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

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

James Alton
 

Bill and Bill,

  Thanks for the tip about tying the line securing the anchor to the top of the windlass so that it can be seen from the helm, that is a really great idea that I will adopt.  Did you use anything special for the line?  I am just wondering if there could be a chafe issue if this safety line somehow became the only thing holding the anchor?    Bill Rouse has a lot of great ideas like this to share, I miss his regular input on this forum.  So thanks to both of you for this one.

  One more anchor story.  I had designed and built a heavy duty anchor chute to fit my customers stainless plow.  The day before departure on the Millennium Odyssey, the crew arrived and one of the crew placed the anchor on the anchor chute without anything securing it.  Seeing this I strongly suggested that he tie the anchor off but the crew member  insisted that was fine and when he stepped off the boat the anchor self launched into the marina basin.  No problem, the crew member said, we know right where it is, we will just get a diver.  Well the marina basin was originally dredged to be 20+ feet deep and had silted in over the years.  2 divers and half of a day later, no anchor.  Worse, the lost anchor was not a CQR and we could not find an exact replacement in time so he left with an anchor that did not fit the anchor chute properly.  

James Alton
SV Sueño
Maramu #220

On May 3, 2018, at 10:29 AM, greatketch@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:

Duane,


On Harmonie we do likewise, except the anchor safety line is permanently attached to the center cleat on one end, and the other end ties to the cleat on top of the windlass.  That way you can easily see—from the helm—that the anchor is secure.  Learned that one here from Bill Rouse...

The safety line also goes through the shank of the anchor, bypassing shackles, and any other bits that might fail.

Last thing on this, when underway, we turn power off to the windlass motor, and tighten the clutch.

I never saw anyone lose a boat from losing an anchor, but I saw someone lose his job after an anchor came undone and his response was...suboptimal.

Bill Kinney
SM160, Harmonie
Eleuthera, Bahamas

---In amelyachtowners@..., wrote :

Kent, 

Sorry to hear of your troubles.  In answer to your question of stowing the main anchor, I always tie a line from the anchor to the large center cleat to hold the anchor in place while underway in lieu of dismounting and stowing the anchor.  That way you have the security of knowing it is held fast, yet it is available if needed.

Duane
Wanderer, SM#477
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