Anchoring without a Windlass

[patrick and linda]

has anyone pulled or set the anchor by standing in the bow hatch. i'm looking for an easier/safer way of accomplishing this task, rather than walking on the gunnels to and from the bow. don't have a windlass and probably won't install one.
thanks
pat

[colobear]

I have done both before I had a windlass. Actually a little easier than pulling up the anchor from the bow because of the better angle when standing in the hatch. I'm a fairly big guy so I can reach out far enough to deal with the anchor, etc. Robbi says she routinely does the same thing and is exceedingly svelte so you shouldn't have any trouble. I used a Bruce anchor and 1/2 rode with 30ft of chain. In rough water I would certainly do it this way rather than go out on the bow. Likewise if alone on the boat using the hatch seems much safer.

[Patrout]

I'm a big, old guy. I stand up through the hatch to pull the rope, too. It's a lot safer and it's a good way to find out how much more girth I should lose.

We usually anchor in about 100 to 150 feet of water and I use the buoy/retriever method, too. I bought one of those aluminum rigs with rollers http://www.orvalsezpull.com a few years ago to pull the rope through, but the working parts oxidize and have to be reconditioned every year. This year I'm going to try one of those cheap plastic outfits that just use a sliding bolt to keep the rope from slipping backwards. I coil the rope on the foredeck right in front of me and lay the chain on top, just like the other guys. In order to look slick as we head into the harbor at the end of the trip, I feed it down through the pipe into the v-berth area into a basket (for now.)

It is a good deal to just be able to pull in the slack rope that has come through the ezy-puller rather than having to heave the weight of the anchor and the remaining rode and chain with each pull.

Have to admit ... I'm ready for this minus 40 degree weather to start fading into spring time so we can go boatin' and fishin' again.

Pat

[patrick and linda]

pat,
you think it's cold where you're at, it's colder than a womans heart here at lake cumberland, 21 degrees. now that's cold!
pat

[T.R. Bauer]

[Sea Wolf]

[Tortuga]

One of my statistics students might say the number is the strength of the relationship while the +/- is simply the direction. So, -40 is the inverse of +40. Course, I wouldn't know.... it's upper 70s here in Ventura .

[T.R. Bauer]

Not to be a nitpick, but isn't the inverse of -40 the fractional number
-1/40?

[Tortuga]

I didn't say my student would be correct! They get confused over the scoring of correlation coefficients -- e.g., is -.57 less than +.57.

[AstoriaDave]

[Tug]

After reading all the posts i have decided on a 14 # Delta / 15 feet of 1/4 inch chain and 200 feet of 1/2 anchor line. Now i will have to upgrade my old bow roller, i see from some of the pictures the anchor fits ( snugs tight and secure) up against the bow roller. Some are even pivoting, for the 14# Delta what type of bow roller should i get that could be used if i ever were to buy a Windlass in the future. Thanks Tug

[patrick and linda]

ok, maybe it's not -40, but it's 14 degrees now and going down, no matter how you slice it, it's cold. -40 is god's way of saying, you boys aren't praying enough!
right now our boat is in storage, when the weather warms up a bit, i plan to go over and practice anchoring and retrieving the anchor while standing in the open bow hatch while the boat is still on the trailer. normally when i retrieve the anchor my wife is at the helm, that's not a problem but there are times when we are at anchor while surrounded by other boats anchored. linda's not as comfortable is those situations so being able to get back to the helm quickly makes sense to me.
thanks
pat

[Tug]

Pat...that is what i plan on doing also just to see how it goes . How do you secure the anchor after you bring the anchor up and make it fast to the bow roller if you do not have a windlass, do you just fasten the chain to the bow cleat ( with a wire or something ) and store the rope in a plastic crate. Thanks Tug

[Tug]

Pat...that is what i plan on doing also just to see how it goes . How do you secure the anchor after you bring the anchor up and make it fast to the bow roller if you do not have a windlass, do you just fasten the chain to the bow cleat ( with a wire or something ) and store the rope in a plastic crate. Thanks Tug

[Patrout]

Hi Tug,

I did a little work up in the U.P in the winter way back when. Pretty country, but I had a little trouble understanding the local dialects.

Believe it or not, I use a bungee cord that's hooked to the hole at the back of the anchor, then run it around one of the bow rails, then across to the other bow rail and then back to the hole in the anchor. The bungee cord sits down pretty close to the deck so it's not in the way of anything. The anchor sits centered securely in the bow roller and doesn't wobble around and scratch the wood base. (I did screw a rubber button onto the spot where the anchor rests, just to be sure.) I can even slide a boat hook under the bungee cord to store it for pushing the anchor off the anchor roller without having to climb up out of the hatch. The only time I have to actually get out on the bow is to replace the anchor in the bow roller. Some day I will figure out a long handled sort of thing that will let me do that from the hatch.

Some foks keep their rope and chain in a basket on the foredeck. Some coil the rope and chain and lay the anchor on top. It all depends on how you want it to look, I think. I do the coil (sort of) routine while out on the water. So far, the rope and chain pile hasn't budged an inch while we were going through some fairly bumpy water.

About this minus 40 degree thing up here: we are praying ... we pray it doesn't get down to minus 60 this winter. Propane doesn't flow when it's that chilly.

Pat