Setting up anchor on bow of small sailboat

[thomm225]

Most times I just drop my 20 lb CQR on the foredeck and secure it to the center cleat there.

As a single hander, it's much faster especially in heavy wind leaving anchor.

I used to mount it back on the bow/anchor platform but then thought about what good does that do? It's a PITA.

Picture shows anchor after I got back to the dock and untied it from the cleat to secure deck lines there.

You can see anchor secured to center cleat in the video. It's fast and efficient.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq1bSb7J8VE

[Jammer]

I offer these suggestions after figuring out what did and didn't work on my Morgan 24 which had no locker of any kind on the bow, and after setting up a 12' sailing dinghy and 16' motorboat with ground tackle


1. Use ground tackle appropriate to the boat and the conditions you anticipate. You will not be anchored out in a full gale in an O'Day 19. Size your anchor and rode to the boat


2. Use the best modern anchor for the bottom where you anchor. If you anchor exclusively in mud, get a Fortress. Otherwise get a Rocna or one of its competitors. These anchors are effective and much lighter weight than the 1960s cast iron crap most smaller boats have.


3. Use minimal chain for the conditions you expect, it's heavy and you'll have to carry it. Consider stainless steel chain as it will make less of a mess of the deck.


4. Use 12-ply anchor line, it is much easier to coil and stow than 3-ply. I didn't like the basket and instead got the elastic ties with beads on them


5. Stern anchoring is hazardous in typical small motorboats because of the risk of a wave coming over the transom notch (for a short-shaft outboard motor). You aren't them. In most cases you can keep the anchor in the lazarette (or below), anchor from the cockpit, and then tie off the rode on the bow cleat when it is convenient to do so (if at all). You can tie the bitter end of the anchor rode to a cleat or eye in the laz so you don't lose it.


Ultimately it is a very different game than anchoring a 40' boat and requires different tradeoffs and different techniques.

[NorthCoastJoe]

On my MacGregor 25, it all fits in a milk crate, anchor, chain, 150' of 1/2" line.
Easy to carry and store below.