Anchoring a 16 foot Cruiser

[Art Smith]

How do you physically use an anchor a 16 foot Cruiser? The hatch is small, and there is no anchor locker.

If you are small enough, is it possible to stand in the bunk area, poke your shoulders through the hatch and haul in an anchor rode and chain? After you tie off the anchor to the cleat, where do you put the rode and chain? In a milk crate strapped to the deck?

I do not relish the thought of climbing around the cabin and working on the little bow deck when it is rough!

[Chuck S]

I'm not using chain routinely with a C-Dory 16 Cruiser. For overnight, probably, but just beaching the boat is easy assuming the bottom is kind. If I can find some rubber/plastic chain I may use it more often, but having the chain slapping the deck all day long isn't good.

I've fitted an anchor hawse pipe to the foredeck to run the anchor line below desks, thru a partially hollowed out area in the forepeak. The line ends up below the bunk. Not great, but works.



As long as the anchor line is running thru the bow anchor roller it can be tied off aft if you like. No need to go forward at all until it's safe and convenient. Should be able to drop and recover the anchor from the cockpit. Stowing the anchor line after recovery will have to wait until later but she'll come out just fine even led aft. Bring the line out by hand unless you want all of it out with the anchor.

-- Chuck

[DaveS]

Hi Art,
When we had our 16' cruiser I kept the rode made up of 150 foot line plus 8' of chain in one of those 5 gallon buckets that restaurants get mayonnaise in with a round hole cut in the lid for access to the chain end with attached eye. A clevis was kept on the anchor and when anchoring I had to go up on the foredeck and attach the rode to the anchor and then lower away through the anchor roller. If I felt the need for longer anchor rode on a particular cruise (which I never did need) I would carry a duplicate rode set up in another bucket and clevis the two rodes together. I kept the bucket/buckets in the cockpit.
Obviously, this leaves a lot to be desired as it required a lot of foredeck activity and certainly not desirable in rough seas or an emergency situation.
The solution Chuck S. has is probably better for your needs but perhaps the "bucket storage" method I've indicated above could be incorporated in your operation.
Hopefully before this thread is completed someone will chime in on a method that will be just right for you.

[Byrdman]

I kinda did a mix of the two above me... I used the 5 gallon bucket, worked it from the back cockpit, and often found I did not have to tie to the front bow for the angle needed for short stops, dinners...etc...and then, as our 16s toss as they do.... if I were going to stop for an extended period, it was generally in calm enough waters as to allow me to go forward and tie off the the front cleat...after setting the anchor from the cockpit first. Then, the only time I was up front was for a loop or two. Now, I had been fishing in swells often....and really needed that "front pull" from the bow, I would have rigged a "horse shoe" long enough to go from cleats I could reach from the front sliding windows, and hooked it like a "reversed towing bridle" if you will.... Then, if it is ruff and time to go, put a carabine hook on one end with a fender attached, drop it in the water and "back around" the horseshoe, picking it up along with the fender, and again, weighing the anchor from the cockpit. I never liked taking my 240# around the front, generally on board by myself, in any kind of swell action...

[Byrdman]

Opps... and, I did have a flat tuperware container that I kept an anchor in, under the port seat, with the tuperware sitting on one of those old rubber sink things that are/were used to keep folks from chiping the finish on the sink with pots and pans.... but,,,, I did like my bucket out back when truly deploying and recovering the anchor.... to reduce the mud in the boat... and I simply did not like working thru the hatch....which was 1/2 as wide as I am... and... I wish I had never sold my 16 Cruiser. Just a great little/big boat that is sooooo easy to load/unload/trailer...and that 12 gallon of fuel...you simply have to go on some long runs to keep it from spoiling....

[gljjr]

I don't have one of these but I would bet the best way to solve the issue is to take a look at the multi-pulley systems used on drift boats. This way you could run the line around the side of the cabin and then lock it in place where you can easily work the rode.

Just a thought!