Bowsprit: How do You handle the anchor gear?

[2BonC]

It sounds crazy but even after sailing the fourth year with my Ì´m still not sure how I should handle chain and rope and where to attach the rope when anchoring .
During sailing the anchor rests on the anchor roller at the bowsprit. and chain and rope are in the anchor locker. Do You attach the rope to a cleat as long as it is stowed?
When it is released for anchoring chain and rope lead from the eye of the anchor via anchor roller at the top of the bowsprit to where? Does the rope connect to a cleat at one side, to both cleats or do Yo have an additional cleat or some other device installed in the center of the bow?

Rainer

[March]

I keep my anchor chains dangling (within reason) while sailing and the ropes tucked into the tope locker. The locker has two notches for ropes and it happened once that one rope got away and wrapped itself around the propeller. The ETEC stopped dead, but it was easy to see and remedy the problem. When I deploy the anchors, I use the bow cleats, pulling out of the locker as much rope as needed. I ALWAYS secure the end of the rope to the pulpit for good measure. Lost an anchor and a rode because the cleat knot somehow undid itself and while I was busy below in the head. Stupid.
When I pull the anchors out, I usually coil one nicely first and tuck the rode in the locker. The second one is done quick and dirty. Once we are under way, I pass on the controls to my first mate and arrange the anchors properly. It doesn't take long. I always make sure the anchors are ready to be deployed in a jiffy

[Chinook]

I used to fish the bitter end out from within the anchor locker, through a filed down place in the anchor locker lid, and then tied it to a bow pulpit stanchion. However, I've now installed a U shaped fitting inside the anchor locker which I keep the bitter end permanently tied to. It neatens up things in the foredeck area. I cleat off the anchor rode, once I'm set, on one of the bow cleats. I keep a pair of 25 foot mooring lines attached to the two bow cleats, with loops fished through the eyes in the cleats and lines looped over the bow pulpit on either side, so they're always handy for mooring. There's still plenty of room on either cleat to secure the anchor line. The 25 foot lines are short enough that, if one of them accidently got loose, it is too short to reach the prop. I keep two complete chain and nylon rodes in the anchor locker. My primary anchor (a Bruce) sits in the anchor roller, and the backup anchor (a Fortress)is attached to a bracket on the bow pulpit. If I want to set a second bow anchor, I tie the bitter end to the pulpit stanchion. If I want to set it from the Dinghy or use it as a stern anchor, it's quick and easy to grab up and move to the appropriate place.

[Divecoz]

I have the same anchors for the same purposes as Chinook. I drilled the shank on the Bruce and the anchor roller to accept a Pin its ready to go 24/7
I have a SS 3/8 U bolt mounted thru the bottom of the Anchor locker with a SS cross plate mounted inside . The Bruce's rode and 30' of chain is connected to this U bolt as well as the 30' of chain and the Danforth which sits in a bow rail ,anchor holder. Its rode and 8' more chain is in a bag with a clevis in the cabin.

[puggsy]

The trick is to get the anchor away from the point of the bow, allowing a bowsprit if needed, and still have the anchor handy for emergency use. I use this method...one at the starboard bow and one at the pushpit, at the stern. An anchor in each one with chain attached. The rode [rope]can also be left attached ands coiled. The pic shows the mounting with anchor deployed onto the beach. Just pop the anchor shank and chain in the tube [ 6 inch plumbers PVC u-bolted to the SS rail ] ..the stern one is great for coming into any beach . Use it as a brake. Saves scraping the glass off your cutwater...



Puggsy

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Mine is similar as well, a 16.6 lb Horizon Claw (Bruce style) on a roller and an aluminum Guardian G16 (Danforth style) on a bracket attached to the pulpit. I cut off the tip of the locker to allow the chains to pass through. I added a divider to keep the rodes separate so I never have to fight tangles. Both rodes are 20' of chain with 150' of 3/8 three strand anchor line. I added an eye bolt to terminate the bitter ends inside the locker. The Claw is kept in place when stored by a tether with a SS snap hook. The Guardian is kept in place by a SS snap hook that is attached to the pulpit with a SS clamp. It clips into the chain shackle.

I'm a firm believer that both anchors should be in place ready to deploy with no setup required. I also feel that nothing should be loose or dangling. My setup is secure and works great on the water as well as on the freeway.

