Anchor storage

[Dirk Williams]

I recently purchased a Momba huge anchor for my boat. I admit it's way oversized. My concern is this. My HR33 was surveyed in 2014 and the fella noted in the paperwork that the anchor was smallish but likely adequate.

Don't think I want to chance adequate. So I purchase a CQR? 45/50 pounder. For bow work. With the intent of using the existing anchor as a stern anchor.

My boat does not have a chain locker accessible from above deck. I'm not sure if the Mistral had a deck accessible locker, or if HR opted for water tight integrity. Regardless, I find my self in a position of having to develop a anchor mounting system.

Is their a bag system that will physically attach to a bow pulpit, for Tempary storage. Is this an exceptable option, anybody have a different thought.

I'm not planning on cutting my deck to house a windlass and anchor, in the below deck chain locker.

I've seen devices which mount the physical anchor center on the pulpit. Are these a viable solution. I've read of anchors stored this way coming loose, and beating a hole in the bow in storms.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

GO Seahawks!

Dirk

[UNCIVILIZED]

It's not 100% clear from your post what you're wanting to do, & are averse to doing. But the best/simplest option is to stow the CQR on the bow roller. That along with adding a hawsepipe for the rode.

Also, if you like, you can get various types of shackles & connectors for your rode which make it easy to quickly detach it with a minimum of tools, or none. Though I'd strongly suggest keeping the rode attached, as unless on a long ocean passage, it's wisest to always have an anchor ready to use.

That said, you can get hawsepipes which have WT screw on covers, if you're firmly set on disconnecting the rode, so that you have zero "holes" in the deck. And should you find that you absolutely abhor having a hawsepipe, you can always remove it & patch the hole. It's a simple fix. But coupled with a self draining chain locker they're about the best solution around.

It's not clear what you want to do with your stern anchor in terms of storage or mounting. And we'd have to know what type & size it is in order to offer up good suggestions.

Also, I'd avoid any kind of pulpit anchor mounting if you live anywhere that the wind routinely gets above 15kts. As at that point you'll sometimes have waves coming over the bow when sailing upwind. Which can create a lot of force pushing on an anchor, & subsequently the pulpit. Leaving it on the roller is a much better option.

BTW, while your CQR is large, it's not a monster for such a boat. Or it's only one to weekend/fair weather sailors.

[Dirk Williams]

UN, that's my problem. I'm not sure exactly how I want to accomplish the anchor situation. I'm really not wanting to,cut holes in my deck, into the chain locker. And I'm not familiar with the item you named.

My initial reaction to the surveyors notation of an origional smallish anchor, is that the anchor roller on the front of the boat is sufficient for that smaller anchor.

Just seems flimsy for my new anchor. Of,course I can upgrade, in fact I'm going to have to upgrade, as there's no hold down pin or bolt to hold even the currant anchor in place while in transit. " the currant anchor is stowed in the center bilge".

Currently I'm attempting to,develop ideas from others whom are far more experienced open water sailors.

Now to address the smaller anchor for the stern. My concern here is my auto helm, monitor system. It's currantly not on the boat, when attached to the boat the AUTOHELM, will be centered on the stern.

The stern of my boat is angled, with the top being forward, and the bottom being aft, so if I were to drop the anchor off the stern of my boat, I'd hit the lower slope of the stern.

I've also commissioned a machine shop,to,build me an aluminum tower, to hold four 150 watt solar panels off the stern of the boat. The problem is my AUTOHELM vane moves port to,starboard or opposite.

The height of the vane is not known to me, until I physically mount the AUTOHELM. My initial tower was to have four single 2 inch od aluminum lengths aft off the back of the boat by roughly 1/2 the length of the solar panel.

I'm concerned about height of the tower, for multiple reasons. Clearly I can't have the panels hanging into the area of travel, of the AUTOHELM.

So I'm back to having my boat being cluttered and stern heavy with the monitor the tower, 4 panels, and likely a 40 pound anchor and attached equipment. I wonder if my stern anchor can be attached in some manner to the tower, for coastal cruising, and pinned/bolted semi permeant, when under way.

I think it's clear, at least to me that their is a chronological order in which these project must get done, without threat of having to redo.

IE, monitor, tower, panels, stern anchor, or monitor, tower, anchor, panels.

Now again I'm back to a stern heavy boat, that looks like crap.

Errrrrr, thanks.

