anchor chain

[johnblow666]

My first post so bear with me .....

I was looking at a leopard cat last week and noticed the anchor chain comes off the winch and through the deck just in front of the bridge deck .
i didnt get a real good look at it but ive been thinking it would have an advantage of not having the chain etc. run along the centre of the deck .

Is this a new idea ? or have i had my eyes shut? Is there and disadvantages? , i would emagine there would be a hatch to open to get to the anchor ... Would it affect the way the cat behaved while at anchor?? ,

I am just starting to re furbish the entire front deck /tramp area and sort of like the idea of no chain running down the centre but dot want to do the old mistake of fixing whats not broken .......

john

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by johnblow666

My first post so bear with me .....

john

Welcome to the forum John



Mark

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by johnblow666

My first post so bear with me .....

I was looking at a leopard cat last week and noticed the anchor chain comes off the winch and through the deck just in front of the bridge deck .
i didnt get a real good look at it but ive been thinking it would have an advantage of not having the chain etc. run along the centre of the deck .

Is this a new idea ? or have i had my eyes shut? Is there and disadvantages? , i would emagine there would be a hatch to open to get to the anchor ... Would it affect the way the cat behaved while at anchor?? ,

I am just starting to re furbish the entire front deck /tramp area and sort of like the idea of no chain running down the centre but dot want to do the old mistake of fixing whats not broken .......

john

Welcom John!

We've had a little comment on this before here:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...deck-4272.html

Hope it helps,

Mike

[schoonerdog]

As I remember I saw a picture once of a catamaran with huge amount of damage from an anchor chain sawing well into it when the boat turned at anchor and wrapped its keel. It happened very quickly. I would think that with a bridgedeck deployed anchor it would have a much higher chance.

[johnblow666]

thanks for the replies , i have looked at the previous threads and decided not to use the bridgedeck idea too many pitfalls an only one advantage ... so thankyou again for the help ... this is a very helpfull site and i am thankfull to be a part of it ..

john.

[anthon]

Interesting. Thanks for the link, Mike

[AFriden]

We own a FP Tobago 35 in which the ancor chain travels over the netting and overboard over the crossbeam. We use a bridal mechanism and have never had a problem in anchoring. The boat swings gently from the center and provides equal strain throughout. We also attach a nylon shock line to the chain the ease the load on the windlass and reduce the chance of dragging the anchor.

[Aussiesuede]

Originally Posted by johnblow666

thanks for the replies , i have looked at the previous threads and decided not to use the bridgedeck idea too many pitfalls an only one advantage ... so thankyou again for the help ... this is a very helpfull site and i am thankfull to be a part of it ..

john.

Just as an added aside, protecting from hull chaff with a bridgedeck anchor is actually a fairly simply task. A cable is run from the lower point of both bows to the center-point of the crossbeam, then the bridles are set in front of said cable. This keeps the anchor rode centered and makes it impossible for the rode to ever come in contact with the hulls. I'll dig up a pic on my computer that'll make it a bit clearer when I get home. This setup works extremely well, and keeps the boat well balanced at anchor with zero stress on the windlass.

[Aussiesuede]

Ok. This pic should illustrate more clearly what I was trying to explain.

[Evan]

Jaysuz! What kind of cat is that? Talk about minimal bridgedeck clearance

[Tropic Cat]

Cat's anchor via a bridle attached to each hull. Aussiesuede's photo shows one example of this. My boat uses a slightly different arrangement. If the anchor chain runs through the deck at the cabin juncture, this would be a complicated arrangement as it would be difficult to hook the chain onto the bridle. Actually, I can't envision how this could be done quickly, or safely.

[AFriden]

To eliminate chafing using our bridle, we have attached to the line on each side 3/4 in tubing about 3 feet in length. This provides the chailn and bridle from chafing on the hull.

[Tropic Cat]

Right, but how does the chain attach?

[Splash Gordon]

The blokes at R&C (who build for the Moorings) use a chain-hook. The chain comes up under the compression post with the hook attached, all the way up to the windlass compartment. There you disconnect the hook and stow the bridle "nose" and hook. Probably the best system, IMHO, because the chain doesn't drag through the compression beam, making for a quiter, cleaner and easier system. When you deplay the anchor, all one has to do is let the anchor out to the desired scope, then hook the bridle on and surge some more scope to take the weight on the bridle. The safety argument is spurious, becaus anchoring a cat is super-simple: you've got a prop at two of the possible four courners, so shearing and falling off the wind just doesn't get the better of you!

[AFriden]

After we set the anchor chain to the length we need, usually about 50-75' of chain, the bridle is attached with a heavy duty gavanized snap shackle to the chain. We let out another 5 feet of chain. The snap shackle is attached to 3/4' braided nylon line and is attached to the cleat next to the windlass. The chain is then slacked. All the strain is then on the braided line and allows for give. In three years of using this technique we have only dragged anchor once and that was late one evening when a 60-80 mph storm hit. But again that is another story.

The secret we believe is now using the braided line as a shock absorber to the chain. prevents the rigid chain from pulling the anchor loose with boat motion.

I will send a picture of our setup/