When either or both are in use the rode is simply cleated to one or both of the bow cleats. I often set both anchors to reduce the radius of my swing. Of late I tend to set them 180 degrees apart. This is super easy to do, and parks you in the exact spot you want to stay. I go into the wind and drop the first, fall back to near the end of the rode, cleat and set. Drop the second there, then pull back in the first as I pay out the second until I am in the center. Cleat both, power forward to set the second, and then relax for the night. The boat will now swing in a very tight circle much like being on a mooring. The nice thing is that it can still swing in response to wind or current changes unlike using a stern anchor.

In some cases where I don't want the boat to swing at all I follow the same procedure, but then pick up the rode going behind the boat, give it a little slack and then cleat it mid-rode on the stern cleat. In essence this creates a stern anchor without all the hassle of removing it from the bow. This is most useful when I want to keep the bow pointed to a traffic area that is creating wakes.

We also sometimes do a similar thing using a stern shore tie. I carry 400' of 3/8 poly that will let me go from the boat to shore, around something (tree), and then back to the boat. This setup makes it easy to leave, you just release the end and can pull the line back in without leaving the boat. This takes advantage of the Macs shallow draft allowing you to tuck inside everyone at a crowded anchorage. Drop your anchor and then back in really close to shore, set the anchor, then use the dinghy to place the shore tie. You'll stay snug out of the way with no worry of swinging into other boats. Many of the Canadian parks actually have rings placed around the shore just for this purpose.

I prefer to set the anchor on at least 5:1 scope, and once set am willing to ride on as little as 3:1 scope. Don't forget to account for the tide. Up here we get 14' tide swings and you have to consider where you are in the cycle when adjusting your riding scope. I find it really useful to have a set of the plastic rode length markers inserted into the rode every 30'. They are cheap to add and make it really easy to know how much rode you have out for scope calculations.

[Pete]

Where's your bow light?

[Hamin' X]

Where's your bow light?

I'll help Duane out on this one.

Relocated Bow Lights

The original red/green bow light was located right on the tip of the bow. This was a very exposed area for a fragile plastic light. When the bow roller was added the light had to go. In the late model boats the light is on a bracket on the pulpit, but with my Guardian anchor already there this location was out. I decided to take a page out of the power boat books and installed a separate red and green light further back on the cabin top. The black lights blend right into the black stripe and both look and work well. Now all the ground tackle and lines up front don't obscure the lights in any way.

Duane has extensive documentation of his many mods on his website. Click in the globe icon in his profile.

~Rich

[2BonC]

..aditional advises about anchoring You will find there:

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 27#p153427

[Kelly Hanson East]

The 2000 model has the bowlight moved from the forepeak to the stanchion on the bow - a better place for it imho

[puggsy]

Just a thought on the re-positioned navigation lights...mounted on the side of the cabin...It was pointed out to me once by an inspector of our marine authority, that those side lights should be mounted on a block so that they are vertical to the water level. This is to maintain the correct angle of sight ...[ from right ahead to 22 1/2 degrees abaft the beam.
Many manufacturers just mount them, as shown in the photo, on the actual angle of the cabin. Technically, this angular mounting is incorrect. Admittedly, when the vessel rolls, the lights will not maintain the vertical angle but will be either on one slope or the other...
But that's what the man said... Puggsy

p.s. one other thing...If sailing at night, the cabin mounted lights COULD be obscured by the jib or Genoa...
thats why the original lights were mounted as far forward as possible...as are most yachts...or in a combined red/green light at the masthead...not a proposition with the rotating mast.

[Slamjammer]

When single handing, does anyone hang the anchor from the cockpit rail? I have found it handy to run the rope (scope) from the bowsprit (tied off at both bow cleats), outside the wires to the cockpit, where the anchor, chain and remaining rope are stowed in a canvas bag and hung outside the rail. This arrangement allows you to quickly and easily deploy the anchor without going forward.

[waternwaves]

I have one 16 lb danforth that fits on a choke holder mounted to the boarding ladder on the port side of my transom. The chain/rope bag hangs under the seat and the bitter end is run out of the bag, outside the rails, to the bow anchor locker(beside the bruce normally used bruce on the bow) . I can drop and retrieve that anchor without leaving the cockpit.

The only disadvantage is really the possibility of the line /prop fouling if I screw up. Generally we dont go in the water with the ladder in salt water anyway. Only use that ladder in the lakes.