Chain Locker Question

[USA1791]

Hello,

Currently doing a refit and to escape the hot heat of working inside the cabin, beginning working on the deck. Im wanting to install a windlass and noticed there’s a small hole currently on the lid of the chain locker. Im assuming it’s for running the anchor chain through when manually lifting the chain in and out? If I’m wrong please let me know.

This doesn’t seem conducive to keeping the locker dry so thinking of some ideas and the best seems to just use the old one as a mold, and fiberglass a new one together without that lip hole and install the windlass?

Would like some opinion if this is the best way to do it, or if it’s not a problem in the first place to be corrected on this.

I’ve attached a photo of the item in question.

[JPA Cate]

Hi, USA 1791,

1. If the anchor locker has a drain, the water that gets in will go right out, as long as you keep the drain clear.

2. To me, that looks like a shallow chain locker. If this is so, then the chain may not have enough drop into there to flake itself down: you may have to hand flake it. I'm assuming this is not a large vessel, and that you will have a boat length or two of chain and the rest 3 strand nylon rode.

3. With a windlass, the chain goes around the gypsy (the chain wheel), and it has to get into the locker somehow, so you will need to place the gypsy so that the chain can easily get out with the lid closed--or you will be shackling on the anchor to the chain every time you go to anchor. Usually people mouse their anchor shackles for security's sake, which will add to the effort. In any event, I expect you will choose to use the existing locker lid.

3b. You may want to consider adding a piece of s/s to run from where the anchor shank and chain lie to close to the gypsy, to save chafe on the deck.

4. Those mooring cleats. You should check and make sure they have adequate backing plates under them...even if you have to take down some headliner to get access (or make doors in a hard liner).

Ann
JPA Cate

[USA1791]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Hi, USA 1791,

1. If the anchor locker has a drain, the water that gets in will go right out, as long as you keep the drain clear.

2. To me, that looks like a shallow chain locker. If this is so, then the chain may not have enough drop into there to flake itself down: you may have to hand flake it. I'm assuming this is not a large vessel, and that you will have a boat length or two of chain and the rest 3 strand nylon rode.

3. With a windlass, the chain goes around the gypsy (the chain wheel), and it has to get into the locker somehow, so you will need to place the gypsy so that the chain can easily get out with the lid closed--or you will be shackling on the anchor to the chain every time you go to anchor. Usually people mouse their anchor shackles for security's sake, which will add to the effort. In any event, I expect you will choose to use the existing locker lid.

3b. You may want to consider adding a piece of s/s to run from where the anchor shank and chain lie to close to the gypsy, to save chafe on the deck.

4. Those mooring cleats. You should check and make sure they have adequate backing plates under them...even if you have to take down some headliner to get access (or make doors in a hard liner).

Ann
JPA Cate

Thanks for the response!

1. I haven’t checked for a drain in there yet. My main concern was some water seems to be leaking in the forward cabin when it rains. So it makes me think some water might be coming from there. Going to work on it tomorrow so will check for the drain then. It might have been there was an electrical wire running inside it to the cabin.

2. It’s a 32 foot. Considering this is my first boat, I’m not sure if it’s shallow or not. There’s some chain in it now and a good 2 feet of space from lid to touching the chain.

3. Mouse the anchor?

4. That seems like a good idea. How would you mount that?

5. Yes there’s no backing plate. In fact the whole boat has 0 backing plates. Everything is just done with nuts and washers. We are working on doing a whole refit right now so seeing that was just a confirmation we needed to.

My main concern was water entering into the chain locker, since a few articles I’ve read talks about sealing the lid water tight etc and it made me start wondering about it. And why that hole is there in the first place since I haven’t seen it on other boats.

[JPA Cate]

Okay. If necessary, you can seal it temporarily with plumbers dope. I think there're two problems here, though, sealing it from the top to keep out excess moisture, and sealing around the place where the wire penetrates into the cabin. That may be a bit harder. There are glands you can buy to do it. I'm guessing the wire goes to the nav light, and it may go through the anchor locker to get up to the light. You'll want to protect the wire from the anchor rode. And you'll want to protect the interior from the water that will run down the wire. You may be able to fill the hole with caulking. It will need re-doing from time to time, but as soon as you see drips, you'll know it is time again. Water is really sneaky, it can get in from leaks in the hull to deck joint, stanchion bases (and pulpit bases), anywhere there is a deck penetration, really. Use the CF Custom Google Search under the search menu button for <tracking leaks> threads. There are some pretty ingenious methods folks have discovered.

Two feet depth should work okay, maybe. How much ground tackle you carry mostly depends on the depths of the anchorages where you plan to be.

"Mousing" the anchor shackle, is just wiring it closed so it cannot open unexpectedly.

The thickness of the backing plates you use depends partly on what materials you want to use. If using s/s, maybe 4 mm or 3/16" thick, and an oval about the 1" wider than the footprint of the two bases and the space in between them. If somebody tells you that's overkill, it may be. I am used to larger boats where everything is bigger and heavier. You just don't want to pull the cleat off the deck, through the deck. People also use starboard, and timber that's been epoxied. Depends partly on what you have easy access to. Can also use aluminum plate.

