Floats for trip lines, etc., where to obtain?

[Kim Whitmyre]

Anyone have a source for those football (NFL style :) ) shaped floats that are used on fishermen's nets? I'm rigging up my anchor/sea anchor trip line, and need a few. I'm going to look around the marine equipment shops on the way to the marinas and see if I can find a few used ones, but knowing where to get them won't hurt me.

[Donn]

You can probably get them at your local wharfs, but if not, Seattle Marine (http://seamar.com/indexb.html) has them.

[Ian McColgin]

I just use a regular hole through it pick-up buoy. If you want, get one with a stick and counterweight but I personally preferr to use a boat hook and the little buoy is easier to stow.

A good dodge: I put a line through mine with an eye at the top end and back spliced onto an openable ring at the bottom. The trip line of bright yellow floating polyprop runs from the anchor up through the ring and ends in a few links of chain. I made that line about twice my normal anchoring depth and have available a longer unit. That way, the bouy remains right above the anchor, with no line either floating or sinking to foul on stuff.

I had trip lines like this ready for use on foul bottoms for Goblin and Granuaile. For Marmalade, the trip line is integral to my deploy and recover from the cockpit system so it's rigged all the time.

It's well to have the buoy marked with "Anchor trip-line recovery buoy - DO NOT PICK UP" unless you want some schmuck to think it's a free mooring.

G'luck

[Hal Forsen]

Kim,
There are several places in so cal that have what you want.
Are you in LA, Orange or SD ?
HF

[Kim Whitmyre]

Kim,
There are several places in so cal that have what you want.
Are you in LA, Orange or SD ?
HF

Morning Hal,

I'm in Long Beach, right at the L.A./Orange county line, near Pacific Coast Highway.

[Hal Forsen]

Fisherman's Hardware
2801 East Anaheim
Long Beach, Ca. 90805
562-434-8311

Fisherman's Supplies
3956 Redondo Beach Blvd.
Torrance, Ca. 90504
310-516-1294

These guys should have what you are looking for; I know there is probably someplace in Wilmington that carries that stuff as well.
Let me know how you do.
HF

[Bob Cleek]

Ain't that what they make those bright orange liquid Tide bottles for?