Anchors can be an arch nemesis to the kayaking outdoorsmen. They are bulky, heavy, and cumbersome to store. More importantly, they are an essential burden for virtually every kayak. One of the most common questions I hear about anchor usage is “what do you do with it when you’re not anchored?” Honestly, it’s been a sore thumb on our kayaks for years. AJ and I have experimented with a variety of options and even tried avoiding the issue altogether by not using an anchor at all. Most outings, we really do need that anchor. As a result, we’ve had to search for storage options to make the battle a bit more manageable. These are 3 solutions that have served us rather well and will provide simple solutions for you as well.
Drainable Storage Tube
I was wandering aimlessly through YouTube one day, looking at a variety of kayak mods when I came across a video about making a storage tube out of PVC. He was definitely on the right track. It was sturdy, compact, and easy to build. When I went to collect the supplies, however, I discovered it would be in the neighborhood of $30 per anchor to setup our two kayaks. So I spent a little more time wandering around the hardware store and came up with my own version of this storage system.
Instead of PVC we got a length of drainage pipe for about ⅓ the cost of the PVC. It already has holes in it so water isn’t going to collect damaging the rope and anchor. Instead of the standard cap we got filter caps that allow for even more drainage. I already had marine grade rivets so I used those along with some waterproof glue.
Since my kayak build was sticking to a consistent color scheme I painted the holders to match my other mods on the kayak. If you want to learn about painting the plastic mods, let us know. We’ll be more than happy to put a little tutorial together for y’all.
Cord Roller
Hardware stores, discount stores, auto shops, and a variety of other shops have holders that allow you to roll up power cords. They’re usually plastic, compact, and light weight…the beauty of this is they work great for anchor rope as well.
Hooks, Velcro, or carabiners can allow you to attach them to your kayak to keep them secured when not in use.
Attached Cleats and pad eye
YakAttack makes cleats that fit directly into your track mounts. Many kayaks have a track mount in front of the seat and beside or behind the seat. If you place a cleat on each location and wrap your anchor cord between the two, you line will be easily accessible and neatly stored all the time. The anchor can then be tucked under your seat or in a storage cubby in quick reach.
This concept lead me to begin experimenting with other possibilities with kayaks that couldn’t easily accommodate the track mounts. One of my kayaks was very limited in storage space and had almost no track mounts. I attached a cleat in front of my seat on the gunwale then placed one inline just behind my seat. This worked just as well and didn’t require a large investment in supplies. My seat was basically on the floor of the kayak so I stored the anchor with Velcro beside my leg.