How to reset an Active Anchor after release

Callum Trickett

Reset diagram stage one, showing flukes moving away from the shank.

Resetting an Active Anchor returns the released mechanism to its working arrangement using the collar, spring and supplied reset tool. The manufacturer's written sequence has five stages, finishing with the collar returned to the chosen position.

Use this explanation only alongside the current instructions for your exact anchor. If the model, parts or configuration differ from the manufacturer's diagram, obtain clarification before continuing. This is a mechanical reset guide, not instructions for manoeuvring a boat to free a snagged anchor.

Key points

  • Match the current reset instructions to your model and configuration.
  • Use the reset tool identified for the anchor; TMP supplies a reset tool with every model.
  • Resetting the mechanism is different from an anchor setting again in the seabed.
  • The manufacturer specifies lanolin-based oil or grease at the pivot points.

Start with the correct instructions and tool

The manufacturer's reset page includes diagrams and a downloadable instruction sheet. Compare the illustrated pivot links, fluke arrangement, spring shank and collar with your unit. A familiar product name is not a reason to overlook a different configuration.

The reset tool is used to act on the mechanism in the way shown by those instructions. It is not an optional substitute for pulling harder on the flukes or forcing a collar that will not move. If the illustrated action cannot be reproduced with the specified tool, stop and ask for advice rather than improvising a different leverage point.

Release-disabled and stop-fitted arrangements need their own model-specific guidance. Do not remove or alter hardware just to make an anchor resemble a generic demonstration.

The manufacturer's five-stage reset sequence

The sequence below follows the manufacturer's written reset guidance. Read it together with the matching diagrams, which show the direction and relationship of the parts.

  1. Open the flukes away from the shank. Move them as far away as the illustrated released arrangement permits, then place the anchor on a flat surface.
Reset diagram stage one, showing flukes moving away from the shank.
  1. Support the pivot area and move the collar. The instructions show downward palm pressure over the pivot area so the collar can move along the shank towards its U-shaped end.
Reset diagram stage two, showing pressure at the pivot and movement of the collar.
  1. Return the flukes to the illustrated normal position. The manufacturer describes lifting and placing the anchor down again with the flukes in that arrangement.
Reset diagram stage three, showing the flukes returned to the illustrated normal position.
  1. Use the supplied reset tool at the illustrated pivot gap. Its end goes between the pivot links to lever the fluke axle outwards and relax the spring shank, following the direction shown in the diagram.
Reset diagram stage four, showing the reset tool acting at the pivot links.
  1. Return the collar to the chosen position. The written sequence finishes by moving the collar while the tool holds the mechanism, then releasing the tool.
Reset diagram stage five, showing the collar moved while the tool holds the spring mechanism.

 

The sequence does not choose the operating setting for you. That choice must come from the correct model/configuration instructions, with any uncertainty resolved before use.

Pivot lubrication and care

Active Anchors specifies a lanolin-based oil or grease at the pivot points, applied regularly or before the anchor is needed. The purpose described is smooth operation of the release mechanism. Use the current instruction sheet to identify the points and product guidance for your unit.

This is a specific maintenance instruction, not a complete service schedule. The published material does not justify us inventing an annual overhaul interval, a list of alternative lubricants or a wear limit for the spring and pivots.

If the mechanism appears damaged or does not behave as its instructions describe, obtain advice before putting it back into service. Lubrication should not be presented as a repair for an unidentified fault.

Manufacturer diagram marking pivot lubrication with lanolin-based lubricant.

 

Mechanical reset is different from seabed reset

The word reset also appears in discussions of an anchor recovering a hold after a change in pull direction. That is a different subject. An anchor may change position in the ground without having entered its mechanical release position.

Keeping the meanings separate makes demonstrations easier to interpret. A video showing an anchor settling again in soft ground is not automatically a demonstration of the five-stage tool-assisted sequence above.

Our recommendation when something does not match

Keep the model details and a clear photograph of the pivot, collar and any stop available when you contact TMP Global. Describe where the sequence stops matching the instructions rather than trying a stronger tool.

The Active Anchors article directory brings together the available product explanations. For a new purchase, review the range and individual model details, including the supplied equipment.

Frequently asked questions

Is a reset tool supplied with every TMP model?

Yes. TMP's current kit information includes a reset tool with every model. Use the correct tool and instructions for the unit.

Does this guide select my release setting?

No. The reset sequence and selection of an operating setting are separate questions. Match the setting guidance to the exact model and configuration.

Can I use a reset demonstration as a boat-retrieval procedure?

No. A mechanical reset sequence does not establish safe boat manoeuvring, attachment or snag-recovery instructions.

Images: Active Anchors.

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