Anchor Storage on Roller 30+

[bigd14]

In anticipation of rebuilding the fo’c’sle structure I removed the big bronze bow roller yesterday. https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/ubs/fo’c’sle-rebuild-part-1.1023/

One of the challenges in this area is storage of my Mantus anchor. There was a Bruce on there which fit well but routinely failed to set in the hard sand of the Columbia River. I could probably switch to a Fortress which generally works well in the river and may fit the bow roller better but I really like the solid set of the Mantus and it seems more versatile than the Fortress.

Being in a narrow river with lots of ships and barges and currents I would like to be able to deploy an anchor quickly in case of an emergency. Right now I have to open the anchor locker, drag the anchor out and pass it around the stanchion and onto the roller before it can be let out, wasting precious seconds.

There are two issues with the current configuration. The first is that the hoop on the anchor catches on the bow rail and the anchor cannot move aft enough on the roller to sit down and stay. The second is that the tip of the anchor has to sit alongside the bow a few inches in order to even get that far back.

With the fo’c’sle area being reworked I have the opportunity to improve the fit of the anchor. I would like to reuse the existing bow roller structure to help with chainplate stability (see the comments from Ken in the blog linked above) so a new longer anchor roller is probably not an option. But I don’t know what I should do with the current setup. I would love to get some ideas and options from the group. Thank you.

 

[Frank Langer]

In anticipation of rebuilding the fo’c’sle structure I removed the big bronze bow roller yesterday. https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/ubs/fo’c’sle-rebuild-part-1.1023/

One of the challenges in this area is storage of my Mantus anchor. There was a Bruce on there which fit well but routinely failed to set in the hard sand of the Columbia River. I could probably switch to a Fortress which generally works well in the river and may fit the bow roller better but I really like the solid set of the Mantus and it seems more versatile than the Fortress.

Being in a narrow river with lots of ships and barges and currents I would like to be able to deploy an anchor quickly in case of an emergency. Right now I have to open the anchor locker, drag the anchor out and pass it around the stanchion and onto the roller before it can be let out, wasting precious seconds.

There are two issues with the current configuration. The first is that the hoop on the anchor catches on the bow rail and the anchor cannot move aft enough on the roller to sit down and stay. The second is that the tip of the anchor has to sit alongside the bow a few inches in order to even get that far back.

With the fo’c’sle area being reworked I have the opportunity to improve the fit of the anchor. I would like to reuse the existing bow roller structure to help with chainplate stability (see the comments from Ken in the blog linked above) so a new longer anchor roller is probably not an option. But I don’t know what I should do with the current setup. I would love to get some ideas and options from the group. Thank you.

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Doug,
Probably a crazy, unworkable idea, but could you mount the anchor upside down, secured in position by a bolt with wing nut through the hole in the anchor and in the bow fitting? Maybe, just maybe...
Frank

 

[bigd14]

Hi Frank, thats an interesting idea. I will take a look at that next time I am at the boat. Thanks for the idea!

 

[Alan Gomes]

The 30+ and my 26-2 look rather similar as to the roller and the anchor locker lid. And I, too, was faced with the same issue as far as storage goes. Though the exact dimensions between our boats no doubt differ, I'm wondering whether my solution would work in your case as well.

My friend Neil Dutton, who sometimes posts on EYO, modified my anchor locker lid by adding a "tunnel" to the forward part of it to accommodate the anchor shank of my Rocna. Here is what it looks like:



In the final version Neil also fabricated a plastic anchor "shoe" that attaches to the forward starboard leg of the bow pulpit, against which the anchor shank rests and can be firmly secured so that it doesn't wobble. But it would work without the shoe, I suppose.

If you wanted to implement this on your boat I'd imagine Neil would be willing to chime in with some advice on how he made the tunnel. I also have more photos I could post, if that would help.

 

[Kenneth K]

Wow, looks like you're less than an inch away from a good fit. Maybe;

Bend the hoop on the Mantus forward just a bit for more clearance?
Ask Mantus for a custom hoop that's an inch or so shorter?
Find a smaller diameter anchor roller and/or re-drill the roller axle pin a bit lower in the bracket?

 

[Alan Gomes]

The 30+ and my 26-2 look rather similar as to the roller and the anchor locker lid. And I, too, was faced with the same issue as far as storage goes. Though the exact dimensions between our boats no doubt differ, I'm wondering whether my solution would work in your case as well.

My friend Neil Dutton, who sometimes posts on EYO, modified my anchor locker lid by adding a "tunnel" to the forward part of it to accommodate the anchor shank of my Rocna. Here is what it looks like:

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In the final version Neil also fabricated a plastic anchor "shoe" that attaches to the forward starboard leg of the bow pulpit, against which the anchor shank rests and can be firmly secured so that it doesn't wobble. But it would work without the shoe, I suppose.

If you wanted to implement this on your boat I'd imagine Neil would be willing to chime in with some advice on how he made the tunnel. I also have more photos I could post, if that would help.

I didn't look at your pics very carefully before I sent off the above. I just looked at them more closely. Your Mantus is rather different from my Rocna, and also the lid on my boat comes up closer to the bow than yours appears to. Anyway, just some food for thought on one solution that works in my particular case, at least.

 

[Christian Williams]

Since the fit is close, you might consider a custom seat to fasten to the existing hardware channels.

It could accommodate the curve of the shank and extend the anchor a bit forward, and hold it firmly.

Although not the same issue, I used Trex decking to stop the wobble of my anchor, and such materials are easy to work and impervious to weather.

Just an idea.

......

 

[bigd14]

Excellent ideas all. I might also consider hanging the anchor by its hoop on the bow rail just above, with some custom chocks fitted to secure it. I'll see how that looks next time I am at the boat. It's too bad the Bruce performs poorly, it fit on the roller very neatly. This anchor looks pretty awful! I'll take function over form though.