I'll get it figured out.

Thanks again for the input.

Dirk

[UNCIVILIZED]

For the bow anchor, odds are that you can find a larger, pre-made roller that will work. Such as one of the many offered by Defender Marine Anchor Rollers
Though when choosing one, as well as installing it, try & pick one which will fit as many anchors as possible. Including some of the new generation anchors such as the Rocna. This way, if you switch anchors, you don't have to redo your whole roller setup.

To facilitate this you can download templates from many of these anchor's websites, & apply the templates to some cardboard or door skins, in order to make a mock up of the anchor.

Usually you can install one of these rollers fairly easily, with perhaps the construction of a leveling pad on which to mount it. After which you bolt it to the boat, through the pad, wth a good backing plate.

Hawse pipes (AKA chain pipes) are even easier to install. You simply cut a hole in the deck. Seal up any deck core around the edges of the hole, & bolt the fitting in place. Here's a common example of one Whitecap Rope and Chain Deck Pipe

For your stern anchor you may wind up putting a roller at one side edge of the transom or the other. Or even going without one. And there are other options as well. Some of them dependent on the type of anchor. Which we can't recommend unless you tell us what kind it is.
That said, a lot of folks go with something like a Fortress as their stern anchor. As they're very light, & handy to move around & store. So that often times a roller isn't used with them back aft.

Also, there's no hurry to figure this out now. Ditto on some of your other projects. Such as your solar array, & where to mount it. As at the moment I'm guessing that you've little idea how much electricity you use in a day or an average week. And if that's the case, you're putting the cart in front of the horse by having such an expensive & complex system built. Not knowing if it'll meet your needs, or your sailing style. Particularly as if you wind up being the sort who motors for several hours every few days, that may wind up doing 90% of your charging. Or would if you were to install a large alternator.

So there's no rush to add "everything". Especially as so much of the gear & equipment that you see or read about on boats falls into the category of "nice to have", not necessities. And boat toys & accesories are pretty pricey. In addition to also demanding time & money devoted to their upkeep.

Read some Nigel Calder, as well as looking at what gear is/was the norm on boats of 20 & even 50 years ago. Then you'll better see what I mean. As even just a decade ago, boats had only half of the electrical & electronic toys of today, & the rigging & sails were a good bit simpler too. AKA less expensive.
Oh, Nigel Calder is a very well respected writer in the field of installing, & maintaining equipment on boats. And his books are great to have. Here's a bit of his wisdom A Refit Reality Check | Cruising World

Also, download Steve & Linda Dashews excellent books on cruising at www.setsail.com Their Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia Vol. II is excellent. And you can see a good example of a very functional cruising boat fitout where they discuss their daughter's boat, Hio Ave. The same is true of a few other examples of outfitting in the book.


EDIT: Many of the anchor rollers in the Defender catalog will accomodate a lot more types & sizes of anchors than are listed in the writeups. Many of them being fairly universal, & fitting multiple sizes of anchors.
And usually it's easy to get a bit of help determining such things. Both by walking into West Marine, or by calling them, Defender, & or, the roller's manufacturer. Plus of course the template thing, or walking around a marina.

[Dirk Williams]

God morning, interesting, and thanks for explaining what the device you noted was, and how it works.

I'm roughly two weeks out, on returning to my boat. My new main sail, isn't here yet, and my motor is at least a week out, I'm awaiting a couple critical parts.

I had a nightmare night before last. I had taken the diesel fuel lift pump to the sand blaster, with instructions to tape up the internals. He did, but did a poor job.

I was preparing the lift and noted a small amount of sand fall from the inner area. I cleaned the snot out of it,,with carb cleaner, and it appears clean.

Bottom line, I don't trust my life on it, so I ordered a new lift pump, from TAD, also awaiting rubber gaskets for my oil cooler freshwater tank.

Hoping to,rebuild the old one for the parts bins, on the boats.

Anchors. I can't make an informed decision until I'm physically on the boat. Once I'm their, ill measure and assess the new fore anchors position. I've got a call into my friend to see if he has a proper anchor rode I can purchase used. ,

He salvages boats, and literally has a yard full of really cool sailboat parts, he markets reasonably priced. ,

Thanks again for the input. I'm certain I'll be using input for mounting fore and aft.

Off to harvest!

Dirk

[Spade Anchor]

Our Anchors come apart into 2 pieces for easy locker storage.