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Gettin' my Helix on, o-----//-

3K views 22 replies 9 participants last post by  Reef33 
#1 · (Edited)
Of all the folks here surely someone has installed the small round shaft Helix mooring anchors?

Link: http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/bro...lix-jr-8-1x-4-shaft-galv-728233-/4,36138.html

I have one and plan to install it soon. Any tips would be appreciated, such as what did you use for leverage to turn it. Problems, glitches, helpful hints, etc.

I am a recreational diver and plan to do it from below. Don't have a boat in the water right now (or friend's boat), so from above not an option. It's only about 10 feet of water, maybe 8' at low tide, but never gets low enough that I could do it without diving gear.

Already searched Sailnet for Helix and only found a few threads and not much about installing them from below. With all due respect, please don't tell me to hire a professional. These small Helix's (Helixes, Helices?) are designed for DIY'ers. Thanks Folks :)
 
#5 ·
I have never done it underwater, only on land. My concern with underwater would be having the traction to apply enough force to turn it. If you have a really long lever arm, that could be overcome. I have used a 6' pry bar to turn them and they go just fine provided there are no rocks. I can't really think of any tricks except waiting to attach the chain until the very end.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the replies - at least I know someone is out there! I guess it is that simple, just screw it into the bottom and don't breathe in the water while doing it :eek:. I have some 6' iron pipe that might fit through the eye, I guess I'll try that. I'll be weighted down and not wearing fins, so I hope to get some traction.

Yes, the holding power is amazing. That's why I'm so surprised that not many use them. Maybe it's because they are hard to install??

Manufacturer just says screw it into the bottom up to the eye, how you do it is your business.
 
#9 ·
Many Thanks, Otter. That is very kind of you. I know from other posts that you are a Pro. I'm at the top of the Chesapeake. I see you are in Toms River, that's a bit of a hike from me and I wouldn't want to trouble you, but that is a kind offer.

I'll give it a shot and post the results here in case there is another Helix newbie out there somewhere someday :D
 
#11 ·
Reef - I've been following your posts on SN. I'm in Upper Chesapeake as well with a Helix anchor on my porch awaiting installation and much like you I am desperately seeking advice on best way to install. Any chance you'd want to work together on this and help each other out? I've got a 20' bow rider and a 9' rib that we could use to aid installation.
 
#15 ·
Me too, me too :D

I am also in the Upper Chessie and I am interested in installing a helix. Haven't bought one yet but have been thinking about it. There was a thread maybe a year ago that showed how someone installed one from a boat. He used Schedule 40 PVC pipes and turned the helix from the boat.

Oh, this may seem obvious, but if you do it this way, do NOT install the chain at the end, but before you put the helix into the water!

Please keep us all informed about your experiences. Thank you.
 
#12 ·
Hi NCB! That sounds great. Heck, you might even be my neighbor? Anyway, my project is at a roadblock. Turns out my brand new SCUBA tank failed inspection and I have to send it back to the manufacturer. So I don't know how long it will take to get a replacement.

Just my luck, the tank inspector said he has only failed 2 tanks in the last 5 years, and one was mine. I don't know if you want to work with me with that kind of luck? Anyway, I can't proceed until I get my tank, so I may not even get it in this year. I will let you know. Thanks, and happy sailing!
 
#19 ·
If anyone is still interested, after much trial and tribulation, I finally got my Helix installed. I'll summarize here to help anyone else who might attempt this.

The Tackle: I have the 4 foot long, 8 inch disc Helix model # H0848. Used a 3/8" high grade (G70) galvanized chain that was on sale at WM for my bottom chain. (first photo)

The Setup: Found out that a 1/2" shackle opening will not fit over the 1" thick eye on the Helix. So the smallest shackle that you can use is a 5/8". However, the pin from the 5/8" shackle will not fit through the link in the 3/8" chain. So I ended up connecting the 5/8" shackle to the Helix, then connecting a 1/2" shackle to the 5/8" shackle, then connecting the 1/2" shackle to the 3/8" chain. (second photo) Got all that? I mail-ordered Crosby Shackles instead of the cheap Chinese crap that everyone around here sells. I suppose you could use a larger bottom chain which the 5/8" shackle pin would fit, then you would only need one shackle.

Used a 5' long 3/4" iron pipe that I had lying around as leverage for screwing the Helix. (third photo)

Attached the 1/2" shackle to the end of the bottom chain and moused it. Attach the 5/8" shackle to the 1/2" shackle but do not tighten or mouse it. You'll need to take it off again on the bottom when attaching the chain to the Helix. (4th photo)

Dive #1: I did this in two dives because my shackles hadn't arrived yet and it was D-day (weekend off) for the install. I won't go into the diving details except to say make sure you have enough ballast to keep you on the bottom while working, and that moron idiot Maryland ******** boaters have no idea what a dive flag means :mad: I can't tell you how many times I was buzzed by some inbred 3rd grade dropout with their 15 Honey Boo Boo family members in a 12ft boat out tubing and when you surface to wave them off they just wave back at you with their 3-tooth grin and come even closer to see what you're doing. Sorry, I'm a tad peeved.

