Anchor chain piling falling over
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Dave, your locker looks much like mine in drop, slope and size. Every once in a while, I need to knock over a pile, but it never jams up on deployment. I think we both need something slippery for the rode to fall on. The more often it slides, the less it will pile-fall-tangle. Someone recently suggested some self-adhesive high density material sold in rolls. Looks very promising.
I was trolling through Costco last week and found these semi-rigid plastic interlocking tiles made from recycled plastic. The box of 10 one sq ft tiles cost $15, on sale from $20. I think their slippery surface, vertical slats, malleable and modular design and interlocking edges will combine to make this a good solution for next to nothin'. I won't need it all but what's left can sit on the bottom of the locker to keep the rode out of any puddling water.
I am headed to the boat tomorrow to 'install' them. I'm thinking of one row on each side, joined at the keel. If I need two rows each, no problem...I've got enough. I'll try to remember to get a few pics.
I was trolling through Costco last week and found these semi-rigid plastic interlocking tiles made from recycled plastic. The box of 10 one sq ft tiles cost $15, on sale from $20. I think their slippery surface, vertical slats, malleable and modular design and interlocking edges will combine to make this a good solution for next to nothin'. I won't need it all but what's left can sit on the bottom of the locker to keep the rode out of any puddling water.
I am headed to the boat tomorrow to 'install' them. I'm thinking of one row on each side, joined at the keel. If I need two rows each, no problem...I've got enough. I'll try to remember to get a few pics.
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foggysail
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Has ANYONE actually tried something and found it to work? A lot of ideas out there and all a PITA to experiment with. Somebody must have tried many of the suggested ideas. Most want to know what actually works rather than another idea.
BrisHamish
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Hi Figgysail,
Yes I had this exact same issue, yes it was a PITA (anchor rode jammed whenever you were in a tight anchorage or the wind was up...), yes I tried a solution, and yes it has worked 100% perfectly every time since.
I removed my 100m of near new gal chain, and replaced it with 100m of top quality stainless chain. Because the stainless is slick, it doesn't 'grab' onto itself in the chain locker and form a teepee. Problem solved.
You have to buy the top quality stainless chain with certified welds. No cheap Chinese stuff, sometimes the individual welds on a link can open up...
Only downside is cost. You have to take a DEEP breath, close your eyes, and hand over your Visa card! Other than that, it is simple and totally effective.
H.
Yes I had this exact same issue, yes it was a PITA (anchor rode jammed whenever you were in a tight anchorage or the wind was up...), yes I tried a solution, and yes it has worked 100% perfectly every time since.
I removed my 100m of near new gal chain, and replaced it with 100m of top quality stainless chain. Because the stainless is slick, it doesn't 'grab' onto itself in the chain locker and form a teepee. Problem solved.
You have to buy the top quality stainless chain with certified welds. No cheap Chinese stuff, sometimes the individual welds on a link can open up...
Only downside is cost. You have to take a DEEP breath, close your eyes, and hand over your Visa card! Other than that, it is simple and totally effective.
H.
foggysail
Guru
Thanks Brish--!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I read reports that stainless would work but again, no confirmation until you posted. I just might look into stainless. Do you remember the manufacturer of your chain?
Yours also deserves and is given a "thank you"
Foggy
EDIT: Next is to learn if I can find a matching gypsy for my Maxwell windlass
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fryedaze
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Exactly why I reopened this thread. None of the proposed solutions would work. The stainless solution must be a special case. I know it wouldnt make a difference in my situation.
BrisHamish
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Can't recall a name sorry, but it was made in Germany and came with certificates for the welds.
The gal was about $2k, the Chinese SS about 4.5k, and the German stainless about $7k Aussie dollars.
The manufacturer had a website, I recall.
H.
The gal was about $2k, the Chinese SS about 4.5k, and the German stainless about $7k Aussie dollars.
The manufacturer had a website, I recall.
H.
foggysail
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Found this "5/16" Suncor Stainless Steel High Test Chain " all over the net. Defender has it at about $17/ft. Very pricey. I need to give some more thought to spending $3400 plus shipping...........or pick it up at Defender and pay Connecticut's sales tax.
FF
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Looking at post #27 there would seem to be room to install a proper chain storage locker.
Skenes Elements gives dimensions for most chain sizes.
Skenes Elements gives dimensions for most chain sizes.
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Your situation seems to be a case where the sometimes suggested traffic cone, (or a 'caution, wet floor' cone), just might fit the bill, if stuck down right underneath where that stack of chain is sitting. The trick would be mounting it so it sits upright with the pointy end centred under the chain hawse..?
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fryedaze
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The base of that chain stack is 18" aft of the vertical drop from the windlass. Can't see how I would position the cone.Your situation seems to be a case where the sometimes suggested traffic cone, (or a 'caution, wet floor' cone), just might fit the bill, if stuck down right underneath where that stack of chain is sitting. The trick would be mounting it so it sits upright with the pointy end centred under the chain hawse..?
