Marlow Pilot M32 - anchor chain jams - poor anchor locker design

I have a 2015 Marlow Pilot M32 and am trying to figure out how to solve the poor anchor retrieval. When retrieving my chain, I get to the last 7-10 feet and the chain starts to pile up on itself between the windlass and the anchor locker.

The problem appears to be the narrow space from where the chain drops from the windlass and down the vee into the anchor locker. (5 foot drop)

Has anyone else experienced this on Mainships or Marlows?

The owner before me tried to fix by adding a "slide" to help assist the chain dropping from the windlass.

Going down below and opening the small hatch to the anchor locker, pulling on the chain, moving the boat forward and bringing the anchor up, is a 3 person job. I am usually out with just one other person.

Hmmm, 5' drop to the bottom of the anchor locker???

In any case this is common on many boats. One possible solution is to cut a piece of starboard and mount it inside the locker at an angle to let the chain slide backwards. Another solution (maybe, but expensive) is that SS chain doesn't castle as bad.

David

I also have used Starboard for this.

Since it is the last 7-10 feet that piles up, the Occam's Razor solution is to cut ten feet off the end of your chain. If this is a combo rode with just 20 feet or so of chain on the end, go to the bitter end of the fiber rode and take some off there.

I am estimating it is 5 foot drop. As I can stand in the vee berth, two feet from the bottom of the anchor locker, I am 6ft tall, and I am taking into consideration that the ceiling and the floor start to slope towards each other towards the bow.

I will look into starboard. Thank you!!!

I have a shallow locker too. I have 550ft of chain in mine. I have to raise 40ft, walk down 2 section of stairs over the v-berth bed, open the doors and knock the pile to the left. Then back to the bow raise another 40ft, down to the locker knock the pile to the right.

My average rode is about 250 ft. I have used 380 feet in bad weather. My sympathy sir.

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

I have a shallow locker too. I have 550ft of chain in mine. I have to raise 40ft, walk down 2 section of stairs over the v-berth bed, open the doors and knock the pile to the left. Then back to the bow raise another 40ft, down to the locker knock the pile to the right.

My average rode is about 250 ft. I have used 380 feet in bad weather. My sympathy sir.

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That is a PITA... You have my sympathy.

Comodave said:

That is a PITA... You have my sympathy.

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The one thing I would change on ASD. Takes me 15 minutes to pull my gear..

Crusty gives me crap all the time as his Salene I can stand up in his lockers.

We have a really deep rope locker. So deep that I divided it into 1/3 and 2/3. The 1/3 is for the backup rode which is mostly a brait with about 30’ chain. The main is 300’ of chain and it is deep enough that I could take the other 1/3 and make it a separate locker but don’t have the need for 3 rode lockers. Nice having a deep locker.

Ours is fairly deep, however the issue is the hawse is located far forward. The chain quickly piles up the slope of the hull and quickly prevents chain from falling.

We keep someone at the bow, guiding chain to the back of the locker as it comes in. We swap turns. One person at the wheel, the other working the windlass foot switches at the bow, while working the chain.

Shrew said:

Ours is fairly deep, however the issue is the hawse is located far forward. The chain quickly piles up the slope of the hull and quickly prevents chain from falling.

We keep someone at the bow, guiding chain to the back of the locker as it comes in. We swap turns. One person at the wheel, the other working the windlass foot switches at the bow, while working the chain.

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Shrew - your description is the problem I have. The chain is piling up in the slope of the hull. I am going to remove the cover to access the area of the hull slope and see if I can get something slick or slippery, like starboard, installed to help it fall down into the locker.

You might even use some heavy duty PVC to make a tunnel back to where the drop is more vertical. You can heat it to bend into the shape you need.

Comodave said:

You might even use some heavy duty PVC to make a tunnel back to where the drop is more vertical. You can heat it to bend into the shape you need.

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Great suggestion on the PVC. - Thanks!

Pictures of my Pilot M32 Anchor Chain situation

I had an opportunity to visit the boat and take some pictures.

Unfortunately, my anchor chain drops down from the bow into the anchor locker through, I am assuming a pvc pipe, which is glassed in.

Pic 1 - The entire view, inside the boat, looking at the bow.
Pic 2 - Top 1/3rd of Pic 1
Pic 3 - Middle 1/3rd of Pic 1
Pic 4 - anchor chain exiting "glassed in pvc pipe"
Pic 5 - anchor chain dumps into anchor locker
Pic 6 - anchor chain piles up in bottom of anchor locker

When the anchor chain gets bunched up, I go down below and access the chain in Pic 5 and give it a pull. Then a section of chain falls down into the locker.

Assuming this is not a simple task/project as my assumption is the chain is getting caught somewhere in the encased pvc pipe.