Modern ground tackle on older 25' boat

[foufou]

I have seen many bow rollers slightly off center. I suspect they work just fine. That might simplify the installation

[Stu Jackson]

I believe you have two other major issues at your bow: those chocks. They complicate docking and anchoring. ITWMB, I'd replace them with cleats.

I had a Catalina 25 for 13 years with no center bow cleat, just two cleats, NO bow roller. I anchored frequently with a Danforth with a "holder" on the pulpit. I would not have opted to have the added complexity of having to use chocks.

On my current boat, we have a center cleat like yours but do have a bow roller. The center cleat works fine but I added a port side cleat and use the center cleat to run the starboard dockline to shore.

I have always found chocks to be a PITA.

Even if you use Boaty's idea of anchoring from the stern first and walking it up, those chocks are gonna be a pain. My experience walking docks and reading here and other boating forums is that chocks are pretty good for one thing: slicing dock lines.

Good luck.

[Cheechako]

For anchor storage, a large PVC Schedule 80 tube works. Big enough for the anchor shaft and chain on the inside. Attached to a pulpit or pushpit. Load the tube with the shaft and chain from the top so you can just pull it out and deploy.

[SeaSon]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Easiest thing to do is drop the hook off the stern then walk the rode to the bow and tie off.

Like Boatman says.

Do you want to go cruising or do you want to butcher up a nice little boat? I'm sure the answer is cruising.

Its not like you're dealing with a 50ft boat and 300 ft of chain. Don't go too long on the chain or you'll be scraping on retrieval across the gunnel and coaming.

[alansmith]

I am with Boatman and keeping it simple. On small boats there is no sense in butchering it. The boat is light and it is simply a coastal cruiser. Which means you should be able to get to someplace if the weather kicks up a bit. It is not like you are sailing to Jamaica.

Attach a heavy canvas bag for your rope and chain...make sure it can drain out from bottom. Attach anchor to stern railing. Drop anchor from stern and allow forward motion of boat to snug it. Back it down. Then walk rode up to forward cleat. You could even put in a sampson post or equivalent.

On a boat that light it is not hard to retrieve by hand. Old guys do it all the time on their trailer sailors or multihulls. Be kind to yourself...don't spend a lot of money for something that isn't that bad doing by hand. You can even retrieve it the same way...Walk the rode back to the stern and make sure you ain't got the prop spinnin. smile

[TrentePieds]

There you go. No science required :-)!

I have a Fortress for a sheet-anchor. Come spring, she's gonna get stowed shank pointing down in an ABS pipe strapped to a stanchion on the monkey rail. Rode is gonna be permanently attached and coming into the "hawse" from the top so all I have to do is lift the whole issue out, upwards, and drop it.

TP

[Dusty Mac]

I have a Peterson 25 that I anchor off the stern for several reasons. I have the anchor and rode in a milk crate. As I often single hand, it is easiest for me to come into the anchorage and lower the anchor over the stern and feel the anchor as it digs in. I also have the engine controls right there and can feel the anchor set as I increase RPM, instead of running back and forth. I then walk the crate up to the bow and tie off. Easy Peasy.

[hamburking]

I had a C&C25 with the exact same problem. I like to anchor, but no anchor locker, roller, or room on the bow.

FWIW, I had three anchors, all stowed in the cockpit lockers. A 5kg bruce, 7.5kg bruce, and a 10kg CQR (plow). Each one had a half boat length of heavy chain and 200 feet of rode. In addition, I had another 200 feet of anchor line to be used as a shore line. It may sound funny, but I used plastic laundry baskets to store each one. The laundry bins kept everything safe and all together, and made it easier to pull out of the cockpit locker. And yes, they were heavy.

The 7.5kg bruce was my main anchor. When possible, I would carefully walk foreword with the big basket of anchor and line. I usually would wait till we were in the lee and flat water before doing this, as it was heavy and tricky. If I was sailing solo, I would grab the 5kg bruce basket instead, which was much lighter and easier to handle. I would anchor using the 5kg bruce, then once I was settled and ready, would deploy the larger bruce or plow, either by just dropping it from the bow and letting the boat drift back, or by taking it out in the dinghy to exactly where I wanted it.

I would often anchor with two hooks off the bow, which worked terrific. The plow was essential late in the season when the bruce anchors could not penetrate the weeds on the bottom. The pointy plow would cut through the weeds and grab the bottom. And here in the 1000 islands, there are plenty of steel eyes embedded into solid rock for taking a shore line. Yes, I actually enjoyed the challenge of secure anchoring. I often saw other boats toss their undersized danforth (that came with the boat when new) over the bow and then watch as they dragged and dragged as soon as a gust of wind appeared.

