T&T: Trip lines and stern anchors

[Sharon Heydlauff Starling]

Fellow Listees,

I read a lot about trip lines and stern anchors.  Two questions follow:

Stern Anchors:
How does one retrieve a stern anchor.  Do most people add a large winch at
back of boat  or simply retrieve by hand.  How large does stern anchor need
be.  Can is be fairly small to simply keep boat from swinging or does it need
be sized to boats main anchor.  We have KK42 and have a large Danforth
Fortress. While anchor is light I have about 30 ft. chain (not light).  Only
tried it once and was pain to retrieve especially chain .  We hope to start
River system this fall and am trying to get boat prepared for this section.

Trip Lines:
When we set our bow anchor if it is "stuck" we simply drive forward to pull it
up and then continue to winch it in.  Just how does a trip line help.  If the
anchor caught on large tree limp it seems that my nearly 80 lb SuperMax is
going to be rather difficult to  pull up, perhaps by hand, with a trip line.
I am sure my ignorance and lack of experience in the river system is showing
but would appreciate input re the trip line and stern anchor and especially
the stern anchor deployment.

Stephen Starling
KK42
Stevedore
Currently lying Duncan Bay Boat Club
Cheboygan MI

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