Storage of a Spare Anchor

[Kenneth K]

Keep a second anchor on your boat? Where do you store it?

At one point, I considered building a wooden rack to hang the spare Danforth in my cavernous (E32-3) main anchor locker. Then I realized two anchor rodes in the same locker is probably a bad idea.

Since I discovered these, I'm thinking of hanging the Danforth from the stern railing.


The short chain (it's a spare anchor) could be draped over the railing and left un-attached from the rode. Or, I could use a small hawse-pipe at the stern (big enough to pass the rode but no chain), so I could keep the rode attached and stored in the lazarette.

What others are doing?

 

[Alan Gomes]

I keep a Rocna 10kg (22 lb.) anchor on the bow and store a Fortress FX-16 (10 lb.) anchor in that exact holder on the stern. One of the nice things about ditching my propane stove for a non-pressurized alcohol stove is that it made the propane locker available for my stern anchor rode.

 

[Filkee]

Keep a second anchor on your boat? Where do you store it?

At one point, I considered building a wooden rack to hang the spare Danforth in my cavernous (E32-3) main anchor locker. Then I realized two anchor rodes in the same locker is probably a bad idea.

Since I discovered these, I'm thinking of hanging the Danforth from the stern railing.
View attachment 46183

The short chain (it's a spare anchor) could be draped over the railing and left un-attached from the rode. Or, I could use a small hawse-pipe at the stern (big enough to pass the rode but no chain), so I could keep the rode attached and stored in the lazarette.

What others are doing?

I like to let mine slide around on an old carpet scrap in the lazarette and piss me off when it gets tangled in the dock lines but that’s just me.

 

[G Kiba]

Fortress in an Army surplus bag with it's rode in the lasserette.

 

[Dave G.]

On a thickish rubber matt under V berth with rode.

 

[Kenneth K]

On a thickish rubber matt under V berth with rode.

Yeah, that's what I've been doing too. But I had the thought that, if needed in a hurry, it could take quite a while to move sails, blankets, cushions, and equipment to get to the spare. Then there's the possibility of damaging or scratching things when hurriedly dragging an anchor and chain through the cabin. Seems like this all could be simplified by storing it aft.

 

[bsangs]

We use one of these for the spare Danforth. Has worked well so far. (Sometimes I'll remove it and just put in the locker though.)

 

[Pete the Cat]

In my serious cruising days, I carried one of my 4 anchors (a small 11 lb Danforth) in a bracket like you show on my pushpit for helping me align the boat with the swell in an open roadstead or where I needed limit my swing when tight to shore. I was always impressed with how well that thing held in just about any condition--it was not holding the whole boat but there were times you could play a tune on the rode. I carry my spare anchors on the floor of the lazaret with a chain and nylon rode faked in a bag or bucket with the. bitter end ready to lead and secure. I won't hijack this thread, but my feeling from many years of cruising is that being willing, able, and prepared to move or set a second anchor when things get snotty, is WAY more important that this or that brand or "next size up" or "next generation" you put down initially. I frankly wonder how many boats have and will be lost because someone had too much faith in their $1000 anchor that is too heavy to easily retrieve, and did not move or take preventive measures to save the boat when they were in a bad spot and still had time. I vigorously agree about having a second anchor and being able to deploy it swiftly.

 

[Kenneth K]

So I went with the Windline anchor holder, shown in the first post, that I picked up on ebay for ~$50. Added a bimini slide jaw and a strap at the bottom to keep the shank from rattling around, and some 3m insulating tape to protect the railing from the chain.


Not sure if I want to drill out the stern railing to add a deck pipe for the rode

as that would require creating a storage space in the lazarette. But for now, the anchor and chain are out of the cabin and are easier to deploy.

 

[Mark F]

I hang my primary anchor (Fortress) off of the stern rail. There isn't much room for an anchor on the bow of my E27 with the headsail furler and retractable sprit. My setup has a similar hanger as the one Ken pictured in the original post. I have an oblong deck pipe that the chain and rode go through to be stored in a box I built in the space that used to be the gas tank. The first 5 or 6 feet of chain is vinyl coated to help with wear on the hull. I single-hand a lot and like being able to deploy the anchor while driving. Sorry for the blurry photo
Oh, and my secondary anchor is stashed in the lazarette

 

[Kenneth K]

I hang my primary anchor (Fortress) off of the stern rail.

I like the "electric" decal on the stern.

I suppose I could put "diesel" on mine, but with the noise and the smoke trail, the sticker wouldn't be adding much new information.

 

[Pete the Cat]

I hang my primary anchor (Fortress) off of the stern rail. There isn't much room for an anchor on the bow of my E27 with the headsail furler and retractable sprit. My setup has a similar hanger as the one Ken pictured in the original post. I have an oblong deck pipe that the chain and rode go through to be stored in a box I built in the space that used to be the gas tank. The first 5 or 6 feet of chain is vinyl coated to help with wear on the hull. I single-hand a lot and like being able to deploy the anchor while driving. Sorry for the blurry photo
Oh, and my secondary anchor is stashed in the lazarette
View attachment 46359

How is electric working for you? A couple of boats here in Alameda have gone electric and they seem to have issues with developing speed. Lots of torque in electric but it seems like there might be a need for some sort of automatic transmission or something to get it to the prop. I am curious.
This might need a new thread.

 

[Mark F]

I like the "electric" decal on the stern.

I suppose I could put "diesel" on mine, but with the noise and the smoke trail, the sticker wouldn't be adding much new information.

I put that on there after multiple people yelled, "Hey there is no water coming out of your stern!" while motoring to my slip. I have thought it would be a goof to put a bubble maker in one of the stern trough hulls. ;-)

 

[Mark F]

How is electric working for you? A couple of boats here in Alameda have gone electric and they seem to have issues with developing speed. Lots of torque in electric but it seems like there might be a need for some sort of automatic transmission or something to get it to the prop. I am curious.
This might need a new thread.

More than likely they need a bigger more aggressive prop. I have a 13x13 fixed three blade on my E27.

 

[Christian Williams]

I cannot think why I would carry a stern anchor for casual daysailing. Even in an area with good lunch hook anchorages, I imagine I'd let the boat swing.

Given that, there is zero reason to carry around a stern anchor most of the time, and it can go in the garage until the day of the cruise.

When cruising in the east, I used to carry a second anchor on the stern pulpit, with its own rode. Offshore that won't do, so I've been wrapping my big Danforth in a moving blanket and tying it down in the cockpit bilge.

 

[Kenneth K]

I have thought it would be a goof to put a bubble maker in one of the stern trough hulls. ;-)

That would be hilarious. Remember that for the "someday" when you run out of other boat projects.

 

[Alan Gomes]

Remember that for the "someday" when you run out of other boat projects.

I've never had the experience of running out of boat projects. Is that a thing?

 

[bigd14]

I've never had the experience of running out of boat projects. Is that a thing?

No. You have to run in place just to keep the boat from disintegrating around you.

 

[Mark F]

That would be hilarious. Remember that for the "someday" when you run out of other boat projects.

Ha! Not going to happen ;-)