Rhond Anchors

[vanessan]

The talk about rhond anchors on another thread recently got me wondering about the history of them and how they were originally designed to be used. The only meaningful thing that came up when I googled rhond anchors was a thread on here from last year! There doesn’t appear to be a dictionary entry anywhere and I assume the word ‘rhond’ originated in Norfolk and became part of the ‘local speak’. I always thought rhonds related to reeds and therefore the anchor was designed to allow a boat to moor in reeds but I have no idea where that thought came from. In 2017, Vaughan said that his understanding of rhond was ‘earth bank’ and that would certainly tie in with how rhond anchors are used today. Does anyone have any idea of the true history of the rhond anchor which I believe is only used on the Norfolk Broads? (I may be wrong in that, no doubt someone will know.)

[Vaughan]

I have never seen them on other waterways and I am conscious that we appear to use the wrong word for "dyke" on the Broads. We use the name for a narrow, dug out waterway, but the Dutch use it to describe the bank which protects the land around, from flooding of the waterway.

Remember the fable of the little Dutch boy with his finger in a hole in the dyke?

[Ray]

An interesting article on all types of land anchors at this link indicates that Rhond Anchors are very much a Norfolk thing as there was no mention of them until an amendment was added following information received from "our" Naughty-Cal"  

http://the-onion-bargee.blogspot.com/2010/11/ground-anchors.html

[webntweb]

On one of our holidays in the 60s we got our timing wrong and after passing the fulll moorings at Reedham we arrived at Reedham Ferry in the dark. The only mooring we could see was at the downstream end of the pub's moorings. 

The last boat moored was on a wooden edged mooring but where we pulled up to was just grass - or so we thought.

It turned out to be very squishy land with reed stubble (our feet got very wet). With nowhere to go we took a gamble and shoved the rhond hooks in. We were still there in the morning so rhond hooks do hold in less than perfect ground.

It turned out that we had moored where the pub was clearing the land to extend their moorings.

[vanessan]

I had read the onion bargee blogspot but no ‘new’ information in that. Indeed it confirms exactly what Vaughan said in the earlier thread. Rhond anchors have been around for donkeys years but I find it interesting that the Broads is the only waterway they are used on and no one appears to have any idea as to how they came about in the first place. I wonder if they have ever been patented..............

[grendel]

I too went hunting, and the one interesting thing I found was the picture showing the correct and incorrect way of positioning the Rhond Anchor on Herbert Woods website, indeed showing the anchor embedded firmly over the crown of the rhond, though whether hire yards leave enough rope on the warps to achieve this ideal, I am unsure (and whether the rhond has the crown that it used to as well)

[vanessan]

It seems as if there is no definitive answer as to where or when the rhond anchor  originated. We’ll just have to put it down to being one of those Norfolk Broads peculiarities which is jolly useful - when used correctly!  

[BroadAmbition]

'Jolly Useful' indeed.  I have spent many a night on wild moorings confident that they will hold us there despite some strong winds sometimes.  Before now I have tied two on the end of a mooring rope and used them as a secondary mudweight, or thrown them into reeds if no terra firma available, they have never let me down (Carry a second mudweight nowadays).  I would not set sail without them

Griff

 

[Wussername]

Great photo. Ship shape and Bristol fashion. I love to see it.

No wonder when people coming into moor sometimes get themselves into the most awful muddles when presented with a dog's dinner which they try frantically to untangle.

Andrew

[JennyMorgan]

Very tiddly indeed! 

[Timbo]

On 29/08/2018 at 10:38, vanessan said:

The talk about rhond anchors on another thread recently got me wondering about the history of them and how they were originally designed to be used. The only meaningful thing that came up when I googled rhond anchors was a thread on here from last year! There doesn’t appear to be a dictionary entry anywhere and I assume the word ‘rhond’ originated in Norfolk and became part of the ‘local speak’. I always thought rhonds related to reeds and therefore the anchor was designed to allow a boat to moor in reeds but I have no idea where that thought came from. In 2017, Vaughan said that his understanding of rhond was ‘earth bank’ and that would certainly tie in with how rhond anchors are used today. Does anyone have any idea of the true history of the rhond anchor which I believe is only used on the Norfolk Broads? (I may be wrong in that, no doubt someone will know.)

Diving into my Greek and Early English...Rhond is a powerful river in Greek, in English a spear. You also have the German and Gaelic Rhone, Rone and Rhon all referring to the channelling of water between narrow banks or pipe. An etymology of spear of land jutting into a river or water channel with high banks probably not too far away.

[grendel]

perhaps a spit of land with a river on one side and a dyke on the other.

[grendel]

of course knowing the Norfolk dialect, they could just have meant the anchor was fabricated from a piece of round steel bar.

[vanessan]

How about the spear bit too? That makes sense to me. Maybe the Anglo Saxons used something similar to a rhond anchor to tether their coracles (sounds painful!!). 

[grendel]

Rond is a shield rim in old Norse if thats any enlightenment

[Vaughan]

If I wanted to tether my coracles, I would probably seek advice in Greek St, Soho, rather than in Greek Mythology, as Timbo suggests.

The effect of leaving me anchored to the spot, may be similar, however.

[grendel]

1 hour ago, Timbo said:

Diving into my Greek and Early English...Rhond is a powerful river in Greek, in English a spear. You also have the German and Gaelic Rhone, Rone and Rhon all referring to the channelling of water between narrow banks or pipe. An etymology of spear of land jutting into a river or water channel with high banks probably not too far away.

so to sum it up, the Rhond is a spit of land between two rivers where an old Englishman is attacking a Vikings shield rim with his spear.

[Vaughan]

And all because the Vikings wanted to cast off his coracles.

[grendel]

it sailed off when he pulled the spear out to fight the Viking.

[vanessan]

I thought I had started a serious topic - I might have known...............

[Broads01]

On 29/08/2018 at 14:25, grendel said:

I too went hunting, and the one interesting thing I found was the picture showing the correct and incorrect way of positioning the Rhond Anchor on Herbert Woods website, indeed showing the anchor embedded firmly over the crown of the rhond, though whether hire yards leave enough rope on the warps to achieve this ideal, I am unsure (and whether the rhond has the crown that it used to as well)

I remember seeing that diagram years ago in some manual or other and it makes sense - but only in the event you moor next to an upward sloping bank. What if the bank is flat or sloping the other way? I'll admit when needing rhond anchors I tend to wonder whether I've placed them correctly. 

[Poppy]

21 hours ago, Vaughan said:

If I wanted to tether my coracles, I would probably seek advice in Greek St, Soho, rather than in Greek Mythology, as Timbo suggests.

 

You are Kenneth Williams and I claim my £5

[LondonRascal]

How to use a Rhond Anchor - Charlie shows how to set and remove one:

https://youtu.be/L4mnZVzUEqU 

 

 

[BrundallNavy]

I was assisting a hirer moor up at Ludham, the lady went to throw me the stern line when I noticed itl had the Rhond  anchor still attached, I did a swift side step as it landed on the gravel beside me.  Please remember to remove them after use. 

[garryn]

9 hours ago, LondonRascal said:

How to use a Rhond Anchor - Charlie shows how to set and remove one:

https://youtu.be/L4mnZVzUEqU 

 

 

Easy when you know how. I've been boating over 50 years and never knew how to do it properly. Will have to try it this weekend.