I've been reading the Great loop list, mostly to share and learn from
other peoples experiences as we won't be able to do any cruising for a
year and a half due to other obligations.

Our anchoring attempts were successful, The 'retrieving the anchor and
getting underway' seems to need a little improvement.

Janis and I took "Meteora" (The Goddess of Weather) from Lake
Guntersville on the Tennessee river near the Alabama Tennessee Border,
down the Tennessee to Pickwick lake then down the Tenn-tom to Mobile and
along the waterway to moorage in Perdido bay near pensacola.    This was
just after Hurricane "Danny" which sat over Mobile like a spinning top
for several days.
We anchored in the channel with two Danforth anchors each night.  I
learned to appreciate huge winches. We would have lost the anchors
without them. The anchors, both, without exception, hung up on submerged
branches, logs, even trees every time.  The windlass would not handle the
load!
In one instance which seemed typical, the line ran from the starboard
winch to a turning block to the masthead then to the anchor line which
had been brought alongside to port. I cranked the winch and the boat
heeled to port a like amount. I stopped, we thought about what else we
might do and then cranked some more, The boat heeled more.  I cranked,
the boat heeled.  Just when I thought the Gunnel would go under if I
cranked more,  The mast was making about a 45degree cant to port, the
boat gradually straightened, the mast came back toward vertical and what
seemed like a huge tree began to rise out of the water.  We watched in
Awe as it appeared larger and larger and closer!.
The winch was taking all I could give and the limbs were dragging up the
hull.  As the limb to which the anchor was hung came clear of the water,
the limb broke off and the tree made a tremendous splash and Meteora sat
in the water rocking from side to side so that both side decks went under
water. The freed anchor came toward us like a missile from a launcher,
hit the lifelines but was restrained from swinging back for another try
at maiming us by the mate who had a line on a length of chain that she
had wisely looped around the halyard when we started lifting. It had slid
down the anchor line as the boat heeled.

Mud and water coated us and the boat. The anchor shank was now at a right
angle from the base, when we had it straightened, we had bars welded on
both sides of the shank to strengthened it.
We washed down as we headed dowm river then each, in turn cleaned up with
a bath and clean clothes.

I decided then to always have a couple of mushroom anchors for anchoring
in rivers.  Better yet a couple of heavy balls so they don't hang up.

I did not have problems anchoring in the Tennessee river and the debris
in the Tenn-Tom might have been due to the recent onslaught of "Danny"

I had tried to use 'trip' lines on the Danforth but they became entangled
and did not work.
There was lots of "experience" in anchoring but not much learning except
to use something without "hooks"  to anchor with in rivers.

Ben Owen
"Meteora"

have you had success with the mushrooms?
what size?
where did you get them?

Ted Brustowicz
MY SPIRIT