Anyhoo, I swam out with the Helix and 5' turning bar to my desired location. Floating them out on a raft is helpful. I used my water toy raft that has a tough cover on it. I anchored this with a small anchor and attached my dive flag to a pendant buoy nearby. Going down about 10 feet I found a muddy clay type bottom. Using the bar I turned the Helix into the bottom. It went in easily, but with satisfying resistance. I did not hit any rocks (thank goodness). The only difficulty that I had was fighting the tide and that I didn't have enough ballast and kept trying to float to the surface. I actually held myself down with the Helix and the bar. I eventually got it turned all the way down so the eye was at "ground level", even a little below (as recommended).

I had put a small float and some 1/4" line in my BCD pocket to attach to the Helix eye to mark the location and I now tied this onto the eye. If you don't mark the location, and you have to come up for anything, you will NEVER find it again. That Helix eye on the bottom is like the proverbial needle-in-a-haystack. Once topside again, I tied a larger crab-pot float on the marker line. Oh, and don't forget your iron pipe. That's the end of dive #1.

Sorry, no pictures of the dive, but put a brown paper bag over your head and that is exactly what you will see in the Chesapeake Bay. Everything you do is done by touch, visibility is about 6 inches in the bay. (to be continued)
 

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#22 · (Edited)
I have put those screw anchors in for temporary antenna tower guys and for fence corner anchors. One crew I worked with had a geared down hydraulic motor on an arrangement with four handles on it. Hydro power from the tractor and four guys to hold the handles, one more to work the tractor to turn the oil on and off. It worked great until it hit a tree root. Did ya ever see four guys get thrown to the the ground at the same time as 15 ft of hydraulic hose gets wrapped around the anchor shaft?

I still have the bar bell shaft I picked up from a road side trash pile one day. It worked much better than the 3/4" water pipe the boss was buying at the time. It never bent any more than it already was. I'm pretty sure I don't want to know what it took to bend that bar.

One trick that we used when we needed to put one in the bottom of a ditch might be useful if the water is shallow enough. We pounded one end of a galvanized chain link fence post down flattening it just enough so it would slip over the eye of the screw anchor. Then we drilled a hole through the top of the post so that we could turn it with a bar.

Result? A cheap, instant, 8' extension for turning in screw anchors. If it tends to slip off, you can drill a hole through the flattened part to line up with the inside of the eye loop on the anchor. Just slip a bolt through the hole with the anchor in place, nut'er up and the anchor will not come off the extension until you are ready.

Anyone who needs detail drawings for this tool can make them themselves. We made ours with what we had while racing a rain storm. We didn't want to have to drive another 60 miles to finish on another day.
 
#23 ·
Continuing my previous post -

Dive #2 Setup: The second dive was to attach the ground tackle, but this could all be done with one dive if you have all of the parts ready. By the next weekend my shackles had arrived and I attached them to the bottom chain as described in my first post. I also attached a ½"x15' line to the other end of the chain and used this to hold my dive flag float (for all the good it did). This is also so you can find your chain once you have attached it to the Helix eye. (first and second photos) Put a piece of galvanized wire and a cheap pair of pliers in your BCD pockets to tighten and mouse the 5/8" shackle once it is attached to the Helix eye.

Dive #2: (the following weekend) Take your nifty bottom chain/dive flag setup out to your Helix, which you so wisely marked last time with a float. It also helps to float that chain out on a raft, or you can just walk out on the bottom using the chain as your ballast. Of course, you can't see where you are going (don't ask) so I would recommend floating it out.

Down you go. Use your previously placed marker line to find the Helix eye. Grab the shackled end of your chain, which should be nearby on the bottom, and unfasten the 5/8" shackle pin. Now fasten it through the Helix eye attaching the bottom chain. Do your best to tighten the pin with your pliers and blindly mouse the 5/8" shackle with the pliers and wire in your BCD pockets. Yay! You now have your ground tackle attached to your Helix anchor!

Now untie the marker line from you Helix eye (not before you have the chain attached, in case anything goes wrong). Tie it off to the other end of the chain so it doesn't float away. Up you go!

I swapped out the dive flag buoy and put the crab-pot buoy onto the ½" line attached to my chain. Don't drop the line while switching! Tie your now unused ¼" marker line to the now unused dive flag buoy to tow it ashore with you. You can now complete your mooring setup from the dry side of the water by pulling up the bottom chain with the line attached to it. You did make your bottom chain 1-1/2 times maximum water depth, right? That's the end of dive #2.

Swim ashore and have a Dirty Mojito to celebrate! And please don't ask me to come and install your Helix anchor. This one damn near killed me. I'm gettin' too old for this shizzle. I just wrote this so it might help some other poor schmuck who decides to install their own Helix. Maybe you will learn from my mistakes and refine the process ;)

Bloopers:
#1 The small float (piece of a water noodle) that I attached to the marker line in my BCD pocket worked great, but it came untied on the surface end and when I came up I saw it floating away. The only thing that saved me was that the ¼" line floated and I was able to swim ashore and get another float and find it again. Lesson - tie good knots.

#2 Have adequate SCUBA ballast to keep you on the bottom to work. It would have been a lot easier if the tide and my buoyancy weren't constantly trying to float me away.

#3 It may have been nitrogen narcosis, but I swear that I saw (photo #3) on the bottom as I was coming up :eek:
 

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