Anchor Locker Chain Fall

[BriRich]

Hi Folks

Our anchor locker isn't working well for us. The chain stacks and then won't feed from the windlass and has to be hand fed into the locker making it a two person operation. There is plenty of room in the locker aft but the chain doesn't want to go there. Any ideas what we can do? Ramp???

Thanks

Brian

[noelex 77]

I would think a deflector /ramp to force the chain to fall further back would work well. It also has the advantage it is getting the weight of the chain further aft.
Try something on a temporary basis first as a test. You only need a plywood offcut and say a fender (to support it) to give the concept a try.
Some people do use a traffic cone, but I think a deflector/ramp would work much better in your case.

[Tayana42]

I've thought about a ramp too and it might help, but I think the chain will quickly stack up at the bottom of the ramp and pile up the ramp. You have to get the fall further aft. Do you have room to redirect the chain pipe? A 45% angle then some pipe and another 45% angle to make a clean vertices fall could do the job.

[BriRich]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

I've thought about a ramp too and it might help, but I think the chain will quickly stack up at the bottom of the ramp and pile up the ramp. You have to get the fall further aft. Do you have room to redirect the chain pipe? A 45% angle then some pipe and another 45% angle to make a clean vertices fall could do the job.

Our windlass and chain fall/pipe as seen in the picture is in our vee birth so we don't want to add pipe above the locker. It's a hindrance as it is. Maybe a narrow short suspended ramp that chain free falls from and if it tries to climb up the ramp it will fall off either side. Probably get ripped to bits when dropping anchor unless it's a box that the chain can't get underneath. We have 230 ft 3/8 chain and 200 ft 3 strand 1/2".

[Roy M]

My electric windlass has two-direction switches to control the chain (as do most modern ones). I installed additional rocker switches to the solenoid box that controls this function. Beside the bow switch near the windlass, one set is in the cockpit, allowing me to single hand the chain without leaving the helm. The others are located, one in the immediate anchor locker, which allows me to redistribute the chain evenly as it falls into the locker. The other rocker switch is located in a bilge compartment further aft. If I am about to embark on a passage, having put out a large amount of chain, this allows me to pull the first batch of chain aft into the midship bilge for better weight distribution. I can then leave some, or almost none of the remaining chain in the forward chain locker. The rocker switches are the Contoura model from Blue Sea, momentary in both directions to allow full control. They are mounted in white "project boxes" you can get at Radio Shack. In addition, I have large red LEDs mounted in the boxes to warn you that the windlass is energized, and to provide a bit of light if you are stowing the chain in the dark. This is for single-handed purposes only. If you are hauling in dirty chain, or dragging seaweed up as well, you will need a second person acting as the chainscrubber and anchor watch for safety's sake. The solenoid windlass control doesn't care where the current if flowing from, so all of these boxes are connected in parallel, all of them light up when the windlass is energized, and all are available at any time during the chain hauling. Result: no "volcano" of chain toppling over itself and jamming a future deployment of rode.