Being new to yakking I have been reading/looking at an awful lot of info about rigging, equipment, etc… One of many questions I have is, what is the purpose of an anchor trolley? Why not just toss it out and tie it off to the yak?
You can “trolley” the anchor to the front or back of the yak depending on tide direction and which way you want to face. If you tie it off directly on the side and the current is ripping, it is not very fun.
John
1996 Sunbird Spirit 170 - 112 Johnson
15’ Ocean Kayak Scupper Pro
anchor trolleys are pretty simple to install and you do not even need to drill anything into your boat. Watch a couple of videos and read a couple of articles and then you will be headed to the hardware store for the gear to create yours.
It really is nice to be able to face either way you want and definitely you do not want the boat to be sideways in the current!
Far better it is to dare mighty things to win glorious triumphs even though checkered with failure, than to take ranks with those poor spirits who never enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.
rigging a trolley can be as simple as 3 carabiners and a piece of parachute cord. These pics show Harken pulleys, but you can do the same thing with biners.
one at the bow
one at the stern
and tie the ends of the cord to the third.
The finished product
Who’s Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com
Very cool, thanks for all the info guys! A couple of questions, where can you get those Harken pulleys. I assume most boating stores or is that more of a kayak/canoe kind of item? Also, I noticed you have shock cord at one end. What is the purpose of that? Thanks, this is all new to me.
A trolley “kit” is available at Time Out in Mt P or pretty much any of the other retailers. I always start with Time Out cause they’re good people and Dolphin Dave is a friend.
The kit is about $30 if my memory is any good. It has the pulleys, a steel ring, a stainless biner, cord, and a short bungee.
Last time I priced Harkens at a boat shop they were about $10 each.
The bungee helps absorb some of the shock of boat wakes, changes in wind and it keep the lines tight to the yak when not in use.
Mine actually has bungee on both ends because I used the bow deck rigging to tie to at the bow.
Who’s Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com