Raft Anchoring

spauldeen · 07-03-2017, 04:54 PM

8'x8' raft (heavy) to be anchored in 12' of water. Best source for a good, durable block. What weight needed. Recommended chain length for 12 foot depth. Suggestions/cautions for chain connections and installation. Thanks for any and all advice.

Dick

Hillcountry · 07-03-2017, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spauldeen

8'x8' raft (heavy) to be anchored in 12' of water. Best source for a good, durable block. What weight needed. Recommended chain length for 12 foot depth. Suggestions/cautions for chain connections and installation. Thanks for any and all advice.

Dick

No raft expert here but I have used cement blocks, 2 to a chain and on at least 2 sides of the raft...this was on Winnisquam years ago and not really in an "open to the broads" location and the raft didn't move. My raft was in 12 ft of water as well. Tie a line to the chains and float a plastic jug over the winter to find the lines/chains in the Spring.

fatlazyless · 07-03-2017, 08:36 PM

Fay's Boat Yard in Gilford has high quality concrete blocks made up by someone who knows what they are doing. Weighing about 250-lbs, 24"x16"x16" with a 1" pvc tube installed within the block that is used for threading a line; price, about $50. They last underwater in Lake Winnipesaukee for many years .... like 50-plus years or some unknown, even longer length of time?

Fay's will load it onto your boat, and then you go drop it overboard, where you want it to be.

"Let's see ...... if we put it right here ..... our raft should totally annoy our pain-in-the-neck neighbor .....and then we'll still have our nice big view ..... yes, I do believe we should place it right here ........ heave-ho ......big splash ...... ho-ho-ho ....

"

Bernie Girl · 07-05-2017, 08:30 AM

After dealing with cinder blocks, chains and lines for several years we finally had Dive Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro come out to our island house and take care of securing our raft to a large rock which they dropped. Our raft is secure and is easy to put in and take out each year. They're great to work with.

The Real BigGuy · 07-05-2017, 08:47 AM

I used cinder blocks and chain (4 blocks chained to 3/8" line) on 2 sides of the raft in about 18 ft of water. During fall close up I attached an empty bleach bottle to the ropes and floated it about 3 ft below the surface to account for winter draw down.

A word of caution - check the chain after a few years. On a whim I dove down after two or three years and found that my 1/2 inch chain and shackles were only 1/8 inch. Rather then try to thread new chain thru a jumble of cinder blocks and installing new shackles at 18 ft while free diving I bought new blocks and started from scratch.

Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

codeman671 · 07-05-2017, 09:14 AM

We had a 250lb concrete disc with a tube through the middle for the chain to go through. We got it at Watermark when we got our raft. Use stainless chain, that way you don't have to ever worry or deal with it again. Ours after 10 years looked the same as when we installed it.

07-03-2017, 04:54 PM	#1
spauldeen Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Raft Anchoring 8'x8' raft (heavy) to be anchored in 12' of water. Best source for a good, durable block. What weight needed. Recommended chain length for 12 foot depth. Suggestions/cautions for chain connections and installation. Thanks for any and all advice. Dick

07-03-2017, 08:36 PM	#3
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,925 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 307 Thanked 1,056 Times in 769 Posts	Fay's Boat Yard in Gilford has high quality concrete blocks made up by someone who knows what they are doing. Weighing about 250-lbs, 24"x16"x16" with a 1" pvc tube installed within the block that is used for threading a line; price, about $50. They last underwater in Lake Winnipesaukee for many years .... like 50-plus years or some unknown, even longer length of time? Fay's will load it onto your boat, and then you go drop it overboard, where you want it to be. "Let's see ...... if we put it right here ..... our raft should totally annoy our pain-in-the-neck neighbor .....and then we'll still have our nice big view ..... yes, I do believe we should place it right here ........ heave-ho ......big splash ...... ho-ho-ho .... " __________________ .... Banned for life from local thrift store! Last edited by fatlazyless; 07-05-2017 at 10:00 AM.

07-05-2017, 08:30 AM	#4
Bernie Girl Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 60 Thanks: 145 Thanked 17 Times in 16 Posts	After dealing with cinder blocks, chains and lines for several years we finally had Dive Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro come out to our island house and take care of securing our raft to a large rock which they dropped. Our raft is secure and is easy to put in and take out each year. They're great to work with.

07-05-2017, 08:47 AM	#5
The Real BigGuy Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 1,310 Thanks: 125 Thanked 473 Times in 288 Posts	I used cinder blocks and chain (4 blocks chained to 3/8" line) on 2 sides of the raft in about 18 ft of water. During fall close up I attached an empty bleach bottle to the ropes and floated it about 3 ft below the surface to account for winter draw down. A word of caution - check the chain after a few years. On a whim I dove down after two or three years and found that my 1/2 inch chain and shackles were only 1/8 inch. Rather then try to thread new chain thru a jumble of cinder blocks and installing new shackles at 18 ft while free diving I bought new blocks and started from scratch. Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

07-05-2017, 09:14 AM	#6
codeman671 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 3,551 Thanks: 222 Thanked 834 Times in 504 Posts	We had a 250lb concrete disc with a tube through the middle for the chain to go through. We got it at Watermark when we got our raft. Use stainless chain, that way you don't have to ever worry or deal with it again. Ours after 10 years looked the same as when we installed it.