Anchor locker "install"

[George Da Porge]

My wife and I are looking at buying a 1969 Morgan 30. It has an anchor locker in the bow, but access is only from the V-berth. It would be nice to be able to access it from the deck. So I was thinking that it would be possible to install an anchor locker compartment and hatch, but have some questions.
1) How can one determine if cutting a hole in the deck of a boat will have negative structural effects?
2) My idea would be to construct a fiberglass box in front of the V-berth, watertight. How does one attach components to the hull of a boat?
I am thinking it's not a good idea to screw into it.
3) Any idea where an anchor locker hatch can be purchased. I've done some 'web searching but didn't find anything.

I am pretty handy, would not consider this work above my skill level in any way, but this would be something I have not done before. Thanks for the help!

[roverhi]

Deck access anchor lockers suck big time. They often leak, keep everything in them in a constantly damp and deteriorating state, make installing a windlass a problem, and, at least in the case of the production boat ones, won't allow stowage of anything but a too small Danforth anchor.

Put a decent anchor roller on the bow to keep a useful anchor like a Manson Supreme or other types handy. Limit the through deck holes for the rode as much as possible and cap with a proper hawse pipe that you can seal off with tape for passages on the open ocean. If you keep two different rodes in the locker, a vertical separator will help to keep them from tangling. If you want to keep a Danforth handy, use one of the several types of Hanger devices to store it on the bow pulpit or use deck chocks. Other than periodic laying out the rode on the dock to inspect and soaking with fresh water, there is very little need to have to get into an anchor locker

[Orion Jim]

Good advice! The opening to the hawse pipe should face aft so as not to scoop up every wave or bit of spray that comes over the bow. It's amazing how many are installed backwards.

[George Da Porge]

Hi roverhi,
Thanks for the comments. Definitely ones to consider seriously. I have a few follow-up questions:
1) When you say deck access lockers often leak, do you mean through the hatch?
2) The boat does have a hawse pipe - but I didn't look at it too close. Will have to. The current owners don't use it. I think they are concerned about it leaking.
3) So with the anchor on a roller and the line entering a below deck compartment through a hawse pipe, how does the line ever dry in that compartment? I assume it would need considerable ventilation to effectively dry a piled/coiled length of rope?
4) I am also assuming the below deck compartment storing the anchor line and chain must have a drain to the bilge? Would that be correct?

Thanks again for your comments!

[Noreastern]

We have two access holes to our chain/rode locker forward of our V-berth. One feeds the all chain rode from the windless thru the deck to the divided starboard side. Our secondary anchor rode is 30' chain with 200' three strand feed thru a hawse hole on port side.

Yes you will need drainage holes and is also a good idea to have a scrubber and either a bucket or pressured sea water to clean chain/line before it enters the locker. Once a year we remove all rode from locker and give a good cleaning. With these drawbacks we still like this system better then with an on deck opening hatch above the locker.

During our refit this year we are thinking of adding a spool mounted above the two other rodes for a third rode line. Two has worked well for years so this may be over kill.

[George Da Porge]

Noreastern - if you could, I would appreciate it if you would post a couple pictures of your setup. Thanks!