Anchor handling - request for comments

[Groathill]

Hi,
I am in the process of designing and installing a new anchor handling on my vintage 33ft mono-hull GRP sailboat.
Up until now I only used a fully manual anchor concept (hand lifting and pulling) with a short chain and a long rope, but this has become too heavy and awkward to handle. I am about to make and install a new "automated" concept as depicted in the attached drawing.



There were a few issues/constraints causing a handling system perhaps somewhat different from what are common installations.
The Lewmar anchor windlass has to be placed inside the anchor well due to the two hinged lifting doors over the well, so the anchor chain and probably a section of the 15kg Spade anchor have to go through a kind of hawsepipe into the well. This design keeps the very front of the deck area clear from the windlass, a large stumbling obstacle.

Due to a 25mm SS bob stay to support the bowsprit, the rollbar on the bowsprit has to be offset to make sure the anchor and chain run free both up and down. (The rollbar is not on attached drawing)


The present anchor well is far too shallow and I would like use chain only- which is heavy. So I intend to make a new water tight compartment under the front end of the bed in the fore-peak in order to improve the chain handling and move weight a bit further away from the bow.



An automated or manual "bilge" pump protected from the chain, will be fitted in the lowest section of this new compartment.


Could this work - or are there design flaws?

[Shoalcove]

I’m not sure I completely understand your setup and don’t see a drawing but some questions come to mind.
First, if you mount your windlass in a locker will the chain feed fairly? Most windlass have very specific angle requirements. Also, can you just add a outboard drain for your chain locker? A bilge pump seems complicated.
Most windlass require a specific amount of drop for chain into a locker, I’d check your requirements closely in the design stage. Could you set a lower profile windlass aft of the anchor locker and just drop the chain into the bilge?

[Groathill]

Shoalcove, thanks for your comments.


Concerning drawing, I seem to not understand how to attach one.


In order to properly feed/drop the chain below the windlass I have to extend the drop further down than the bottom of the present anchor well, actually below the water line - and therefor the pump. The present well will more or less be kept and has a drainage hole, at its deepest point inside the bow, which is above the water line. This well, which mostly shall be kept as is, has tilted bottom with the lowest level in the front and a much higher level where the planned entry hole for the chain below the windlass.



The drop length below the windlass, even when mounted at deck level, is not far enough - a further drop is necessary.



As described the new lower level anchor well will be made watertight and separated from the boat's forepeak. It is down in the new anchor chain compartment I need a way to pump out seawater coming in with the chain.


Where the chain goes in/out towards the bow there will be a hole (hawsepipe) throgh the GRP bow.


The angles for the chain route seems to be inline with Lewmar's spec for this windlass.