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Maybe if you just mounted the base of the cone against the bow curve, in such a way the tip protruded out at an angle towards the aft side of the locker, in line with, but a bit beyond the vertical line down from the chain entry, there is a good chance the cone body will still split the chain drop either side of it in a somewhat random way, especially as one usually hauls up in bursts. If you haul up in one continuous motion it might all go to one side, but probably still avoid that high pile-up effect, but if you interrupt the haul-up at intervals, it might sort of go from one side to the other..? Just a thought. I've often thought of doing it myself, but it has never been enough of an issue to drive me mad enough.
Nomad Willy
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I don't have any of those problems and I don't use my anchor locker except to store my second rode w/o the anchor.
The solution to the chain problems is in the thread "EZ Anchor Winch".
The solution to the chain problems is in the thread "EZ Anchor Winch".
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A followup to post #32:
I got some pics of my rode in the 'as found' condition following my last anchorings a week or so ago. The conditions were benign so I only deployed portions of the 120 ft of chain in numerous anchorages without using the Brait rode. Here's how the pile looked. (That's about 8 inches from the bottom of the backing plate to the top of the pile.)
Next, I removed the 330 ft of rode plus the 100 ft of poly marker line that's been in there for about a year.
My anchor locker has no drainconfused and has never been cleaned in my 10 years of owning this boat, so I figured now was the time. When I got to the bottom, this is what I found.
The table contents include everything I pulled from the locker plus about 8 ft of paper towels I used to absorb the cup or two of water. The mud totaled about 2 tablespoons full. The wood was left over from tag end stops used before the poly was added.
Next I lined the anchor locker with the tiles from post #32. I locked 4 tiles together for each side and just set them to butt up at the keel without adhesive.
Then I retrieved the rode and loaded it all dry.
I thought, "Oh great....same results!" but since it was loaded dry, I reasoned that the wet Brait and chain would load differently, so the next time out, I interrupted our cruise for a brief anchor deploy and retrieve.
When I returned to the slip, this is what I found.
Here's a repeat of the first "as found" anchor rode from the beginning of this post for a comparison.
Those are 12 inch tiles and the top of the tiles is just about at the top of the fiberglass overlap. With the tiles in place, the rode pile has slid down about 12 inches lower than it was standing in the 'as found' shot.
I'll be using the anchor extensively over the next few months (as I always do!) and will report back here if my results vary from this report. In the meantime, I'm encouraged that this $15 set of plastic tiles may be just the trick needed to provide a slick-enough surface to encourage the pile to settle lower into the locker without the need to knock down a pile now and again.
I got some pics of my rode in the 'as found' condition following my last anchorings a week or so ago. The conditions were benign so I only deployed portions of the 120 ft of chain in numerous anchorages without using the Brait rode. Here's how the pile looked. (That's about 8 inches from the bottom of the backing plate to the top of the pile.)
Next, I removed the 330 ft of rode plus the 100 ft of poly marker line that's been in there for about a year.
My anchor locker has no drain
confused and has never been cleaned in my 10 years of owning this boat, so I figured now was the time. When I got to the bottom, this is what I found.
The table contents include everything I pulled from the locker plus about 8 ft of paper towels I used to absorb the cup or two of water. The mud totaled about 2 tablespoons full. The wood was left over from tag end stops used before the poly was added.
Next I lined the anchor locker with the tiles from post #32. I locked 4 tiles together for each side and just set them to butt up at the keel without adhesive.
Then I retrieved the rode and loaded it all dry.
I thought, "Oh great....same results!" but since it was loaded dry, I reasoned that the wet Brait and chain would load differently, so the next time out, I interrupted our cruise for a brief anchor deploy and retrieve.
When I returned to the slip, this is what I found.
Here's a repeat of the first "as found" anchor rode from the beginning of this post for a comparison.
Those are 12 inch tiles and the top of the tiles is just about at the top of the fiberglass overlap. With the tiles in place, the rode pile has slid down about 12 inches lower than it was standing in the 'as found' shot.
I'll be using the anchor extensively over the next few months (as I always do!) and will report back here if my results vary from this report. In the meantime, I'm encouraged that this $15 set of plastic tiles may be just the trick needed to provide a slick-enough surface to encourage the pile to settle lower into the locker without the need to knock down a pile now and again.
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Crikey, what did you do there Al..? Your post is pages long, with an occasional text description of what should be describing a photo, but no photos appear, just huge gaps with a large minus sign in each blank. That's how it looks on my MacBook Air, anyway.
Gmarr
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Is there a friction clutch adjustment on the windlass?
rochepoint
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Doug
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no photos on my Ipad or on my PCSame here...........
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OK, I'm looking into it...
Nightsky
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That's how I see it as well on my Samsung phone.
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OK, I opened this post in Microsoft Edge and also couldn't see the images. I've reloaded each image and now they appear in Edge and Chrome. Does it look any better to anyone else who was having problems?
rochepoint
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It works now, thanks!
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Thanks for the tip Al. I suffer the same thing. Carver uses every inch of space for the marketing folks so they don't leave you much room in the anchor locker. I have 200 feet of chain so it piles up and jams in mine as well and I have to do the ole "chain pile tipping" maneuver too.
