Mudweight

[Mad Harold]

Read on here several mentions of a mudweight.

What exactly is a mudweight?

How does it's use differ from an anchor?

Asked a couple of older more experienced boaters than me,and both said they had never heard of one.

Thanks.

[ditchcrawler]

Often used on the Broads, it just a dense weight, often a bucket of concrete with a metal loop embedded to tie a mooring line to

 

Edited February 23, 2020 by ditchcrawler

[David Mack]

20 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

Read on here several mentions of a mudweight.

What exactly is a mudweight?

How does it's use differ from an anchor?

 

Its just a large lump of something heavy. Relies on sheer weight to stay in place, rather than having flukes which dig into the canal or river bed. Easier (if heavier) to deploy and recover, but less holding power so more suitable for still or slow flowing waters only.

[howardang]

24 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Often used on the Broads, it just a dense weight, often a bucket of concrete with a metal loop embedded to tie a mooring line to

 

The difference between it and an anchor is that it has no flukes so doesn’t dig into the seabed,but relies purely on its weight.

 

Howard

 

Crossed with David Mack

 

  

Edited February 23, 2020 by howardang

[Keeping Up]

Very useful indeed in some circumstances, especially rivers but rarely on canals. I bought an old 56lb weight from eBay (by collecting it, postage would have been silly) of the type used on old-fashioned scales. Similar to this one. With a length of rope attached it makes a good temporary anchor on a river that is flowing fairly gently, eg to stop for lunch when the banks are unsuitable for mooring, and it's a lot easier to deploy and recover than an anchor. Also when travelling downstream I carry it through to the stern, where it doesn't get in my way but can be thrown overboard easily and quickly; in a fast flowing river it may not hold but would slow and stabilise the boat while I either fixed the problem or else strolled to the front to deploy the main anchor. Also on occasions when there is only room to moor one end of the boat, eg to a very short bit of pontoon, I have sometimes used it to hold the other end of the boat in place overnight. 

[vicafloat]

I also use an old 56lb weight. I have been told by people with more experience that once deployed, an anchor,especially in fast flowing water, is

almost impossible to recover!

[ditchcrawler]

22 minutes ago, Keeping Up said:

Very useful indeed in some circumstances, especially rivers but rarely on canals. I bought an old 56lb weight from eBay (by collecting it, postage would have been silly) of the type used on old-fashioned scales. Similar to this one. With a length of rope attached it makes a good temporary anchor on a river that is flowing fairly gently, eg to stop for lunch when the banks are unsuitable for mooring, and it's a lot easier to deploy and recover than an anchor. Also when travelling downstream I carry it through to the stern, where it doesn't get in my way but can be thrown overboard easily and quickly; in a fast flowing river it may not hold but would slow and stabilise the boat while I either fixed the problem or else strolled to the front to deploy the main anchor. Also on occasions when there is only room to moor one end of the boat, eg to a very short bit of pontoon, I have sometimes used it to hold the other end of the boat in place overnight. 

I have had lunch on the Nene with the boat moored to a 56lb weight, on the broads the bottom is normally quite muddy so the sink in

[Alan de Enfield]

13 minutes ago, vicafloat said:

I also use an old 56lb weight. I have been told by people with more experience that once deployed, an anchor,especially in fast flowing water, is

almost impossible to recover!

I guess those with 'more experience' actually have little real experience of anchoring.

 

There are very few rivers that flow with the speed and power of the Sea, yet we seem to manage to recover our anchor every time we use it (most days). There is no way I could afford to lose a £1000 anchor every day.

 

You actually use the boat (under power) to recover the anchor, very little manual work involved.

[MtB]

1 hour ago, Mad Harold said:

Asked a couple of older more experienced boaters than me,and both said they had never heard of one.

 

There are plenty who have been out and about on the cut for years and learned nothing, as your question illustrates.

 

 

[Keeping Up]

56 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I have had lunch on the Nene with the boat moored to a 56lb weight

Yes me too.

 

39 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

... we seem to manage to recover our anchor every time we use it (most days). 

We once met a small cruiser on the Severn that had anchored to spend the day fishing, and could not recover it. They were pulling hard enough on the rope that the gunwales of the cruiser were down to water level but still it remained stuck. We tied the rope to our stern dolly and applied plenty of power; up came the rope with the anchor, together with the remains of an entire tree that it had snagged in.

[Mad Harold]

9 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

There are plenty who have been out and about on the cut for years and learned nothing, as your question illustrates.

 

 

To be fair Mike,they probably havn't heard of CWF.If they had,they could have received enlightenment and knowledge like wot I 'ave.

[MtB]

5 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

To be fair Mike,they probably havn't heard of CWF.If they had,they could have received enlightenment and knowledge like wot I 'ave.

 

But this illustrates my point. Knowledge is available to be picked up. You heard about the forum, joined it, read it, asked questions. The boaters you mention probably did encounter the forum at some point in their lives but didn't have any interest, didn't read it, didn't join it. Have probably never googled for anything boaty in their lives or this forum would have been returned in the results.  Some people soak up available knowledge like a sponge, others simply don't. 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 23, 2020 by Mike the Boilerman

[Alan de Enfield]

7 minutes ago, Keeping Up said:

Yes me too.

 

We once met a small cruiser on the Severn that had anchored to spend the day fishing, and could not recover it. They were pulling hard enough on the rope that the gunwales of the cruiser were down to water level but still it remained stuck. We tied the rope to our stern dolly and applied plenty of power; up came the rope with the anchor, together with the remains of an entire tree that it had snagged in.

 

That is pretty much the way to do it.

