Anchor recess vs. pulpit/roller

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Diesel Duck

Diesel Duck

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2014
Messages
470
Location
Colombia, South America and Huatulco, Mexico
I'm curious to know what the advantages or disadvantages are to having an anchor recess on either the port, starboard or both sides of the bow vs. having an anchor roller/pulpit setup? I do realize that having an anchor recess on a smaller vessel may not be physically possible so my question is referring to a boat large enough to accommodate it. Is it more of an aesthetics issue or is there some practicality involved for favoring one over the other?

Below is an example of a vessel with an anchor recess... (actually it has two, one port and one starboard)

9631-albums319-picture2231.jpg


And here is the anchor roller/pulpit setup...

9631-albums319-picture2233.jpg
 
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A proper recessed anchor setup like the first picture would be to much weight up forward for the average size recreational boat like that 63, maybe it'd work on an 86, but it's still a lot of weight forward.
 
N4712 said:
A proper recessed anchor setup like the first picture would be to much weight up forward for the average size recreational boat like that 63, maybe it'd work on an 86, but it's still a lot of weight forward.
Click to expand...

Hmmmm.... Interesting. If that's the case then I'm wondering how Bering Yachts gets away with it on their smallest models, their B55, B60 and B65 (They also have a recessed anchor setup on their larger models, the B70, B75, B77, B80 and their B95).

Post edit: Where exactly is the extra weight? It can't be that much more than the roller/pulpit setup. Adding a stainless protection plate is the only extra weight that I can think of.
 
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Yes, I don't agree re the weight forward being any more, unless one had a large anchor both sides in the recess. Even then, the size of the vessel would lessen the importance of that anyway. I think the real issue is that once a vessel gets beyond a certain (larger) size, the weight of a suitably large anchor whipping around on a roller in a seaway, and the massive roller and fittings it would have to be able to hold it, detracts from the one advantage of the bow roller system, which is that it allows a greater choice in anchor type. With the recessed types as in pic one, you are limited to the Naval or double fluked, Danforth type, but this is probably of no real consequence, because the sheer size and weight makes the holding power more effective, and the exact type less important. For example, the anchor type all large ships have.

To me, for our type of vessel, the advantage of a bow roller is simpler hull shape/construction, and the flexibility of choice of anchor type, the fact it is centrally located, and ease of changing to suit different bottoms if need be. The latter less of an issue with the more modern multi-bottom-capable types now on offer.
 
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Diesel Duck 492 said:
Post edit: Where exactly is the extra weight? It can't be that much more than the roller/pulpit setup. Adding a stainless protection plate is the only extra weight that I can think of.
Click to expand...

there is quite a lot of added fiberglass and interior framing to allow for the stress' on the anchor not just while home, when its deployed. The stainless plate is not structural. It's just to stop the anchor from dinging the finish of the hull.

I cannot verify, but have been told over the years that in addition to having two anchors ready for deployment, the vessels in the Southern Hemisphere tend to lie to starboard at anchor when prevailing wind shifts fronts and storms come. And it's opposite in the northern hemisphere. Not entirely convinced of that, but old lore dies hard. Thus a vessel that stays in northern latitudes usually has an anchor on port bow. And vessel that stays in Southern Hemisphere has the anchor on Stbd bow. Personally, I think it's BS about the hemisphere thing.

http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showthread.php?t=9618#/forumsite/20583/topics/9618

But I could be wrong!
 
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Diesel Duck 492 said:
Hmmmm.... Interesting. If that's the case then I'm wondering how Bering Yachts gets away with it on their smallest models, their B55, B60 and B65 (They also have a recessed anchor setup on their larger models, the B70, B75, B77, B80 and their B95).

Post edit: Where exactly is the extra weight? It can't be that much more than the roller/pulpit setup. Adding a stainless protection plate is the only extra weight that I can think of.
Click to expand...


Those are steel boats, it's super easy to make it structural with Minimal effort. I'm sure Nordhavn would build one of someone was willing to pay, they're know for doing stupid design changes for money. But a properly built anchor well should be structural, at least I think so. Also it takes space away from the chain locker. That's my take on it.
 
