For drift boats. Centered in back, side pulley, or floor pulley? What do you guys think?

[This message has been edited by SPOON (edited 06-02-2000).]

Centered in back, no clam cleat ... carnavelli system or other drop cleat style for saftey. Side pulleys are okay IF you replace the std. pullerys with sailboat sealed bearing pulleys, but at about $100.00 a pop, this gets pretty expensive!

Side pulley's.....still have the orginals, and my boat is a 1984. Have rowed boats with center back, ugh....have to turn around, just don't like. Fished once in the winter time in a boat with "floor pulley's", not good cause it was freezing and the rope froze in the "track", but have to admit that as the day warmed up it was a good system.

Drifter,
Sometimes when fishing out of an old friends boat, we'd anchor up, hit the upper part of a slot for a few minutes, then just pull up on the anchor (centered on the back on this particular boat)lifting it off the bottom, let the boat drift directly down stream twenty feet or so and drop the anchor back down. I was wondering that if I had a side pulley system and attempted this maneuver, if by pulling up on the anchor rope and exerting a force on the side of the boat, if it would cause the boat to sway back and forth and not drift directly down stream? Correct me if I'm wrong, but by using the side pully system, basically you are pulling against the side and across the boat as opposed to pulling down the longitudinal axis of the boat. I was wondering how this would effect how the boat would track when pulling up on the anchor.

I have the side pulley system with the achor stand off on the right side of the transom. This works great because I can run a motor and not have to remove part of the anchor system.
I have no problems with boat cantig sideways at anchor.

My boat is an old Alumaweld and has the side pully system centered off the back ( it says dirks on it) I can't think of a single time that I thought to myself, "gee, I wish this was a better anchor system" I have thought that it would be cool on a few occasions that
it would be cool to be able to bench press 1000 pounds when that anchor is stuck. It does not matter what type of system you have when that happens. I have actually had to cut the rope a couple of times over the years.

Spoon:

Does not swing back and forth.....I have the same system again if I was getting another driftboat..

Here is a little tid bit of info that may help if you ever have an anchor that is hung up...
If you have the side pulley system. Grab the rope between to pulleys and give it a good yank. An older gentleman told me about that and it actuaully works. But if your anchor is hung to bad nothing will work.

I have the side mounted pully system on my willie and I have no problems. I wouldn't have it any other way. I use a small out bord sometimes and like being able to anchor and not have to take things apart when I want to use the kicker.


dcrzfitter

Spoon,
If your ordering a new boat, you can start with the floor mount and if you don't like it you can always go to the side system, but not the other way around. I have a floor mount and see no reason to change and also like the rope not cluttering the side of the boat.

My belief is why make the oarsman do all the work of anchor pulling? Make those "lazy" customers/passengers share some of the work. Total system price of abuut a $100: Run a 12 ft piece (For a 16 ft drift-boat) of 3/4" galvanized conduit (Home Depot) from your factory stern mounted anchor pulley bracket. The conduit bends easily to the contour of your boat. Mount it to your boats floor-board every 2 ft with wood screws and conduit brackets*. (My 16x54 Willie has about a 1" floor-board) Run your anchor rope down the conduit. Mount a foot release/pulley system (Available at Clackacraft in Oregon and others) between the two front seats yet slightly forward of the seat, still not directly where the passengers feet will be when they stand.
*If you are worried about tripping over the 3/4" conduit, then don't run it down the center of your boat. Buy 14 ft. Put bends (four 45 degree bends) in it to run alongside the floor-board and mount it with the side mounted conduit brackets.
This system still works if you fish alone. You either have to step over the seat to release the anchor or cut/place a gap in the conduit with a cleat by the rowsman seat for you to use when you're by yourself.
Now the rowsman is only rowing....and barking out orders for dropping/lifting. Gives the rowsman more time to set up when pulling anchor above a tricky piece of white water. Best system I have used yet.
x

After using a floor release and a side release I prefer a side mounted anchor system. The biggest problem with floor releases is the pile of rope at your feet. I'm always stepping on the rope or kicking it to the side and the rope gits very dirty with a floor mount. I like to keep the rope clean when ever possible and by the end of a busy day your hands will thank you for it. I also like larger diameter rope like 1/2 inch and a side pulley system works better than a floor mount when conditions get cold. In my experince, you'll get some sidewyas swaying after pulling the anchor in current, but I'd rather have the anchor bracket mounted off the side to allow a motor and anchor system to be used alternately. A side note, years ago, side mounted anchor systems did not exist, everyone pulled from the center unless you custom made your own. But with more enterprising fisherman understanding the benifits of a side pulley and anchor bracket system, this arrangement is now considered the industry standard and for good reason. Also remember that with every system there are trade offs, the side pulley system just has more pluses than minuses.

hook

B-run and Willierower, next time before you yank your arm out of its socket or cut your rope, try rowing up-stream of your anchor (if possible) and pull from upstream. Maybe I'm just lucky, but in over twelve years of drift-boating, I've never lost an anchor.

I have a side pull system on my 17 foot willie and had sealed bearings put into the pully wheels. The system comes from Willie. Just grind the pins and pop em out. Drill the holes out a little bigger and get some sealed bearings (9/16 od and 3/8 id)press em in and get some 3/8 4140 stock to make new pins and away you go. The bearings were about 50 bucks, the labor ?

Under the floor mount is the way to go. Pulls straight no spin out. On real cold days pull the anchor up and spray the pipe with WD 40 the night befor a trip this will keep it from freezing. vasoline also works but only on the end that is in your pipe or pulling will be real hard. This is my 2 cents worth. The best will be what you get used to.
Keep The Rivers Clean!!!

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dank