Anchoring Options
The simplest, and often the best anchor setup for ponds or lakes is one or more of item AN308 - which is the 50 ft of 3/16" anchor line with a brass swivel snap. Or, put together something similar from items you can buy at most boating dealers or even hardware stores. The brass swivel snap allows you to snap the anchor line to a suitable mushroom anchor in the 10 to 20 lbs. range, tie the line off to some convenient place on the frame and toss it overboard when you need to use it. The swivel on the snap is important because it keeps the anchor line from twisting if the anchor rolls along the bottom.
Although one free anchor as described would be OK for most ponds or lake fishing, up to four of these can be used to secure the boat in position in the wind - such as for core sampling on lakes or for setting up a duck blind. Since you only have the lines to deal with - no pulleys, cleats or brackets - you can tie them off at each corner of the frame - or wherever it makes sense at the time given the wind conditions. This provides the greatest flexibility and allows you to keep the anchor lines off the lower deck and away from the motor prop if you have an outboard or electric motor.
The best setup for rivers is the River King anchor system we offer here AN320. This integrated anchor system is optimized for river drifting where the operator needs to drop anchor precisely while the boat is drifting with the current - and without leaving the rowing seat or the oars unattended. This system includes several components that are integrated into the frame design including an anchor cleat, a fore and an aft pulley for mounting along the upper deck edge, an anchor bracket with another pulley that mounts to the stern (or bow) cross brace, the anchor line and brass swivel. This system keeps the anchor lines within easy reach but up off the lower deck and out of the way. The pulley brackets are stainless steel. At least one of these frame-integrated anchor systems should be used for river drifting and will be far more practical than a free anchor/line in most river situations.
Although one anchor system, as described above, will get you by - in rivers, the most practical anchor setup is to use two of these systems with the two anchor brackets mounted to the stern crossbrace as shown below.
Two systems allow you to use two lightweight anchors instead of a single larger anchor - such as two, 12 lb anchors instead of one 25 lb anchor. These are easier to retrieve and can save your back when you have to lift them to the surface many times a day. In many locations, depending on the bottom, a single 12 lb anchor will likely do the job. This also gives you redundancy so if an anchor component ever breaks three miles from the take-out you still have the ability to anchor up in most situations - except in really fast water (which you should not anchor in anyway). Finally, two 12 lb anchors will hold better than one 25 lb anchor in most river drifting situations.
Note that we don't supply the anchor(s) - just the hardware. Anchors, being heavy and cheap, often cost more to ship than for you to buy locally. Also, this way you can buy the anchor type and size best suited for your local bottom conditions, river flows, etc. Generally a pair of 10 to 20 lb mushroom anchors will work for most river drifting and will be least likely to catch on debris on the bottom. For skinny Gulf Coast water or any Mangrove flats a push pole will work better than an anchor.Anchoring Safety: There's a reason that whitewater catarafts are not equipped with anchors. It's dangerous to use anchors in fast water. Even though our boats are strong enough to handle the moderate whitewater that you may pass through on the way to slower sections of the river where the fish are more catchable - anchoring should only be attempted in these relatively slow water areas - never in fast current.
We provide (and recommend) 3/16" diam anchor line for safety reasons. This line has a breaking strength greater than 700 lb. - which is plenty strong enough to hold this boat on most bottoms in faster water than anyone should anchor in a river. In fast river current anchors can get lodged behind a rock or branch on the bottom, and depending on the current and how heavily your boat is loaded, you may not be able to row back upstream above the anchor to retrieve it. In that case you'll need to cut the anchor line and abandon your anchor. Always carry a sharp knife on river float trips for this purpose.
Only use the anchor in relatively slow water where you can row upstream against the current if it gets stuck. Before running through whitewater sections of the river secure the anchors to the frame so there is no chance they might release as the boat gets tossed around by the waves. An anchor inadvertently dropped in fast water can throw you or your passengers and any unsecured gear out of the boat when it grabs on some boulder or tree on the bottom. That can also break or bend anchor system and other frame components and can even capsize your boat.
Also, realize that when you're drifting with the current in the middle of a broad fast river it may seem that you are hardly moving when you could be speeding along at 8 knots or more. Learn to judge current speed under different conditions. Always line up your cataraft well in advance of any obstruction downstream. In fast current once you get there - there won't be time for corrections. Respect the river.
