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Old 09-25-2018, 08:30 PM   #9
dhays
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City: Gig Harbor
Vessel Name: Kinship
Vessel Model: North Pacific 43
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 9,046
It isn’t all that hard in settled weather with little current. I have an all chain rode so my situation is a little different.

With no significant wind and current this is what I do.

- I start the engine and center the helm. I put it in gear just enough to get the boat moving just a little. Only enough to get past the inertia.
- Go to the bow and use the windless to take up the catenary.
- Use the wash down hose to hose down the chain as I do this.
- The weight of the chain causes the boat to continue to move forward.
- As more catenary is created, use the windlass to take up the slack.
- keep repeating until the catenary isn’t enough to keep the boat moving.
- go back to the helm and again put the boat in gear and get it moving towards the anchor.
- go back to the bow and again take up slack in the chain.

Eventually, the anchor breaks free or you have to drive over the anchor to get it break free. Once the anchor breaks free then it depends on your location. Often you can take all the time you need to get the anchor up, secured, and washed. If there is enough wind or current that is moving you towards other boats or the shore, then you leave the anchor hanging and start to steer the boat away from the anchorage at a slow enough speed to get you steerage way. Then when you are clear of obstructions, then use the autopilot to hold your course at idle and go forward to finish raising the anchor and securing it.

If there is a little wind or current, then it takes a lot more back and forth between the helm and the bow as it takes some power to keep the boat moving towards the anchor.

Too much wind or current, and then you just have to deal with bringing up a muddy rode.

There are washdown systems that have a fixed nozzle right at the front of the roller to wash the chain as it comes up. You might even be able to rig something where you can fix the hose so it is spraying on the rode while you are at the helm.
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Regards,

Dave
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