Anchor roller pulling out

[zachduckworth]

A few weeks back I anchored my Islander Bahama 30 in 90 feet of water in Two Harbors (Catalina). I put out about 240 feet of chain. Maxwell Freedom windlass, old model but barely used by prior owners and recently serviced all the way to the gear box. I’ve done this before with no problems. This last time I had some difficulty bringing the anchor up and at one point blew the fuse. I think I also had the clutch too tight and was pulling the boat with the windlass at one point before I blew it. After flipping the breaker and motoring forward a bit the chain came up easily enough.

Before the breaker went I noticed some that the chain was really banging hard as it came up. I realize in retrospect I should have stopped and though it through s bit more, and probably should have put the snubber on at that point to break the chain loose.

Anyway I did not, and the chain in the anchor roller bounced so hard that the bow roller came loose about 1/8th of an inch off the deck. It came up, and the windlass seems ok. But I can wiggle the bow roller with my hand. I’ve been too busy to go into the anchor locker to see what it looks like on the bottom. Somewhat scared to do so.

I haven’t heard of this happening to anyone else. I have noted that neither anchor roller not the stemhead fitting have backing plates. Is that what caused the bow roller to pull out? Or on the other hand am I possibly lucky that it failed when in the way it did? Should I put a backing plate under there for the bow roller and stemhead fitting? I am replacing the stemhead and forestay this fall anyway, so it may be a good time to do it. Any advice on this somewhat dramatic fail appreciated.

[Tin Tin]

Post some photos of the situation and from the inside.

[Don C L]

I have a boat similar in size to yours. Yes they both should have backing plates, or at the very least multiple oversized washers. This was not usually done in construction of our older boats unfortunately. I am guessing that whoever installed the bow roller wasn't anticipating that there might be force lifting it up and probably had small washers on those bolts. I suspect that the roller was lifted up and the small washers/nuts got lifted up into the deck. I believe your deck is cored with plywood. The bolts may not have been well sealed also when installed. If the wood had become weakened over time with water getting in it could have become soft and allowed the bolts to pull up through it.

[GordMay]

IIRC, the Islander 30's decks were cored, with plywood [as Don notes,, and should be carefully sounded, for signs of delamination.
Leaks, in the hull-to-deck joint were not uncommon, and sloppy bedding compound, along the toerail is indicator of this problem.
The Islander 30 Mark II, by Bob Finch, NA, is the same boat as the Bahama 30.
About 500 were built, between 1971 and 1985. The company closed its doors, in march 1986, never to build another Islander yacht.

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Zack,

If the plywood is wet, it will rot and the rot spreads pretty fast. So, rightfully scared, imo, you need to get a look at it soon, don't put it off. Then let us know what you find. If it is damp, you have to dig out the wet plywood as far as it has gone. Back to where you can chisel out dry wood. Leave as much as possible of the fiberglass in position, because you're going to re-core it. (The more you take out, the harder the job will get.) You want somewhere, preferably, where you can get the boat under shelter, or you're going to have to figure out a way to keep it dry should it rain. You're in luck, rains don't usually start till this month in So Cal, and often not till Dec.

So, next time you go to the boat you'll see what happened, and remove the roller. You'll need something to sound the core with, like a tack hammer, even a 1/4" drive rachet handle will do, or a pocket knife handle. You go tapping from the damaged area towards the stern with your tapping. When it goes from a dull sound to a hard, sharper, sound, you've found the edge, where there is solid plywood. You will need a big piece of cardboard to make a template, for your new core, and you'll need to know what thickness of marine ply to buy. [If you're lucky, someone may have an offcut that is big enough. It's worth visiting around and seeking out.] Be prepared to tarp the boat very well, because the things you have to do at home after work, will take some time.

If there is no rot, then your job will be a lot easier. And, yes, both windlass and roller should have backing plates, and so should the stem-head fitting. When you get them off, you can find out what you need for backing plate material (what will fit in the spaces you have), and how to mark it for the bolt holes. You are likely to need a size or two longer, depending on the thickness of the flat stock you buy. When you're done, it will all be stronger than ever.

Good luck with it, but the longer you let it go, the worse it will get. I hope you don't fall in that trap.

Ann

[Don C L]

Somewhere in my albums I have a shot of a section of deck I took out, I think your boat may be constructed the same way. The core is probably 1/4” marine ply and 1/8” glass above and below. Once you get it all taken apart send us some photos.