Winterize your anchor rode

R

Robert H. Wilkinson

New member
I have always removed my anchor & rode from the locker and hung it up in the shed to dry and store it for the winter. I just figured it would be better to store it dry to discourage mold from turning it black.

An article I just finished reading discussed how allowing a wet anchor rode to freeze will damage and weaken it, causing it to wear out or fail prematurely.

I don't have anything special but I know some Bratts have invested some good coin in their anchor lines so I thought I'd pass this little tidbit along.

Regards, Rob
 
Good idea. Back when I was a kid, we had manilla rope for the anchor. We took it home every time we anchored, washed it in a tub, dried in on rack and then hung it in the garage until we went back to the boat. My dad even dipped his in Cupinol--a copper sulfate solution to prevent mold.
 
Interesting point. I could see how that could be detrimental but might not have thought of it specifically. And it could be an issue for folks who pull the boat and trailer home right away to a freezing climate.

On the other hand, for reasons of mold and general "ship-shapeness," I have always removed the rode at the end of a season (or every once in a while during), washed and dried the locker, and washed and dried the rode. This last time I put the rode back on the boat, but if I were at home I might have stored it off the boat.

I made a small "grate" for the bottom of my anchor locker out of a spare square of dri-deck. Funny thing is that before I made it, I was envisioning doing it, making a pattern, cutting it out, etc. and in my mind it was... well, not huge but a reasonable size. Then I went to actually do it.... and the thing is basically a triangle with about 6" per side. Tiny! :lol: Anyway, it allows some small bit of air under the rode. (I also reconfigured my anchor locker drain so that it actually drains the locker - as it came it was an inch or more above the bottom.)
 
I keep the boat on a mooring in salt water for the summer season. When I pull it before the cold of winter (at the beginning of November here on Cape Cod) I put the lower unit in a big tub of water with SaltAway and run the engine for a couple of minutes to flush the salt out. I use one of those 22 gallon plastic storage tubs.

I then put the anchor rode and mooring lines in the tub with the SaltAway water, swish them around for a few minutes, then rinse with fresh water and hang them out to dry. The rode then goes dry back in the locker for the winter.

It's a process that works for me.
 
At the end of the season, I sprayed the anchor rode and chain with salt remover while it was in my locker. Then, I removed the rode and chain, brought it home, put it in a tub, and soaked these in liquid fabric softener for a few hours and then rinsed with fresh water. The rode is now dry and supple waiting out the winter season in my garage.

Rich
 
Very educational post. Wish I had read this before I put the boat away for the winter. My anchor rode is in the boat and it was -24 last night.
 
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