Backpinning Eliminated In 2022

Beach Bags Anchor Systems are a pin-less solution for anchoring houseboats on Lake Powell’s rock shorelines. There were however some instances where pins were temporarily used during the 2022 houseboating season in conjunction with Beach Bags Anchor Systems.

Using pins in conjunction with Beach Bags was a method called “backpinning” and it was performed under a temporary pilot program authorized by the National Park Service that expired in October 31, 2022. Backpinning involved placing pins on the rear of a Beach Bag Anchor. It was used on less than 30% of Beach Bags anchorings in 2022, and only on houseboats 80’ and larger.

Backpinned houseboats were first anchored with a Beach Bags System sized appropriately for the houseboat. System sizing included a safety factor of approximately 1.3 to 1.5. The backpins were then selectively placed to provide an additional “safety net” while Beach Bags collected real-world wind loading data, via portable measuring systems, installed on select vessels participating in the Wind Load Testing Program.

 The ultimate objectives of the temporary authorization to backpin were twofold:

• It allowed Beach Bags to collect the real-world windloading data necessary to definitively size Systems, determine the viability of using those systems on very large houseboats, and to ultimately phasing out the use of pins.
• It provided owners of very large houseboats the peace-of-mind of knowing they were safely and securely anchored during the temporary backpinning and data collection period.

Backpinning was restricted to a handful of locations on the lake per the National Park Service authorization. The locations, from uplake to downlake were:

• Oak Creek Bay
• Wetherill Canyon
• West Canyon (West Side Only)
• Last Chance Canyon (West Side Only)
• Face Canyon (West Side Only)
• Kane Wash/Cookie Jar
• Navajo Canyon

Per the NPS authorization, holes created by backpinning were tracked using GPS coordinates and all ~250 holes have since been restored by Beach Bags using Jahn Masonry Restoration Systems materials.