Anchor storage

[Marcsailcat]

Once the anchor has been retrieved by the windlass and secured on the bow roller, is it ok to leave the tension on the chain on the windlass or should it be slacked off and tied off to a cleat or other place? I always do this when we are anchoring using our bridle. But what about when the anchor is retrieved?

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Marcsailcat

Once the anchor has been retrieved by the windlass and secured on the bow roller, is it ok to leave the tension on the chain on the windlass or should it be slacked off and tied off to a cleat or other place? I always do this when we are anchoring using our bridle. But what about when the anchor is retrieved?

I always use a secondary line to secure the anchor, but I don't release the tension from the windlass. Unless the clutch is cranked super tight it shouldn't be enough tension to hurt anything and in my setup it leads to the anchor sitting solidly with no movement, while it can wiggle a little if I release the tension (I can't get the secondary line quite tight enough to prevent it).

[Rohan]

Do you use anchor rope or chain? You can't really tie off chain to a cleat, at least not easily.

I prefer to tension it so that the anchor isn't bouncing around.

[thinwater]

As Rslifkin said, their should be a secondary way to secure the anchor. A line with a hook is one. A chain lock is another.



I generally ease the windlass an inch or so after locking, but I can't say that I have a very good reason.


The Lewmar manual suggests it is enough to engage the pawl, but I always used the chain lock instead, as I found I would forget the pawl, and if you power down with the pawl engaged that is bad.

[TrentePieds]

Yes, you can tie off a chain to a cleat :-)

It's done by using a "devils claw", a so-called chain hook on a pennant of rope. You clap the hook on a convenient link of the chain and belay the pennant of a convenient cleat.

No boat should go to sea within a devil's claw.

TrentePieds

[edlithgow]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

\

No boat should go to sea within a devil's claw.

Well yeh.


But the Devils Claws can be waiting, without.

[Mike OReilly]

I don’t rely on the windlass to keep the anchor secure on the roller. I use a snap-shackle that is permanently mounted and attached to a hard point just ahead of the windlass, so similar to TP’s suggestion. This takes the main load. I slacken then chain on the windlass, but don’t take it off the gypsy. I use the mechanical latch on the windlass to lock the gypsy, but the clutch is there to act as a third backup (hopefully never used).

[fxykty]

As long as your chain isn’t super tight and is basically slack enough that it is just holding the anchor in place that’s only a few kg/pounds of tension - nothing to worry the windlass mounts or gears. But if for some reason your windlass lets the anchor go, there it goes. It’s always a good idea to secure the anchor separately from the windlass - use a chain stopper, chain hook, or even a small line to a cleat to secure the anchor in the up position.

[bergius]

We secure ours with a chain stopper and by additionally tying the anchor trip line to a cleat. The boat doesn't have a windlass, but if we did, I'd still want a chain stopper "downstream" from it.

However, when heading offshore, we pack the anchor away from the bow roller and into the chain locker. The Vulcan has a lot of surface area and hangs quite low in the roller.

[Don C L]

Is it ok to leave it on the windlass? I say yes, the windlass is designed to hold much more than what tension there is with an anchor pulled into its roller. That said, as fxykty says, and others, it’s wise to have a secondary way to secure the anchor so it is rock solid on its own.

[Island Time O25]

I have three holding methods. 1 is the windlass tension with the brake engaged. 2 is the pin at the forward of the bow roller and 3 a cleated short dynema line snap tied to the chain shackle.

[SV Coronado]

I secure mine with a soft shackle. While underway, occasionally, the anchor will get buried into a wave. The amount of force on the anchor can not be good for the windlass.

[Talbot]

i use a
and slightly reduce the tension on the windlass.

[MicHughV]

Well, I've left anchors on rollers and headed out to sea, and in some knarly weather, a big wave knocked them loose, despite being...I thought...thoroughly secured. As above, I used a chain hook led to a cleat, but this apparently was not enough.

So now, I take them off the rollers and stow them below. It's a PITA to do this, as they have to re-attached again at some point prior to arriving at my destination, but at least they don't come off the rollers anymore.

[Goodxcharly]

I use a small line to a cleat in the anchor locker with zero tension on the windlass. You could also throw in a bungee to help with the slack.