Hunter 42 CC Passage anchor mess

[K1MGY]

I purchased (mistake?) a very used and poorly maintained Hunter 42 CC Passage, vintage 1993. When reviewing this boat, I did not pay much attention to the anchoring setup (definitely a mistake). Now that I have to use it, I consider it a mess.

Here's a photo showing the windlass:

When raising the anchor, the rhode and chain cannot drop quickly enough into the locker, so it invariably winds up and binds the windlass capstan. Awful!

I need to convert this arrangement into one that will provide single-handing features... anchor drop and raise by the same windlass, and from the cockpit ideally.

I'm hoping someone with this same arrangement reads this and might offer some ideas. Maybe this arrangement is supposed to work? Maybe I'm not using it properly?

Thanks for any help!

/mark

[SailingHarmonie]

K1MGY,

I hate to suggest it, because it's rarely the best way to anchor, but the solution might be to switch to stainless chain. Expensive, but so is a major rework of your bow.

Stainless has ONE key advantage over galvanized chain: It "flows" better. The smooth links run much easier, tend to pile up less, and not get stuck.

The catch is I can not think of a way for you to be SURE that will work before shelling out significant $$$ for new chain. Maybe you can borrow a stainless chain from a dock neighbor for a case of beer and give it a try?

[PerfectPirate]

My boat came to me with a vintage manual windlass and rusty 3/8-inch chain. In order to ensure that the chain came off of the gypsy and flowed down the chainpipe, the first owner had a "stripper" made up from unpolished stainless steel and installed it. The stripper has a flat spike which sticks up between the two cheeks of the gypsy and ensures that the chain cannot be carried past the chainpipe. You can see the stripper in the attached picture, mounted to the deck just in front of the chainpipe. Unfortunately, the picture got rotated 90 degrees while uploading and this does not seem to be correctable.


With your setup, the stripper would need to be L-shaped and mounted to the side of the windlass housing. This will be much cheaper than buying a new batch of chain. Given the correct dimensions, any reasonable welding or rigging shop should be able to put one together in about an hour.

[Muaddib1116]

I don't think his issue is the chain binding in the gypsy. It's that it needs to go forward to that chain "locker" area.

K1MGY, is that area at the top of the picture the only area the rode is stored in? What is underneath the windlass?

I have stainless chain, and I'm not sure that's going to be sufficiently slippery to flow properly in your current setup, or at least what I can see of it. Can you describe/post pictures of the area where all the rode is pile up, without the rode in it? And also describe/show what is under the windlass?

[K1MGY]

That stripper is a great idea! I like the fact that the windlass is on the deck, allowing distance between it and the chain locker, too.

Problem here is that the windlass is totally encapsulated. If it ever needs servicing or replacement, I have no clue how to exhume it, other than with cutting tools! And, I'd want to replace it, as it's preferable to have one that goes in both directions.


I rotated that photo for you: https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...1&d=1675098342

I use ImageGlass for quick and easy photo edits: https://imageglass.org/

Cheers!

[PerfectPirate]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

I don't think his issue is the chain binding in the gypsy. It's that it needs to go forward to that chain "locker" area.

Ah, based on the original description I had not properly understood the nature of the problem. All I can suggest is putting some stainless plate in the channel which the chain has to flow down so that the surface is as slippery as possible.


How much drop is there in that forward chain well? Is there enough depth for the weight of the chain to drag it over the surface between the windlass and the well?

[Muaddib1116]

Hopefully he can share some better pictures, but I suspect it's problem of angles and height. Too big an angle, not enough height. Reducing friction will probably not help enough. Depending on what's under the windlass platform, I'd suggest building a new chain locker beneath it. That little well doesn't seem adequate, unless it's much deeper than it looks.

[leecea]

I suspect it's problem of angles and height

Yes, I think so. We have a different model Hunter with the windlass mounted differently and still the chain will get stuck unless I keep pushing it down with a boathook or similar. The slope is just not steep enough for it to slide all the way down.

