Alderney retreaval "lazy line"

[Graham Nash]

I have used the Alderney retreaval system since being shown by Tony & Dave at last years training day and have had good success with it apart from ..... the rope occasionally getting trapped in the front roller arrangement meaning having to hang out of the front hatch to free it.

 

I read up on a "lazy line", which i beleive to be a line attached to the mooring point on the front of the boat which reaches back to the cabin. I then drop the anchor off the side and allow it to settle before attaching it (via a loop tied in my anchor rope) to a carabina on the end of the lazy line. Chuch that over the side and hey presto it should all swing round to face into the tide and everything should be good. To retreave I just drive as normal towards(ish) the anchor buoy, pick up the anchor line and retreave as normal.

 

All sounds ok, but it never works that way for me! No matter how strong the tide, my lazy line never seems to swing me into the tide and gets all loose and knotted around the anchor line?

 

To those of you that use this method .... help, what am i doing wrong from the description above?

[ospreyman]

hi

i cant help re the lazy line as i do not use one, but if you have the standard raider bow fitting they are to short and the rope gets caught between the hull and the steel bottom of the roller or at least it did on mine when the rope came back into the cockpit. my solutin was to fit a slightly longer roller and it worked fine

greg

[Graham Nash]

That sounds about the same as my "problem" Greg.

 

I thought the lazy line would be a perfect solution but i get in sich a mess every time i try it!

[bassncodformeplease]

 

Graham, pop round mine and i'll show you my

floating lazy line system you don't need to use

bow roller at all but you do need something

which i can make for you

i use my boat quite often by myself and only once

when wind/tide were strong i had trouble, would

have been ok with extra pair hands

give call if u want. mike

[niggle]

i use my boat quite often by myself and only once

when wind/tide were strong i had trouble,

 

 

Mike you've got a good memory

[Adam F]

The Lazy Line is superb - for the small boat / cuddy boat user it cant be beaten for saftey.

 

Take up the offer of boing shown - it's hard to explain but easy peasy to do!

[Graham Nash]

I have your number Mike, I will call you one evening and pop over and see how it is done and what I'm doing wrong.

 

Thanks.

[Mike Fox]

The lazy line approach is one of the ways the Alderney Ring can be used, but there is a third way.

 

As you steam the anchor out, use a boat hook to lift the rope clear of the water, and place it over a deck cleat (or similar) to keep it in the cockpit. This should never take the direct strain of the lift, as you should continue going forward as usual.

 

When the buoy has "popped", you turn the boat as normal, towards the buoy, but this time you accept it's going to be a midships retrieve from the safety of the cockpit.

 

Obviously, you won't want to do this if it's lumpy, or there's breaking waves, but for a pleasant day out when it's flat (remember them?), it should be perfectly ok.

 

If you have a Safety Check from the RNLI you should be able to discuss this with them, and a multitude of other safety points.

 

Mike

[Graham Nash]

Thank you Mike. That sounds something like i do already but the anchor rope gets stuck in the roller arrangement from the initial "lift".

 

When i try it with the lazy line i get in all sorts of mess.

 

I will check out what Mike (BassCodandwhateverelseicancatch) has to offer and see how i get on.

 

I really must get one of these RNLI safety checks too.

[Brian]

All sounds ok, but it never works that way for me! No matter how strong the tide, my lazy line never seems to swing me into the tide and gets all loose and knotted around the anchor line?

Graham

Are you letting enough "anchor line" out after attaching the "lazy line".

It sounds as though your lazy line is not being pulled tight. Your anchor line should be slack between the Loop where the lazy line attaches and the boat.

 

When Mike did RNLI Sea Safety Check, I found it very interesting and picked up several usefull tipe and recommendations.

Edited March 16, 2011 by Brian

[Coddy]

Hi Graham

 

I have used the Lazy Line on a number of boats and it is easy to operate.

 

1/ Obtain a length of anchor warp that is NOT the length of your craft but so it reaches amidships of the cockpit. Blue ployprop (floating rope is good).

 

2/ Fix one end of the rope to the winching eye of the boat before you set off and the other has a heavy duty carabineer secured in the cockpit so it does not fall in the water.

 

3/ When anchoring, let the anchor, chain and warp over the side descend under control. Don't just throw the lot overboard otherwise chain & rope will tangle with the anchor. When the anchor hits the bottom and you have got to your position, tie a loop in the anchor rope and clip the carabineer to the loop and let out the anchor rope until the strain is taken up by the lazy line from the bow of the boat. The remaining anchor warp is still in the cockpit of the boat.