I'm happy to say that over 5 years and many many nights and storms on the hook, I never dragged.

If this sounds like a lot of work, it was. The biggest drawback was that I was not ready to anchor quickly, in an emergency.

I eventually sold the boat, and a subsequent boat, a Pearson 30, came equipped with a proper bow roller with hawse pipe for the rode. WOW...what a pleasure. I could anchor with ease at a moments notice. It was truly a delight. I still had spare anchors, but ended up only ever using the main anchor on the roller...a shiny SS 10kg bruce. The 15kg bruce I had as a storm spare never got wet, and eventually ended up securing the shed in my backyard at home...which it did quite well, as the shed did not move an inch even through the many gales that passed by.

And finally, kudos to you for working the anchor by hand. Yes, you will get strong and have big arm muscles to show for you effort. The ladies will thank you for it. Get some tank tops or muscle shirts for the ladies to see your guns.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Adelie

For the OP’s boat I would get a Spade-60. 21lb galvanized or 10lb aluminum.

The guy that was doing anchor videos on YT did a comparison video where talked about the strengths and weaknesses of all the anchors he’d tested and Spade was his choice and it convinced me to change my plans on what to buy.

That was the clincher for me, as well, only I got an S140:

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Jammer

It would be a major piece of rework. The V berth is barely large enough for me to have room for my feet, and devoting the very front of the bow to an anchor locker would mean I couldn't sleep there, unless I rearrange the interior to make the V berth extend further aft.



..nod.. I'll ponder those alternatives. Maybe a small locker that doesn't extend all the way to the V-berth, maybe only a 12" deep, to leave room for feet.



Lake Superior is, for me, the anchoring ground of greatest concern, with the upper Mississippi River being a secondary area with very different anchoring requirements. From what I've seen, Superior is rocky and at times, steep; the upper Mrs. Hip is all mud and typically shallow outside the channel.

I would suggest a Fortress with "mud palms" for that. They are light (the FX-21 I would choose for your boat is 15 lbs.) and easily stowable. They can hang off the pulpit on Danforth "hangers", which you can make yourself if you don't like the price. Same chain/rope rode.

[groundtackle]

My thoughts on little yachts (I’ve had a few); mount a narrow bow roller. You need a bow roller. Your back will love you when it’s dark and scary. Seadog, Windline, Quick, or one of ours (they work, they look good and they’re strong and I like strong). Move the chocks aft if required, cover the chock holes if required. Install a deck access hatch; small round plastic or metal behind the roller. Get two lids for the hatch, cut a slot in one lid for the chain to keep most of the water out, one lid without. Inside the boat strap a Rubbermaid tub right under the hole with 30’ of 1/4”chain and 150’( depending on your geography) of 3/8” or 1/2” rope. Install a bitter end strong point or tie it near the bucket. Poke a hole in the bucket up high for the bitter end to exit, slot the lid so you can put the lid on when the rode is fully connected. If you need the bunk take the shackle off the anchor, dump the rode in the bucket and stow it somewhere else. If you are anchored, undo the bitter end and tie it on deck. Stick the second no hole lid in that deck hole obviously to keep the water out. An anchor needs to be ready to launch in 20 seconds or less whenever you leave the dock. No exceptions. Time yourself.
You can do this simple and cheap. Those two words usually go together.
I don’t like non-toe weighted roll bar anchors although I do sell them (they have a special purpose that I’ll explain some other time if you ask me). They can sail around in fine substrates or weed which may not allow them to sit upright.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL9JL9AK6ss

If you do go for a non-toe weighted anchor I like Mantus with its less concavity causing mudding. Even better get a SUPER SARCA that doesn’t mud up at all, and it’s strong ( I like strong). It’s the best bang for the buck in a roll bar non toe weighted anchor.

[thomm225]

I'm using the 20lb CQR that came with my boat. So far in 6 years anchored in winds to 40 knots it has never slipped or dragged.

I have 40' of heavy chain and 250' of rode on that anchor. My backup is a Bruce of similar weight with 40' of chain and near 300' of rode. Then I have 2 other danforths and a couple small anchors all due to the PO

My boat is a Bristol 27 and the CQR Anchor is on the small bow sprit.

[groundtackle]

OOPS I see the link to the Super Sarca video did not work in our post above.
Here it is for those interested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVstjgWp0aw

Also we neglected to give a great big thanks to Steve for the huge effort he put into making these enlightening videos. Thanks Steve!
Nick Chris and John

[alansmith]

Thanks for the anchor testing videos guys. Informative and very labor intensive. What a great gift to those who want to know what really happens when anchor meets seabed. Very very cool stuff.