How to Make Your Own Sea Anchor
Creating your own usable boat anchor is a relatively simple task, and one which can be easily accomplished for just a few dollars. Inexpensive homemade anchors are far better for use with smaller fishing boats, generally not exceeding 20 feet. The best part of these homemade anchors is that if one should become snagged or lost, they present no danger to the environment or to the navigation of other boats. In addition, they can be inexpensively replaced.
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Things You'll Need
- Large 1-gallon metal coffee can
- Automotive U-bolt with nuts
- Portland cement
- Garden hoe
- Wheelbarrow
- Garden hose
- Scrap cardboard
Instructions
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Empty the coffee can and clean it out if necessary. Place the can on a solid surface which you can hose off later should you spill any concrete. Install the nuts onto the threads of the U-bolt. This will be pressed into the concrete in a later step. It is unnecessary to tighten the nuts down, so long as they are fully threaded onto the U-bolt.
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Mix the concrete using a hoe and garden wheelbarrow. Dump approximately one gallon of concrete mix into the wheelbarrow. To this add approximately five cups of water and mix until the concrete is the consistency of peanut butter. The consistency of the mixture is more important than the amount of concrete, so add water or concrete mix to the mixture in small amounts until the mixture is correct.
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Pour the concrete into the coffee can all the way to the top, then smooth the top using a piece of scrap cardboard. When properly smoothed, the top of the concrete will have a slightly glossy look and there won't be any rocks poking up through the top of the concrete. Press the automotive U-bolt into the center top of the concrete until there is approximately two inches of metal loop left above the surface of the concrete. Smooth the concrete around the U-bolt so that there is a smooth surface of concrete around the metal loop. Allow the concrete anchor to dry for several days before attempting to use it in water.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a galvanized metal U-bolt if your boat is to be anchored in salt water to help stave off the corrosive effects of the water. Smaller coffee cans can be used for smaller boats.
The concrete anchor will weigh approximately twenty five pounds when complete. Do not attempt to draw the anchor when the boat is in motion due to the risk of being pulled overboard.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