 

4/ When it comes to retrieve the anchor, you just pull on the anchor rope to bring the lazy line to the side of the boat as you SLOWLY motor forward allowing you to pick up the main anchor rope allowing you full control of where the anchor rope is.

 

5/ You can now drive the boat a little faster and use your Alderney buoy set up to lift the anchor in the normal way.

 

Hope this clears the mud a bit, it takes almost as long to write this as lifting the anchor!

 

I would suggest you try a few times with crew just to get the hang of the process but I have done it many times on my own.

 

If you fancy someone to practice with give me a call and I would be happy to meet up with you. We could do a practice or two in the harbour, well out of the way of others to gain confidence.

 

Dave

[Rob]

 

I am not really aware of the need of the lazy line.

 

Is it so you can adjust the amount of warp\rode out from the cockpit? Because other than that it seems like much bother as that can be done at the bow \ through a cockpit hatch.

 

The whole combo of a lazy line and an Alderney ring and buoy sounds like a tangle waiting to happen at the bow whilst bobbing at anchor - then you have that to deal with single handed!

 

Confuzzled, Rob

[Graham Nash]

I am not really aware of the need of the lazy line.

 

Is it so you can adjust the amount of warp\rode out from the cockpit? Because other than that it seems like much bother as that can be done at the bow \ through a cockpit hatch.

 

The whole combo of a lazy line and an Alderney ring and buoy sounds like a tangle waiting to happen at the bow whilst bobbing at anchor - then you have that to deal with single handed!

 

Confuzzled, Rob

That is exactly what happens to me Rob

 

I WILL work it out and will probably try it a couple of times in shallower water to see if we can master it before trying it in anger out there in the deeper water.

 

Dave I will see what Mike has to say, and I am going to organise an RNLI safety check very soon .... if i am still having problems I will give you a shout and take you up on your offer.

 

Many thanks all.

 

Graham.

[Coddy]

I am not really aware of the need of the lazy line.

 

Is it so you can adjust the amount of warp\rode out from the cockpit? Because other than that it seems like much bother as that can be done at the bow \ through a cockpit hatch.

 

The whole combo of a lazy line and an Alderney ring and buoy sounds like a tangle waiting to happen at the bow whilst bobbing at anchor - then you have that to deal with single handed!

 

Confuzzled, Rob

Hi Rob

 

The problem is that a number of boats do not have access to the bow to deploy or rectrieve the anchor or it is unsafe to work on the bow.

As you say being able to adjust the length of warp safely from the cockpit is simple affair.

Providing you take your time and a bit organised, there is little chance of tangles as you only clip the lazy line to the anchor rope when you are near the intended mark and unclip it as you recover the anchor once it has been lifted. Remember the other end of the lazy line is always attached to the bow (winching eye).

 

Dave

[Paul D]

Must admit I never have used a Lazy Line and I never need to access the hatch ( unless I am anchoring in much shallower water than normal when I reduce the length of Anchor rope ).

 

I just lower the anchor over the side and when retrieving pick up the anchor rope from the side also.

 

You can always tie off the anchor on a side cleat as well ?, eliminating the need to go anywhere near the bow at all. ( As in run through the bow but tied off on cleat from the side of the boat ).

 

 

[Graham Nash]

I normally do the same Paul but as i mentioned in the opening post my anchor rope invariably gets hooked up on my roller arrangement on the bow meaning my crew hanging out of the hatch trying to untrap it.

 

Its not impossible, its just a bit of a hag!

[Rob]

 

 

As I am understanding it - using a lazy line - the anchor warp shouldnt be going through the bow roller. Anyone?

 

 

[Paul D]

As I am understanding it - using a lazy line - the anchor warp shouldnt be going through the bow roller. Anyone?

Rob,

 

I think it does and the lazy line is attached to the winching eye then clipped onto the anchor rope such that there is enough length to run from winching eye to the clip when boat is anchored.

Other end of lazy line then goes around to side of boat.

 

Of course, happy to be corrected

[Graham Nash]

No ... the lazy line does not go through the rollers, and neither does the anchor line (when using the lazy line). The lazy line gets attached to the bow at the trailer hitch point and the anchor gets lowered over the side. But i dont seem able to get to grips with the lazy line method so My anchor line goes through my bow roller which gives me the problem with my roller arrangement.

Edited March 16, 2011 by Graham Nash