Chain Locker Jamming

My 43 foot CHB Trawler has a chain locker that piles chain very easily as the windlass drops chain into it. Unless the chain is flaked, there is a high probability that the next time the anchor is used, the chain will jam at the deck level exit point. Accessing the chain locker from the forward bunks is possible, but hard for a person to get in position to flake the chain as it comes in. The chain piles as it drops against the inside of the bow then tips over in a bunch causing the problem. Getting it unjammed is a real exercise especially at a critical juncture that the anchor is needed. Have others had this problem and perhaps "invented" a solution that mitigates this chronic issue?

Suggest that you simply use a tool, broom handle or something like it to push the pile over before it gets high enough to fall on its own.

Another way would be to find a cone such as small traffic cone to install directly beneath the drop hole so it can't pile but rather SHOULD wander around the cone.
A small ball or even a rod with a rounded top of something like Nylon on a rod may do as well.

Just suggestions. I was considering one of the two above.
Mine was doin g the same some years ago but the problem seems to have gone away after I changed the setup above.

My problem went away when I replaced my anchor chain. To much rust and corrosion on the old chain.

Is there a place under the berth that you could modify into a chain locker? If so make a chase out of PVC pipe into the new locker that has more drop or is more accessible.

I've learned to knock down the chain pile every 60-75 ft of retrieval to avoid the jamming issues. I tried lots of 'remedies' but that seems to work most reliably on my boat.

Exactly. This happened from time to time on both my former sailboat and my Nordic. The fix, I used was to ensure that the "pile' was pushed over every so often to avoid the large pile falling over and creating the jam the next time you tried to deploy the anchor. It was less of an issue with the new chain, but still pushed the (small) pile over a few times when retrieving just in case.

It was a "pain" you know where, the few times it did happen and you had to forcibly pull chain out of the locker onto the master bed (with the anchor out but not properly deployed) to enable the chain to run out as needed (using the winch under power for me).

Skenes Elements of Yacht Design describes the shape a chain locker should be to avoid the jamming hassle. At the library .

A simple plywood proper sized chute does the trick.

Dimensions are chain size specific.

Comodave said:

Is there a place under the berth that you could modify into a chain locker? If so make a chase out of PVC pipe into the new locker that has more drop or is more accessible.

Click to expand...

That's what we did. All things considered, I had to wonder why that lower compartment wasn't the one used for the chain locker in the first place.

This thread has some ideas.
https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=645970

Another thought, is that it helps to keep an appropriately sized boat hook available to easily and cleanly reach into the locker to grab pull the chain pile over.

Never had a problem with my 200-foot chain. I always rinsed the chain with fresh water while raising the anchor.