Peter B said:
Yes, I don't agree re the weight forward being any more, unless one had a large anchor both sides in the recess. Even then, the size of the vessel would lessen the importance of that anyway. I think the real issue is that once a vessel gets beyond a certain (larger) size, the weight of a suitably large anchor whipping around on a roller in a seaway, and the massive roller and fittings it would have to be able to hold it, detracts from the one advantage of the bow roller system, which is that it allows a greater choice in anchor type. With the recessed types as in pic one, you are limited to the Naval or double fluked, Danforth type, but this is probably of no real consequence, because the sheer size and weight makes the holding power more effective, and the exact type less important. For example, the anchor type all large ships have.

To me, for our type of vessel, the advantage of a bow roller is simpler hull shape/construction, and the flexibility of choice of anchor type, the fact it is centrally located, and ease of changing to suit different bottoms if need be. The latter less of an issue with the more modern multi-bottom-capable types now on offer.
Click to expand...


There's lots of boats with roller setups, the anchors if properly sized and secured don't whip around.
 
Our bow roller is 13' above the waterline and this measurement must be added to depth measurements when calculating how much chain to let out. If we had pocket anchors obviously we could use less chain. We get around this by attaching our snubber to a point 3' off the water. I've never seen a pocket anchor with a snubber and I'm not sure it would be easy to rig so I'm guessing these yachts don't use them. I think the advantages of a pulpit get smaller as anchors get larger that's why ships and big yachts have pocket anchors.


Via iPhone.
 
The PO's of our boat added an extra 40 gallon fuel tank in the lazarette and a swim grid, at the end of which we have our dinghy stowed and keep our 'get home kicker' on a swiveling bracket...we need a storm anchor and a bunch of chain at the bow to balance things out :eek:

Plan is to hopefully keep the anchor pulpit for the working anchor, and use the anchor recess below it for the storm anchor...if possible.
 
How much moorage does the bow pulpits cost?

Anchor recess is the best setup I'm convinced and cost is probably the reason we don't see it on small boats. For openers one would need a split mold .... expensive

Perhaps ideal is what Ranger is doing for their anchor mount. I'll take a pic of one today at the marina. It seems I can post one pic w my i-pad.

And a big part of it is anchor comparability. A lot of the best anchors are hard to mount and some are mounted on the bottom of the hull completely out of sight. Part of the anchor becomes part of the hull when fully retracted. Manson calls their's "hiding". Check out their website.

Claws and Forfjords lend to nesting a bit w the bow and offer some slick installations but to get high holding power a bigger anchor is required.
 
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ON our 90/90 we opted for a Hawse Hole anchor storage.

Clears up the bow area for other things
 
N4712 said:
There's lots of boats with roller setups, the anchors if properly sized and secured don't whip around.
Click to expand...

Sorry Oliver, but watch your anchor closely next time you are in a seaway. They really whip around, in a physical sense, as the bow moves beneath them. How well they are fixed down in/on their roller is then the critical issue.
 
Peter B said:
Sorry Oliver, but watch your anchor closely next time you are in a seaway. They really whip around, in a physical sense, as the bow moves beneath them. How well they are fixed down in/on their roller is then the critical issue.
Click to expand...

The anchor that came with my boat fit perfectly snug into the pulpit it wouldn't go anywhere. Its shank was more flat plus the knuckle would snug up against the pulpit. It wouldn't go anywhere. My rocna is a different story its a little bigger then the grove in my roller so it leans to one side.
 
On a typical recreational cruising boat, I personally don't like the anchor recess idea at all.

Among other objections, a lot of our anchoring is in very sticky mud, so washing off the chain and anchor is important to me, and the recess approach would make that almost impossible for the anchor and difficult and messy for the chain. And no, I don't like washing them off solely by leaving it partially submerged and dragging it around while under power or "bumping" it up and down. Yes, I know that's what the "big boys" do and seen them do it. Works better on the fluke type anchors that are used in those applications. And those anchors need to be extremely heavy, something I don't want to deal with the day the windlass doesn't work.
 
Hanging in a Hawse Hole , if the mud decides to drop off (as it dries out) it goes into the water.

Our 90/90 has a collision bulkhead so the deck in the fwd 4-5ft is dropped to create a well.

The hawse holes on either side empy the space in a few seconds.

