Dredge Safety Line

Usually dredgers use the safety line to bring the dredge to shore at night when they are closing down operation so that the anchor line on one of the sides will remain in position when the work starts up again in the morning.

In many cases the safety line is smaller than the normal anchor line due to the fact that it is only there to swing the dredge back to the shore if the normal anchor were to fail. Make sure that the safety line is not less than one quarter of an inch in diameter, if you have a bigger one it is even better.

After the safety line has been secured to the dredge the actual launch can then start. There are many different ways a dredge can be launched and the way you decide will be determined by the current of the stream, on how deep the water is, on the turbulence etc. the way we are describing it here is a little bit more intricate then it would normally be done but it is convenient for a person that is in a stream that moves moderately and that is waist deep and it is also convenient for a couple people in a moderate moving stream.

Start out by attaching the safety line and give it enough length so the dredge can circle back to shore if it gets loose. Next, attach one line to anchor point 1. Next try to guesstimate how much rope you will need to allow the dredge to be anchored in the position of the stream where the dredging is going to occur and tie it off at the dredge anchor point.

Then you will need to cross the stream and tie the second rope to point 2 on the other side. This rope will need to be two times longer than the stream. Then the loose end of the rope 2 should be brought back to the dredge and run through the other eyelet.

Grab onto the dredge well with one of your hands and grab onto rope 2 with the other hand and pull it tight. Next you will be able to begin wading and directing the dredge little by little to the middle of the stream. Make sure that while you are moving out to continue grabbing onto the looseness of rope 2 so that it has a little bit of tension on the dredge and will also help with the current. 

If rope 1 gets jammed on rocks and bushes etc, you can coil it on the dredge and sort out the problem little by little.

After the dredge has been put in the spot you have chosen for dredging, rope 1 should be quite tight and rope 2 can be tied off. The extra line from rope 2 can be coiled around and tied around the line, as this will add on more safety. After you have done this, the safety line can be adjusted as well as other adjustments that must be made. You will now be able to start the engine.

As expected the procedure will be a lot easier if there are two people and in most cases people do not do these types of things alone so don’t worry, as long as you go with someone you will get help.