Buccananka Seaplane Anchor

 

Video by Buccaneer Ben  

Published on Jan 23, 2013
Buccananka Seaplane Anchor.

 
Frustration with heavy, useless anchors drove me to design a more effective one for seaplanes -- specifically my Lake Buccaneer. Uplifting an ineffective weight is both hazardous and expensive so I set about making a practical anchor that is:
 
- Lightweight & small. (Fits into the Buccaneer nose well).
- Quick setting.
- Not reliant on a catenary chain (more weight)
- Easily thrown a long distance (to enable kedging from shore).
- Be instantly ready & quickly stowed.
- Corrosion resistant
- Retrievable if caught or snagged.
- And of course, have high holding power.

The new "Buccananka" (well, it needed a name and it sounds similar to the expletive I called my previous, useless ones), ticks all the boxes. Its small size and needless of chain enables the Buccananka to be thrown a considerable distance (over 25m or 75ft). This feature, coupled with its fast setting characteristic, allows kedging out before departure as well as generally securing the plane offshore.

A seaplane anchor is constrained by size and weight so its holding power must rely mainly on shape. The Buccananka is a new generation claw anchor designed with optimised geometry and weight distribution so that when under water, it presents itself for fast burial and burrows deeper with additional load. In fact, the Buccananka can bury so deep, it has a breakaway release for retrieval if caught.

The Buccananka's performance in heavy weed or rocky bottoms is unreliable and probably not a whole lot better than other small anchors. Of course, you can get lucky and jag a rock. Failing this, the only recourse is to revert to calling it by the similar generic name - but as I prefer not to beach on rocky areas (new paint job), my need is for sand and mud - and this is where the Buccananka works a treat!

The Buccananka specs are:
Anchor Weight -- 540gms (18oz)
Length 30cm (12") Height 15cm (7") Width 16cm (6.25")
Construction -- Stainless Steel
Recommended Rode -- 8mm (5/16") dia. nylon.

Note: Chain should not be attached directly to this anchor as it hinders rapid setting.