[K1MGY]

Yes, I will get more photos tomorrow and post these, along with a clear view of the chain locker.

Almost everything in this boat is bound up in solid fiberglass. Even the interior headliner. It will likely take a lot of excavation to change this setup.

[Shrew]

Ours has a similar issue. We have a horizontal Lewmar, however the chain drops into the forward part of the locker and starts to pile up until it backs up on the gypsy.

Our only solution is to have someone forward, who reaches into the anchor locker and keeps shifting the chain back as it is retrieved. (In your case it would need to be shifted forward). We can deploy the anchor from the helm, but someone has to be forward when we weigh.

[K1MGY]

The problem I reported still exists, but I've made it a bit more manageable...



I cleaned out the chain locker (since purchasing this boat, I've not unearthed this area!). What a mess!!

Among the crap I found:

50 ft of rusted useless chain
125 ft of weak, eroded crappy rhode
Another long chunk of rhode in a little better shape, connected to nothing

Cleaned it out, removed spare anchor to aft locker, disposed of chain and crappy rhode...

With the chain locker clear of swill, at least the anchor rhode has room to flake, but even with this reduction, the chain simply does not have enough drop to pull itself down into the locker.

Therefore I have to stand, one foot inside the locker (and as clear from the moving machinery as possible!) and one operating the foot switch, while repeatedly operating the windlass briefly and clearing chain before it winds itself into a big iron knot.

Is there any advantage of applying a light machine oil to the chain? Or will this wash off by use in salt water?

[PerfectPirate]

Hey Mark,

What if you put a stainless steel plate skidway where the chain slides across the fiberglass, projecting out over the deep portion of the well, with a roller on the end? Would that provide sufficient aid to keep the chain moving without hanging up on the edge of the well? Or possibly skip the roller and just introduce a gentle curve downwards at the point where the chain falls into the deeper well.

It looks to me as though the links of the chain may be snagging as they try to flow over that double edge before falling into the deeper well of the locker. Without a lot of weight hanging down into the well, that could be enough to stop the flow of the chain.

[Scubaseas]

Is there a Hunter's Owners group? Surely this is not unique to just your boat. Usually the rode drops directly below the gypsy. Is there an anchor locker inside the boat? Possible to get a 2" or 3" PVC pipe from under the windlass going into the bow anchor locker?

I have a Tayana V42. The rode drops into a 2" PVC pipe that goes to a chain locker that's about 4' aft of the windlass. Works fine.

[K1MGY]

Originally Posted by PerfectPirate

It looks to me as though the links of the chain may be snagging as they try to flow over that double edge before falling into the deeper well of the locker. Without a lot of weight hanging down into the well, that could be enough to stop the flow of the chain.

Precisely the problem. I can try that idea (maybe an aluminum plate to test first). Unfortunately the "well" is not all that deep given the amount of rhode I have. Solution might be to reduce that length to perhaps 150ft, but then I may be restricted by the 7:1 ratio to waters <= ~20ft.



I also like the idea posted earlier of a bind-prevention tab that stops chain from winding backwards.

[wholybee]

Originally Posted by PerfectPirate

Hey Mark,

What if you put a stainless steel plate skidway where the chain slides across the fiberglass, projecting out over the deep portion of the well, with a roller on the end? Would that provide sufficient aid to keep the chain moving without hanging up on the edge of the well? Or possibly skip the roller and just introduce a gentle curve downwards at the point where the chain falls into the deeper well.

It looks to me as though the links of the chain may be snagging as they try to flow over that double edge before falling into the deeper well of the locker. Without a lot of weight hanging down into the well, that could be enough to stop the flow of the chain.

I was thinking the same thing. Actually, I was thinking of a pipe. The end neat the gypsy would be higher than the end in the locker, so the chain would have some fall and flow better.