Small boats can use a system called the "Alderney ring", commonly used amongst trailer sized sea-fishing boats. (you don't need a float as big as this !!)

 

 

 

Edited February 23, 2020 by Alan de Enfield

[Scholar Gypsy]

I have a home made one made out of concrete with a chain threaded through it. 

[MtB]

 

I have one made out of a Kelvin engine, some on here say!

 

 

 

[system 4-50]

I had 2 x 56lb proper mudweights getting in the way for years. Never used them so gave them away.  Number of occurrences of sore toes much reduced.

[Richard10002]

7 hours ago, Keeping Up said:

Very useful indeed in some circumstances, especially rivers but rarely on canals. I bought an old 56lb weight from eBay (by collecting it, postage would have been silly) of the type used on old-fashioned scales. Similar to this one. With a length of rope attached it makes a good temporary anchor on a river that is flowing fairly gently, eg to stop for lunch when the banks are unsuitable for mooring, and it's a lot easier to deploy and recover than an anchor. Also when travelling downstream I carry it through to the stern, where it doesn't get in my way but can be thrown overboard easily and quickly; in a fast flowing river it may not hold but would slow and stabilise the boat while I either fixed the problem or else strolled to the front to deploy the main anchor. Also on occasions when there is only room to moor one end of the boat, eg to a very short bit of pontoon, I have sometimes used it to hold the other end of the boat in place overnight. 

After a few years of ownership, our boat developed a list to port...... it turns out that almost everything that we have brought on board is either stored or fitted on the port side... hence the list.

 

For a few years I used 20kg coal bags on the roof, (starboard side), which levelled things up but, when I removed them after one winter, the roof was very rusty underneath.

 

In the end, I bought 4 of those 56lb scale weights, and they have done the trick. Painted them a nice grey in September, so they also look quite nice.

 

Good to know that I have 4 x 56lb mudweights on board - never needed one, but you never know  

[mikedel]

I have found mud weights very useful on rivers and particularly the Fens where there are few bankside moorings. Handy when you want to stop for a cup of tea or lunch and also for mooring overnight if you have no need to go ashore. I use a 22kg weight at the bows and an 18kg on the stern and keep them in position ready to deploy until I get back on the canal system.

 As the name implies they sink in the mud - and often when hauled back up are covered in evil smelling black muck - so it pays to have a system to secure them at the waterline while you scrub them off. Painting them with a high gloss finish helps with this cleaning process and stops them leaving rusty marks on your deck paint.

[Matt&Jo]

I've anchored many times at sea, fishing and only ever lost 1 anchor. Used correctly and recovered correctly....(sometimes a big old pull under power or loop round or a hand pull depends on boat and anchor size) they are 90% coming home again

 

Its all about inertia of your vessel and 125 hp of outboard strapped to the back of a 20ft cuddy cruiser = anchor losing the fight....if knots are tied sufficiently......bowline knot every time!!!

[Alan de Enfield]

13 minutes ago, Matt&Jo said:

Its all about inertia of your vessel and 125 hp of outboard strapped to the back of a 20ft cuddy cruiser = anchor losing the fight....if knots are tied sufficiently......bowline knot every time!!!

Even more reliable when using 100% chain and shackles. Also helps the anchor set and keeps the angle of pull better.

Drive over the top of the anchor and it pulls it out backwards.

 

Simples !

[LadyG]

22 minutes ago, Matt&Jo said:

I've anchored many times at sea, fishing and only ever lost 1 anchor. Used correctly and recovered correctly....(sometimes a big old pull under power or loop round or a hand pull depends on boat and anchor size) they are 90% coming home again

 

Its all about inertia of your vessel and 125 hp of outboard strapped to the back of a 20ft cuddy cruiser = anchor losing the fight....if knots are tied sufficiently......bowline knot every time!!!

Fisherman's Bend

 

or the dedicated Anchor Bend, will be stronger .....

[Phil Ambrose]

Another use for a mud weight is to drop one off the off side and if you find that some scrote has loosen your lines during the night the mud weight will be sufficient to hold your boat where you moored up.

Phil 

[Mad Harold]

My thanks for all the replies.Now I know what a mudweight is.

My last boat had two 56lb weights in the cockpit,and I thought they were part of the ballast.They were obviously mudweights,and had I known,I would have taken them for my present boat.

They sell for £30-40 on e bay!

 

Some excellent suggestions for the use of a mudweight.

I like the one were you drop it on the offside incase someone unties your mooring lines.

 

Edited February 24, 2020 by Mad Harold

[howardang]

1 hour ago, Matt&Jo said:

I've anchored many times at sea, fishing and only ever lost 1 anchor. Used correctly and recovered correctly....(sometimes a big old pull under power or loop round or a hand pull depends on boat and anchor size) they are 90% coming home again

 

Its all about inertia of your vessel and 125 hp of outboard strapped to the back of a 20ft cuddy cruiser = anchor losing the fight....if knots are tied sufficiently......bowline knot every time!!!

Even better and more secure;  use a double Bowline or alternatively an Anchor Hitch.

 

Howard

[Richard10002]

4 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Even more reliable when using 100% chain and shackles. Also helps the anchor set and keeps the angle of pull better.

Drive over the top of the anchor and it pulls it out backwards.

 

Simples !

Unless it’s a new generation type, (Rocna, Manson, Spade etc. ), when it might just reset itself in the opposite direction, and result in a sharp stop and a U Turn.

 

Unless it’s sunk in the clay/mud like Syracusa, where shortening the chain to vertical, and allowing the boat bobbing up and down on the waves, to pull it out gradually.

Edited February 24, 2020 by Richard10002