Ann

[USA1791]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Okay. If necessary, you can seal it temporarily with plumbers dope. I think there're two problems here, though, sealing it from the top to keep out excess moisture, and sealing around the place where the wire penetrates into the cabin. That may be a bit harder. There are glands you can buy to do it. I'm guessing the wire goes to the nav light, and it may go through the anchor locker to get up to the light. You'll want to protect the wire from the anchor rode. And you'll want to protect the interior from the water that will run down the wire. You may be able to fill the hole with caulking. It will need re-doing from time to time, but as soon as you see drips, you'll know it is time again. Water is really sneaky, it can get in from leaks in the hull to deck joint, stanchion bases (and pulpit bases), anywhere there is a deck penetration, really. Use the CF Custom Google Search under the search menu button for <tracking leaks> threads. There are some pretty ingenious methods folks have discovered.

Two feet depth should work okay, maybe. How much ground tackle you carry mostly depends on the depths of the anchorages where you plan to be.

"Mousing" the anchor shackle, is just wiring it closed so it cannot open unexpectedly.

The thickness of the backing plates you use depends partly on what materials you want to use. If using s/s, maybe 4 mm or 3/16" thick, and an oval about the 1" wider than the footprint of the two bases and the space in between them. If somebody tells you that's overkill, it may be. I am used to larger boats where everything is bigger and heavier. You just don't want to pull the cleat off the deck, through the deck. People also use starboard, and timber that's been epoxied. Depends partly on what you have easy access to. Can also use aluminum plate.

Ann

Okay I’ll try that tomorrow and see if that fixes it. What’s also curious is that the piece separating the forward cabin from the chain locker, after removing the headliner looks to just be a piece of wood. But inside the locker everything is fiberglassed. That’s the only spot on the boat I’ve noticed that and wondered if that’s an issue?

Oh! Haha thanks for letting me know. Still have so much to learn with the terminology.

From some research I’ve done I think I’m probably goin go with ss. Better to have some overkill than be under! Some of these backplate spots seem to be difficult since it’s near the hull where it starts to curve. Been trying to find the best way and it seems from what I read using epoxy to raise up one side and level it, then mount everything through that. Do you have any thoughts on that?

[deblen]

Helpful info. https://marinehowto.com/


Also,suggest you consider making the anchor locker bulkhead watertight.
Then you can install a drain(s) out thru the hull. Cheers/Len


https://www.google.com/search?q=sail...TW3HIg5A1OlR5M

[deblen]

Anchor locker drains.

[USA1791]

Thanks for the link! Was on the boat this morning and it does have 2 locker drain holes so that’s good. Just need to work on figuring out making it water tight and then install a windlass.

[Nicholson58]

The hole is for the rope/chain. Placement seems a bit odd. You should have a decent fitting plug attached straight below with a heavy bungee. Bungee keeps it in place in waves but minimizes the leak size. Note the triangular white plastic plug aft port side. The anchor locker drains art typically too small to pass the water out that can enter. You can also have a heavy tarp made to fit the foredeck for draining most water away including through the port periphery.

Note my teeny locker drains, too small. If I do not slow the water ingress in heavy seas we ship more than can drain. The anchor locker is broached over the hawse pipe and water runs into the bilge.

If your new windlass is vertical try to position it so the rode makes a 180 and then falls through the hole. You may need a bit of custom fabrication of SS to protect the hole edges and guide the chain. Some people need to assist the chain.

Our windlass wraps chain only 90 degrees into a vertical hawse to a large locker below. The 3-strand is for the secondary anchor.

[Stu Jackson]

The way your setup works now is this:

The hole is there to run the chain/rode forward to the anchor locker from either of the two cleats and allow you to close the anchor locker door when you're done anchoring.

Think about it: open anchor door to access rode in locker while anchor is still on roller; find way to hold door open so it doesn't hit your foot or hands (unless a method is already there); deploy anchor; cleat off to cleat; lift rode and align with ole, close anchor door while holding rode above the hole - door closes.

That's all.


Until you install your windlass, there is no reason whatsoever to close this hole, either temporarily or even worse permanently.

[GreenWave]

One possible source of your cabin leak could be those cleats. Since you need to remove and put plates underneath, be sure to check and bed them well with butyl tape/caulk.

[BigBeakie]

Do you have a capstan in the locker that is inline with the hole? If so, it might be for tailing a halyard to pull someone up the mast?

[USA1791]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

The way your setup works now is this:

The hole is there to run the chain/rode forward to the anchor locker from either of the two cleats and allow you to close the anchor locker door when you're done anchoring.

Think about it: open anchor door to access rode in locker while anchor is still on roller; find way to hold door open so it doesn't hit your foot or hands (unless a method is already there); deploy anchor; cleat off to cleat; lift rode and align with ole, close anchor door while holding rode above the hole - door closes.

That's all.


Until you install your windlass, there is no reason whatsoever to close this hole, either temporarily or even worse permanently.

Thank you! Makes so much sense haha. Can’t believe I wasn’t thinking that.

I’ve read some people say they seal up their drain holes to prevent any water from coming in when hitting waves. What do you think of that? After we sealed up the cleats and where the electrical wires were running through we got a hose and sprayed all in there and now no more leaks! So makes me think sealing the drain might not be something we should do?

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by USA1791

Thank you! Makes so much sense haha. Can’t believe I wasn’t thinking that.

I’ve read some people say they seal up their drain holes to prevent any water from coming in when hitting waves. What do you think of that? After we sealed up the cleats and where the electrical wires were running through we got a hose and sprayed all in there and now no more leaks! So makes me think sealing the drain might not be something we should do?

Hi, do not seal the drain holes, you can mittigate water entry by fitting ss clamshell's over them with the opening facing aft.