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Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Deploying and retrieving an anchor with chain and rode

James Alton
 

Kent,

   Anchor chain is nice in that it doesn’t chafe on sharp things like rocks but it’s your anchor and a proper scope that is required to give you good holding.  With your back situation, I would consider mostly or completely eliminating the chain and just insure that you have a minimum of a 7:1 scope out  (remember to account the freeboard) .  The Fortress and Danforth type anchors are not to reliable at resetting if pulled out when the wind or current changes the rode angle too much.   When using these types of anchors I normally set a second anchor  (a smaller lunch hook)…which I know does complicate things.   With the right line size, you may be able to get some help from your anchor windlass in hauling up the anchor by running it in the center chain groove and tailing.  Some gypsys are designed to handle chain and line in this manner and with the right size line it grips pretty well despite only laying across the top of the gypsy.  .

  On my previous boat there was no windlass or provision to stow and anchor forward so I used high tensile Danforth anchors with line only rodes for almost 20 years up and down the East Coast, Maine and Nova Scotia without ever dragging or having a chafe problem but obviously there is a risk that your line could find something sharp.  
  
   I am glad to hear that your boat was not damaged, best of luck and perhaps you will get some other ideas that will help.

Best,

James
SV Sueño
Maramu #220

On May 2, 2018, at 6:57 PM, karkauai@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:

Hi all,
So I lost my anchor and chain in short steep seas. Lucky not to have a hole in the boat or a prop fouled in the chain.

I'm tied up at the dock now, but will set my spare (a big Fortress) tomorrow on 50 ft of chain and 75-100ft of 1" three-strand nylon rode. I'll be in 10-15 ft of water on the Miles River near St Michaels, MD. As I've never had occasion to do this with the big tackle we use on these boats, I'm trying to figure out the best way to do this without dinging up the deck or lifeline. And how to limit the strain on my previously operated-on back.

I have the anchor tied at the rail with a short loop of chain going to the port side bow roller. I've flaked the chain and rode out on the deck and cleated the rode to the big bow cleat. I've protected the lifeline SS tubing with towels wrapped around and zip-tied on to keep the loop of chain from dragging over it on dropping the anchor over.

My plan is to drop the anchor over the side, then pay out the chain and rode. The chain will drag across the deck, that doesn't seem like a good solution.

How do you guys and gals do this?

Retrieval:
My plan is to use the rode gypsy on the windlass to pull it in up to the chain...then what? I thought of hooking the chain snubber on and raising it with a halyard, but that seems extremely awkward. The anchor won't fit on the bow roller, so will have to be brought aboard.

Again...HELP...How do you do it?

To make it more complicated, I'm single-handing. I think I'll find someone to help with at least the retrieval.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

As an aside, does anyone stow their primary anchor when going to sea? If so, where? And I guess retrieving the primary anchor to stow it will be much the same as what I'll be doing with the Fortress, but much heavier.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience.
Kent
KRISTY
SM243
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