Adding a Anchor Davit

[finefurn]

I would like to install a Anchor Davit to my 1984 Hunter 27. Problem is that the Forestay attaches only a few inches back from the very tip of the bow. So I assume I would also have to install a pulpit of sorts to mount the davit to. Has anyone installed a anchor davit & bow pulpit on their boat with the forestay so close to the point of the bow. Or pictures of your setup and any sources for such?

[JPA Cate]

High, finefurn,

I'm not sure what you are actually asking, but maybe we can figure it out. Do you mean some kind of anchoring sprit? are you wanting to add a windlass?

As to the bow pulpit, someone who can do on site welding can build you one, but it will only be a pow pulpit, with life line attachments and a halyard bar, if that's how you order it. It will not have an anchor channel, nor bow roller, nor any supports from the stem to it.

Maybe you could post a pic of your bow arrangement at present, and one of another boat showing what you want to have when you're finished? It would help everyone to understand.

Ann

[Sailmonkey]

When you say Davit, do you mean a bow roller?

And when you say pulpit do you mean a sprit or platform?

Just buy a windline roller and mount it to the deck, just to one side of the forestay.

[UNCIVILIZED]

It sounds like you're wanting to install an anchor roller, & are wanting it to be on the boat's centerline except that the headstay is "in the way". In reality probably less than 5% of boats have their bow rollers on centerline. Rather they're offset to one side or the other, or even twin rollers. One on each side of the headstay.

A few boats have custom stem fittings where the roller is on centerline, & the headstay connects directly to this hardware. But such is pretty uncommon. Usually people either buy pre-made anchor rollers & bolt them onto the bow, using stout backing plates under the deck. Or they'll have a custom roller setup built. This latter option being more popular on serious cruising boats, as it's fairly expensive. Though for folks who anchor most of the time it's worth it.

Go to the websites of Defender, West Marine, or any anchor manufacturer (or seller) & you'll see a multitude of pre-made anchor rollers. And should you decide upon one that you think will suit your boat & anchor, ensure that it'll handle as many anchor types as possible, including anchors a size or three larger than you currently think that you need.
For example --> Marine Anchor Rollers

[davil]

Interesting challenge
almost calls for a custom built
here is an add on a hunter 27 for sale
looks like is what you want
https://www.smartmarineguide.com/L49719703

[nitpik]

No, I do believe he wants to add a good old-fashioned anchor davit! (sometimes, I believe, referred to as an anchor cat.)
On a modern boat, this would probably be in addition to the bow roller system. The primary bower would sit in the bow roller, and would be handled by the windlass.
The anchor davit would be set up to safely lift a secondary anchor clear of the railings. You hoist the anchor off the deck, swing the davit out over the water, and then lower away. Retrieval is the opposite.
I will see if I can find photos of such a rig.
I have used the stays'l haliard to bring a monster Fisherman anchor over the bulwarks - a proper anchor davit would have been much better!

[nitpik]

ps., if I am right (doesn't happen all that often!) then the anchor davit base does not need to be stuffed right up at the bow, but could be mounted further back.
A picture would help visualize this!

[nitpik]

OK, here's one - not a very good picture, but you get the idea!

[Captndave1]

Had the same issue with my Irwin 34 Citation, so I built a teak and stainless steel sprit 30 inches long and mounted it so now I have a windless as well as anchor rollers. I would send a photo, but I have never succeeded in posting on on this site.

[rognvald]

If I remember correctly, the slotted aluminium toe rail would need to be cut in order to facilitate room for a bow roller on the early Hunters since the bow is very tight around the forestay. A more practical approach would be to use an anchor mount on the bow pulpit for your anchor which I used very efficiently on a previous 25 footer. But, if you mean a true davit/lift, that would be very bizarre on a 27-foot sailboat or even on a 50 footer. I have seen those who owned the early Hunters use their bow chocks as a substitute anchor roller and if properly backed underneath should not be a problem in most anchoring situations since the boat weighs only around 5K? pounds. I hope this helps. Good luck and safe sailing.

[finefurn]

To be more specific I guess what I should have said was. A bow roller mounted on a short bowsprit. To mount the bow roller to one side of the forestay I'd have to remove one of the chocks, which I don't want to do. I seen another boat similar to mine, with a set up like I'm interested in, but his is mostly all welded Stainless. Mostly likely a custom fabrication. I haven't been able to connect with the owner, surprising how many people have boats that don't visit them. I was hoping that some one out there would know of a off the shelf bowsprit that would work for what I want to do.

[rognvald]

Welcome to the world of boats. Your only solution is "drastic engineering" since there are certainly no "off the shelf" bow rollers to fit a H27 that is 20 or 30 years old. Hope this helps. Good luck and safe sailing.

[SailingFan]

(bump) and here I find I also reside, with a 1978 Hunter 27, likely close to the same as the OP had.

I, too, am considering options for adding some sort of bow roller, but additionally am considering a means of adding a pulpit of some sort to support said roller set, as well as fairleads to keep rode in check, and a means to set up some sort of anchor point that will allow me to run a small Yankee jib on occasion that I want forward motion but don't want to risk running the full sized jib (the one that apparently came with the vessel new!) as a hanked on sail. In fact, I am considering adding several smaller Yankees and other smaller vessel jibs to my sail suite, as a means of gaining a small set of sails at a reduced cost and to allow a few emergency options should the need arise for small jibs.

I don't currently have a spinnaker, but I am thinking that this vessel was designed with the intent of using the toe rail to fly an asymmetrical and not use any other mounting points for it, though there are a pair of rams horns on a stem fitting. The bow is so sharp, though, that I am unsure that any sort of centered platform pulpit is possible without creating it outside the toerail and somehow affixing it in place with some sort of shelf support that would have to be inculcated into the current hull, a prospect I don't relish in the least.

I may have to go the way Uncivilized mentioned, and just mount the anchor off-center off the bow, use a portable spinnaker pole or maybe some sort of bowsprit that I can add or remove (maybe even using the above mentioned spinnaker pole in a double duty status), and deal with this in the DIY method. Who knows, maybe an extra boat pole? Ha ha ha!!!

[SailingFan]

I have to add, maybe the note about narrow foredecks did not come from Uncivilized, and if so, my apologies to the author for the misquote.