We had a big, expensive problem.
The Eroica’s anchor system wasn’t cutting it. It was too weak to hold the dredge in place during a strong current, and it was a nightmare to set with precision. It was costing us tens of thousands of dollars each season in lost gold production.
So last season Alex, Dan and I set out to redesign and rebuild the anchor system from scratch. We had an all-new design, added new functionality, and went from 3 anchors to 4. This is the story of the redesign and our race against the weather to finish this ambitious project before the summer dredging season started – with our 6-week-old daughter in tow.
Special thanks to @lincolnelectrictv. They hooked me up with the Ranger 330MPX a few years ago – which has been an absolutely crucial piece of infrastructure for my crew over the last several seasons – and some of the welding supplies needed for this project.
Buy real Bering Sea gold dredged by my crew on the Eroica at shop.beringseapaydirt.com !
Dan Rainwater Instagram @danrainwaterak
Emily Riedel Instagram @emsau1
Emily Riedel Facebook @theemilyriedel
0:00 Why Anchoring is So Important to Gold Dredging in the Bering Sea
3:10 The New Design
4:48 The Build
10:30 Testing the New System
12:42 The Golden Results
