Movable Anchors

There is also another type of anchor that consists of having two ropes tied to certain points on the stream bank, and there are another two types of anchors used when the operation of dredging is going to be more extensive.

These types of anchors are a bit more difficult and require more work however; sometimes they are the only option. Both kinds can be utilized when the dredge needs to be moved a lot either across or up the stream bed. one is a movable anchor and the other is an adjustable anchor.

The movable anchor normally consists of four to five rocks that are to be held onto a rope or chain that is attached to the dredge. This will work better with the chain though because it can be bolted to the dredge. You can also anchor the dredge with three of these anchors however it is normally not stable in the stream current. Two moveable anchors will not give enough stability to the dredge because the part that is located downstream will start to rock back and forth too much.

These movable anchors are like sea anchors and they have a number of disadvantages and when they are used it is normally because there simply was no other option. Remember also that it is not easy to attach things to a wet rock, it’s difficult.

You will also need to take care of the type of rope you acquire because there is rope that stretches and gets loose when it gets wet and placed under a lot of pressure. Nylon rope will not stretch however is it slippery and you can’t trust it will stay on a rock. Chain can be attached very firmly to certain rocks, depending on their shape, but this cannot be done in a permanent way and they are utilized for smaller jobs.

Although they have seeming disadvantages, the truth about these types of anchors is that they can be used when nothing else works or when you have nowhere else to attach an anchor line (it does happen). This type of location might be a very wide stream or an area where there are not any trees or boulders that can be used. These are quite easy to move under the water and they can be moved in any direction, which is different from the adjustable anchor that only allows you to move the dredge in a straight line.

One of the downsides of the moveable anchor is that they have a tendency of settling into the sand and in some cases to great depths and can be quite a problem to get out. if the anchor does sink in too much, the area around them will need to be dredged before they can be moved. If you use the movable anchor at any point make sure the downstream anchors are placed very behind the discharge because other wise they will get buried under the tailings that will then need to get removed before the anchor is able to be changed or moved from that spot.