Found an issue with my own anchor design.

[Alan Wheeler]

Seafox kinda introduced me to anchoring and I think I like it. In the past, anchoring for me was a last option scenario, as we have plenty of moorings. But this season has been the busiest I have seen. Actually had 6 boats out there instead of the usual 5 :-)
However, I have found a slight problem with my anchor. In one good blow, it buried itself so deep, it stalled my Maxwell 2200 winch trying to get it off the bottom. When it came up, the roll bar was caked in bottom material, so she had certainly buried itself. It certainly built my confidence in trusting my anchor.

[cat man do]

Sweet,

Please send plans,

mig, press and plasma cutter at the ready.

I'll up the specs on the anchor winch as well

Dave

[Stranded Mariner]

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

Seafox kinda introduced me to anchoring and I think I like it. In the past, anchoring for me was a last option scenario, as we have plenty of moorings. But this season has been the busiest I have seen. Actually had 6 boats out there instead of the usual 5 :-)
However, I have found a slight problem with my anchor. In one good blow, it buried itself so deep, it stalled my Maxwell 2200 winch trying to get it off the bottom. When it came up, the roll bar was caked in bottom material, so she had certainly buried itself. It certainly built my confidence in trusting my anchor.

Well Alan, I would call your anchoring problem a 'luxury problem'. Seems you have plenty of holding power. Just out of interest, and the fact that I am having my own boat built right now, what anchors are you using?
Thanks and regards.

[Pblais]

However, I have found a slight problem with my anchor. In one good blow, it buried itself so deep, it stalled my Maxwell 2200 winch trying to get it off the bottom.

A windlass isn't meant to break the anchor free. The fact that it couldn't meant it really was set properly by a skilled captain. Once you pull up most of the rode a slight forward motion of the boat will let the mass of the boat easily break it out. You really don't want to stall the windlass. It should also trip the breaker when that happens as there is a huge increase in amps when you stall.

[Seeratlas]

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

Seafox kinda introduced me to anchoring and I think I like it. In the past, anchoring for me was a last option scenario, as we have plenty of moorings. But this season has been the busiest I have seen. Actually had 6 boats out there instead of the usual 5 :-)
However, I have found a slight problem with my anchor. In one good blow, it buried itself so deep, it stalled my Maxwell 2200 winch trying to get it off the bottom. When it came up, the roll bar was caked in bottom material, so she had certainly buried itself. It certainly built my confidence in trusting my anchor.

What general "type' did you build Alan?

seer

[Alan Wheeler]

A windlass isn't meant to break the anchor free.

Yes an excellent point Paul. And nor did I. I use the windlass to maintain tension and use the boat to do the work. So it is very short burst's of the windlass tha quickly bobs the bow down and I let the floatation of the bow to lift the anchor and then give a very quick burst of the winch again as I move forward.
One thing I do need to rig up pronto, is a means of washing the chain and anchor as they come up from softer bottoms. I now have a deck covered in sand and mud that I need to go wash down today. That is if the rain doesn't arrive early and beat me to it.

[MidLandOne]

I can see another issue too - you are sure to end up with a page on a certain roll bar type anchor builder's website as being yet another nasty copycat .

Regarding the washdown pump - we didn't specify one when the boat was built but added one after. Is one of the best things we put on the boat and would always have one. That for the obvious purpose but also for connecting the hose up so can easily fill big tubs in the cockpit for doing laundry, hosing down after fishing, etc. I guess one could hook a shower up to it as well but the water around here is a bit cold for me to do that .

We are always very careful with it though, it being one with a pressure switch so could easily fill your bilges up with water if a fitting or hose failure on the pressure side (the pressure side of ours is not free to atmosphere it having a valve under the deck and we use a trigger type squirty bit at the hand end of the hose). I mounted ours right up close to the deck fitting so most of the hose length is on the suction side and on the pressure side used all solid ss fittings through the deck.

[Pblais]

One thing I do need to rig up pronto, is a means of washing the chain and anchor as they come up from softer bottoms.

Washdown hose - very valuable as noted above! I will drag the anchor through the water a bit to try get the worst off too. Raising the rode slow also helps but I try to wash it before it comes over the bow roller. Here on the Chesapeake the bottom mud is quite nasty. You just don't want it on board. It's a fine grained mud that is quite high in organics. Smells bad and sticks to anything. I use a hose with all plastic fittings as the salt water eats up anything with metal.

Filling the chain locker with mud has it's down sides.

[Alan Wheeler]

I will drag the anchor through the water a bit to try get the worst off too

Yeah I did that in one bay. Worked a treat. But I will be getting a washdown hose. Dawn wants me to supply salt water to the galley sink to rinse dishes with so as to save our fresh water. We don't carry a lot of fresh water...do we Paula...;-) so rinsing will be valuable. If I use one pump for both purposes, it should work OK.
What is normally used for wash down pumps by the way? Is Just a simple freshwater pressure pump OK? Say a 12lt/min? We have a 17lt.min on our freshwater system and I think it's a bit of an over kill. It is not hard to waste water with that sort of flow.

[Alan Wheeler]

I can see another issue too - you are sure to end up with a page on a certain roll bar type anchor builder's website as being yet another nasty copycat

What? Nah Manson didn't get mad at another guy copying their design, I can't see them getting angry at little ole me ;-) :-)

[Seeratlas]

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

What? Nah Manson didn't get mad at another guy copying their design, I can't see them getting angry at little ole me ;-) :-)

hehehe, I had just decided to build a couple myself, somewhat 'similar' in design LOL. How much does that one weigh Alan? I'm looking at something around 70-80 lbs. That would be a lot of stainless!! whew. sure is pretty tho.

seer

[Pblais]

I've got a fancy Kiwi Fynspray brass hand pump in the galley for salt water rinsing. I think they do just fine as you don't need a lot of pressure for them. Foot pump might be even better. You really don't want a freshwater pump for salt water. Might not last very long. The Shurflo Blaster does a great job. There are two sizes. The big one will do a serious job but the smaller one is just fine for the anchor rode. Just add a sea strainer. You might share a through hull with something else for it.

[High Cotton]

Alan, obviously I can't tell the difference....... that's a ROCNA, right ???

[SkiprJohn]

Alan,
Glad you got the anchor up. It looks like a substantial bit of ground tackle. How about if I weld a roll bar to my CQR? Would that work? Your boat is heavier than mine. What is the weight of your anchor?
JohnL

[seafox]

I have had a salt water foot pump in Seafox for years. It is hands free and gives trouble free salt water pumping. They are the best.

I have thought about a washdown pump but a bucket of water with a rope on it works well. Rinse out the anchor locker with fresh water every now and then or at the end of a longer cruise.

Alan does not have a bucket on board he prefers the more expensive options.