Mark, you were right...it was rope I believe. The chain doesn't have a problem passing into the locker. Occasionally, the rope forms a tight coil in the 4 inch diameter SS cylindrical channel I devised to carry the rode through the teak pulpit base into the anchor locker. I should have designed the tube in a conical shape like an upside down funnel to prevent the line from binding. Someday in retirement I plan to remedy this. But in the meantime, I have great crew like you and the Admiral who come to the rescue with a short tug. Besides, it looked like you needed something to do while I was pushing buttons and working the shifters. ;-)
FF, I have a cleat forward of the windlass to tie off the rode at anchor. If I'm anchored with chain only, I have an anchor snubber that I attach which absorbs the shock and secures to the same cleat or the sampson post aft of the windlass. (see pic below)
MB,
How do you like that winch? Is it very noisy? fast - slow? What controls does it have?
I like the winch, but readily admit that my winch experience is limited to a few windlasses. As such, I'm not sure if it's considered loud or not. I always have the engines running when operating the windlass and can hear it over the idling engines.
The typical line speed is listed at 88 ft per minute with a max of 105 fpm. It's plenty fast for me. I control it with the Lewmar provided hard-wired switch and circuit breaker at the lower helm and a Lewmar wireless remote (link above) which allows me to control it from the flybridge or the bow. I do not have foot controls, but find no need for them with my current controls.
How many times do you anchor in a year?
Since I fish alot, I'm often anchoring and reanchoring several times a day. I'm guessing that I drop anchor 75-100 times per year. I'm hoping to increase that significantly in retirement.
I think you're in the SF Bay area? Probably anchoring in mud all the time. Have you ever dragged?
I normally anchor in the California Delta, but have anchored in the Bay as well.
The bottom is mostly mud. In these parts, if you anchor in water 15 feet deep or more, you almost guaranteed no weeds. I have anchored overnight in a 30-35 kt blow and have never dragged anchor. It did keep me up all night on anchor watch, but a 7:1 scope held great. When in the bay for Fleet Week with Mark (crowded conditions), we anchored in 50 ft of water with only 180-200 ft of rode, if memory serves me correctly. The winds might have been 10-15 and waves to 3 ft with no problems.
Do you have a wash down pump - hose - valve?
Yes, when I installed the windlass, I also installed a fwd washdown hose in a recessed canister on the deck like this.
The electric RW washdown pump feeds both the fwd and aft WD lines. The aft line has a valve near the FB ladder, the fwd line does not. I have a lighted RW washdown pump switch at the helm to control the pump. I installed a lighted switch which prominently illuminates when the the switch is ON to remind me to turn it off when I'm done using it. It has done its job several times.
If I were to do it all again, what would I change? I'd upgrade to a 20KG Bruce anchor. (dwhatty, if you're looking for something to buy me for Christmas...
) It works well in the environment in which we operate and is a highly recommended anchor in this area by local experts.
