How to get a tight mainline??!!

[Spuddy]

Besides using some sort of winch and other ways to tighten the mainline on a course?

[Ed_Obermeier]

On most of the courses I'm involved with helping to install or maintain they use a standard issue cable come-along, the type you can buy at just about any farm/home center type store for around $30. Attach it at the end of the last diamond on the mainline between the diamond and the anchor lead going down to the anchor. It will be about 7 - 8' deep at that point but easy enough to pull to the surface to make adjustments, use a boat hook etc to pull it up.

 

Because it's common steel and galvanized cable expect 2 - 3 years of service life before it rusts up to the point of requiring replacement. At $30 a pop not a big issue to replace IMO.

 

Rule of thumb is when the last set of buoys on the end of the course are pulled down half way (hemisphere of the buoy) you have all the tension you need to hold the course straight in all but enough crossing wind that you wouldn't be skiing anyway.

[Ed_Obermeier]

Or you could attach a line to the anchor and drag it to get tension, assuming the anchor is at all moveable. If the anchor won't move the come-along or a boat trailer type winch is probably the best option.

[ToddF]

This is what we use and it works great and lasts a few years.

 

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200344936_200344936?cm_mmc=Google-pla-_-Material%20Handling-_-Straps-_-332785&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=332785&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=332785&gclid=CPu38IfNvr8CFZSEfgodCkAAJA

 

[Razorskier1]

My course is a portable permanent install. On the deep end the anchor is something huge (in before I ran the course). On the shallow end where I tension it I have an anchor that is 6 cinder blocks chained together with a tensioning line. The blocks create great traction on the bottom. Even with a lot of wind and a public lake, I only need to tension a couple times a year.

[Spuddy]

@ToddF‌ I have something similar to that strap I will try never thought of is using that, hope to get it in the water in the next few days thanks.

[A_B]

We have a permanent anchor at one end and the other end has a line that runs through a screw anchor with an eye, and then attached to cable, which goes through another screw eye a few feet off the shoreline, and then up to a winch mounted on a pole fixed in cement. We merely crank it in or out as water level changes.

[6balls]

On a firm bottom the cinder blocks may not work...they become very light in the water. @razorskier1 has mucky bottom so I'm sure they settle in well.

[skier2788]

We filled a five galling bucket of concrete then ran sucker rod through it vertically and two horizontal in an X shape. Bent the vertical one at the ends into a loop. Attach mainline to one end pull rope to the other. The anchor digs into the bottom really nice and holds.

[mwetskier]

i would bet @Razorskier1 is using cement blocks rather than cinder blocks for that anchor. people often refer to concrete blocks as cinder blocks

[Razorskier1]

Yep. Cement. @AB -- that system is genius if you have line of site to your course! I may find a use for that someday!

[Edbrazil]

If possible, very nice to be able to stand onshore to tension such a course. We did that

back in the Olde Ultra Pond days 1973--1979 with an "Accufloat". Couple of people

pulling hard and being patient.

 

Also, when shore isn't possible, get magnified force with using pullies. Line goes

from the course to a pulley near the anchor, back to near the course attachment, and

then tighten from a boat. About a 3-to-1 magnification of force.

 

You can't go wrong with heavy anchors. Last course I dealt with, we used 250# "mooring"

anchors at each end. Plus in the mud. Aim for about 100 lbs. center cable tension, if

using stainless cable.

[ryno65]

we also use a concrete block suspended from the mainline between the anchor & pre-gate to maintain constant tension through changes in water levels.

[klindy]

When we had a course on a public lake both ends were 1/2 of a 55 gallon barrel. Each had a large stainless steel eye bolt (biggest we could find (about the diameter of a tennis ball). We bolted a chunk of steel to the eye bolt and, while holding it in the center, filled the barrel with large stones, chunks of concrete, etc. Mix up a few bags of gravel mix a bit wetter than normal and pour it in. Top of the cement was near the top of the barrel half. These beasts were heavy! They work great for jump anchors too!

 

The deep end we dropped in the anchor were we wanted the course to be with a large poly rope doubled up thru the eye bolt. Other end of the rope just had a knotted loop to attach the course.

 

The shallow end (5 feet deep or so with a relatively soft bottom) we dropped the anchor approx 20-25' longer than the course. Tied a large poly rope like the other side but short of the course. For years we used a basic come-a-long between the end of the course and the end of the rope. Extend the come-a-long as long as possible and tension the rope as far as you can. When it's "tight" tie it off and crank down the come-a-long to adjust the tension where you want it. That usually lasted for several years without adjustment but we has stable water.

 

About the time we transitioned to a private lake someone had the brilliant idea to use the come-a-long to winch the course tight (slightly tighter than typical) and then simply "replace" the come-a-long with another length of rope. Make a loop at one end of the extra rope, thread it thru the course and the other rope (maybe make an extra loop so extra rope and come-a-long attach to different loops). Put the lose end thru the loop and pull tight, then tie it off. After all that just remove the come-a-long. Lasts forever unless someone cuts somehow.