It holds sail bags and becomes a fwd cockpit and is quite comfortable , undt power with the AP remote . under sail with the Self steerering or simply at anchor as a great reading spot.

I posted a pic of my favorite boat by Mr H, ,,STROLLER,, with a bow CP, and note that Tom Fexas had bow cockpits on his fantastic Midnight Lace series .

Where has style and comfort gone? To mere internal volume?

Just to create a roomaran interior?

Those Midnight Lace boats are becoming collectors items and would do great at most anything but an ocean crossing. Sadly most had Volvos .

Bit a ZERO round trip should be easy.
 
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N4712;365308. I'm sure Nordhavn would build one of someone was willing to pay said:
Will they build an oversized shoe locker? Just wondering about that. :D
Click to expand...
 
As the size of the boat (ship?) goes up so the the forces imposed on an anchor roller. I am just guessing here, but at some point it would seem to be easier to built a hawse hole setup to take the strain than an anchor roller?
 
It seems to me that cost is a big factor. An anchor roller costs a couple hundred. Just the stainless protection plate on the recess would be considerably more than that.

Another factor is redundancy. On smaller boats with anchors under 60 lbs, it is possible to manually raise the anchor. So a roller setup makes sense if the windlass fails since the rode is accessible for hand raising the anchor. On a bigger boat with a 500+ lb anchor there is no way you can raise the anchor by hand, so no need for exposed rode.
 
"As the size of the boat (ship?) goes up so the the forces imposed on an anchor roller.

Yes the hull is far better at taking the load than a add on SS platform.

Another advantage to a hawse hole is it can have a sturdy cleat very close.

Anchored, the short distance between the line entry on board means no chafe , no noise from lines stretching.
 
Here's the anchor mounting setup on some Rangers.
Kinda built in instead of tacked on. Unlike a hawspipe the anchor is high enough to stay out of waves most of the time. The helmsman's view fwd isn't littered w anchors, some w roll bars and other typical clutter. Much cleaner looking too.
Not fond of these boats but like this anchor setup and some other Ranger boat features.
What on earth is that contraption just above the anchor? Seems stupid to get rid of the bow pulpit and then tack on something similar.
 

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manyboats said:
Here's the anchor mounting setup on some Rangers.
...................... What on earth is that contraption just above the anchor? Seems stupid to get rid of the bow pulpit and then tack on something similar.
Click to expand...

Looks to me that the contraption is some sort of folding ladder similar to what is shown in the photo below:

9631-albums319-picture2238.jpg
 
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MurrayM said:
The PO's of our boat added an extra 40 gallon fuel tank in the lazarette and a swim grid, at the end of which we have our dinghy stowed and keep our 'get home kicker' on a swiveling bracket...we need a storm anchor and a bunch of chain at the bow to balance things out :eek:
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. Think of a seesaw. Having equal amounts of weight at each end of your boat may not be a good thing.
 
Diesel Duck,
Amazing. They market the boat as a trawler and then put equipment on the bow for jumping off onto a beach. That's what it looked like to me but was afraid to say so thinking it such a wild guess.

Well I sure like the anchor setup and would modify Willy thus if I had little to do.
 
Apart from looking sexy most boats I have seen with anchor recess have 2 anchors recesses and 2 anchors not 1 could it be that simple :)
 
Mr Duck,
Is it really a dual anchor setup on that Beneteau? The second rode only has a capstan to retrieve it. If the second rode is almost all line and just a few feet of chain many on this forum would'nt consider it a litagitamate anchor rode. Two all chain rode's working through hawseholes mounting heavy traditional anchors would be accepted as litagitamate rodes my perhaps everybody.

No comparison? Or ...........
 
When I first saw the Greenline 33 Hybrid at the Dusseldorf Show in 2008, I was surprised to se it had its own anchor hause to port. I think the offer the single hauses up to 48 and twins on the big boats up to 70.
 

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Larry look at that nice clean bow.
I'm sure it isn't but it looks like two anchors one above the other.
So it occurs to me that a hawsepipe anchor system could be a very lightweight system using a Fortress anchor of course. There are perhaps a dozen Fortresses on the two floats where mine is. Seems fairly popular here as a primary anchor.
 
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