, don't try to pull it out by force, working with the motor at the limit - this is dangerous for the transom. Try to approach the anchor point from different sides, choosing a slack. If this does not help, you can tie the end to the transom, slowly strain the boat with the engine to the limit of elasticity, and then sharply give gas (the snatch method), but only if you are sure of the strength of the anchors. The safest way is to use a webbing or diving (if depth and temperature permit).
Can I use a cat anchor on a rocky bottom?
Grapnel is great for rocky bottoms, as its paws can catch on the cliffs. However, there is a risk that it will jam between the stones. In such cases, it is recommended to use anchors with one movable paw or provide for the possibility of uncoupling the lower part of the cargo. For PVC boats, it is also important that the cat's paws are not too sharp, so as not to damage the cylinders if handled sloppy.
Which knot is easiest to untie with one hand?
If you need to get rid of the anchor quickly, it is best to use a knee-detached knot or a special quick-detachable carbine if it can withstand the load. Among the classic knots, the reef knot is most easily untied under load (a version of a straight knot with one tightening slug), but it is less reliable for permanent parking. For emergency release, it is better to have a knife with a float at hand to cut the rope at the anchor itself, if it is fixed with a wedge.