Hand Raising your Anchor

[Scott Berg]

We have 2 chain hooks spliced to 60' lengths of 1/2" Dacron.

They hook the chain at the roller and pull it back down the side decks (Port and Starboard)

You pull up one side to the winch in the cockpit, the other going back and forth till the anchor is in the roller

Works very well, indeed that is what I did before we had a windlass on an earlier boat. I've made up a system for every boat since

Can pull up 200' of chain that way
Need to clean it on deck (and the deck after) but it does work when the windlass packs it in and is more powerful the a lever in the chain gypsy that some offer for backup.

[Group9]

My primary anchor is a 45 pound Manson supreme and 160 feet of 3/8's chain. I can pull it up by hand, and have done so a couple of times, but it's not fun. The sailboat I bought three years ago is the first one that has a windlass on it, so I have had plenty of practice.

[barnakiel]

No backup. Just grind your teeth and do it.

30ft piece of cake. 80ft nearly killed me.

Only possible in a small boat like ours.

b.

[DRS]

20kg Rocna and 3/8ths chain. I'm going to feel it the next day but can do it

[nitpik]

Well, I do have an old reliable Lunenburg #2 windlass, but it gets me only 6" of chain for every complete fore and aft sweep of the handle, so it is very slow. I have for years been lifting a 60 lb. anchor on 400' of 3/8" chain with just a pair of gloves and a weak back. - would have been a lot easier with a chain stopper! No, I am not in the least bit "macho", but it is what I had, so I made it work.
Now, at 66 years of age, with various health concerns, I agree that it is getting to be a bit much! A brand new Lofrans is sitting as an ornament in my guest bathroom at home, and I am looking at ways of installing that beauty!

[shorebird]

I had to pull our 10kg Bruce by hand last summer in windy conditions, and almost put my back out, until I discovered the "technique." I sat down with my feet braced in the anchor compartment, pulled myself up using the anchor rode, then let my weight pull on the line. Repeated until the anchor was up. Would have been much easier in calm conditions. Problem was just a dead battery in the windlass remote.

[IdoraKeeper]

My safety line will reach my starboard cockpit winch. That gives me 30 ft of purchase if the windless fails. I would not want to try to haul 23 tons of boat up wind in a blow but sheer terror might help. After that it would be a trip to the chiropractor.

ToddTodd

[s/v Jedi]

I voted that I can't do it by hand... but using a manual winch it is not a problem at all. I saw others voted this the other way around, so the poll is broken already I'm afraid.

[Dennis.G]

Not on my current boat.

On previous boat, no problem. A chain stopper and pair of gloves made job easy.

[Ocean Girl]

I never owned a windlass till Rain Dog, and we have yet to use that one, Brian just manhandled it up . My boats were small ( lived aboard 23-30 ft) mainly so I could easily handle the sails and anchors.
Cheers

[zeehag]

my e ricson 35 mII hasn o windlass and she sports 35 pound cqr and 100 ft 5/16 chain with 496ft 3/4 inch 3 strand rode. when i sailed her i could lift that sola. she has no windlass.

this boat has a 66 pound(30 kg) bruce. i have lifted this out of the mud in la cruz with help of a strong skinny guy...
now i have not just a manual windlass on my bow but i added my already there but frozen lofrans 1000 to the mix, with electricity. will soon be remote.

so i can always switch the chain i am pulling from one windlass to the other if my electric one fails.....backup plans rock. so , yes, if ellie fails, manny can take over the load for me. backup plan Z is me doing this by hand--i have 5/16 chain---250 ft on my cqr and just under 200 ft on my bruce.....and i dont anchor in 30 ft water. 20 ft yes but not 30.

[Sandero]

Winches or manual windlass don't count. I thought the poll meant hand over hand... and though I probably could do it... I won't strain my back and voted no... and I have a windlass and so the opportunity hasn't presented once I switched to chain.

[zeehag]

i also said, did i not, that i HAVE hand over hand raised this anchor on my formosa, but that i NOW have manny to back up my ellie.
NOW, if both fail, yes, i HAVE raised this boats anchor by myself. is not easy but it is doable. is why gods made winches on masts and such other tools....not just for raising sails.
for most of this cruising i have been doing, i have not had an electric windlass. the manual one is kinda misaligned, so has been slightly dysfunctional, so i have been essentially raising my 30 kg bruce with associated almost 200 ft of chain--i keep 160 ft on bottom-by hand.

if raising your anchor tackle hand over hand is easy, you have inadequate anchor tackle.


by the way--i am a handicapped old lady. rodlmao.

[bobconnie]

No way can I or most anyone else raise my anchor by hand ! 100lbs and all 1/2in chain. If my windless is out then the winchs will get it up but no way by hand!! Nothing to do with my age It's just Im not a weight lifter LOL

[foggysail]

I voted yes to being able to haul my 80# Manson Supreme with5/16" chain rode only because my Maxwell HWC2200 windlass has provisions to hand crank it.

I long ago learned how important a bow roller is! Before installing one on my Hunter 30 (old sailboat) I had great difficulty raising a toy 13-15# Danforth.

I later installed a bow roller to mount a 44# Bruce whose rode was 30' 3/8" chain attached to 5/8" three strand. I found the best way was to sit in the anchor locker and just pull the anchor up. I had no problems pulling a 44# and I believe I could have handled maybe a 60# anchor without problems. I WOULD NOT WANT TO TRY THAT WITH MY 80# ANCHOR.