bow stemhead/anchoring issue

[Akavishon]

After a month long cruise with numerous nights spent on anchor, I've come to realize that my current anchoring setup is not really ideal. I'm turning to the forum for guidance what can be done to improve it, within reasonable budget constraints

I have a 35lbs CQR on 25' of chain and 200' nylon rode, which I rather like, and feel safe with. It sets well, and holds well, it seems. The anchor is held in place by a rather short (and undersized, it seems) bow anchor roller, and a U-shaped stainless bracket with a safety pin, screwed into the foredeck, and holding the shank of the anchor. The bow roller seems welded to the bow stemhead fitting.

Here are some of the issues:

1) The front edges of the bow roller tend to chafe the nylon rode, as the boat sails around the anchor in stronger winds. I dealt with this using a plastic tube as chafe guard (minor issue).

2) The U-shaped bracket has wiggled lose and partially pulled the screws out of the deck. I can fix/rebed this, but I suppose it would be better to through-bolt them next time I take the anchor locker pan out (minor issue).

3) The chain/anchor shackle and chain/rope thimble seem too big for the bow roller, and routinely get stuck when they run through it. Getting them unstuck usually risks a finger or two (medium issue).

4) The anchor shaft lies directly under the jib roller furler drum, with rather little clearance. To deploy the anchor, I have to reach over the bow pulpit and pull the anchor crown out horizontally until the shaft clears the furler drum, then put the chain onto the bow roller and lower the anchor. This is not too impractical when dropping the anchor, but a major PITA when weighing the anchor - I have to pull in all the rode and chain (dealing with issue #3 above), then reach over the pulpit to grab the anchor crown and push it back horizontally over the bow roller and under the roller furler drum.

After a month of anchoring in all kinds of conditions, I am sick and tired of bow acrobatics and risking my fingers and my lower back with this issue. Attached is a photo showing this miserable setup ... ideas what to do about it would be appreciated!

TIA - Zoran

 

[Rob Hessenius]

Buy a new boat

Wish I could help you, so I thought a little sarcasm was needed.

 

[Ray Rhode]

Journey (E35-III) has an identical layout.

1. The forward tabs on the roller mount are bent outward and do not seem to cause a chaffe problem. I can't see what yours look like.

2. I would thru-bolt. Journey's stem piece is a single piece and helps carry the loads from the forestay.

3. I have the same problem. I use a 35lb Delta and 3/8" chain which means a large shackle. My fix is included in # 4.

4. When Journey got damaged in hurricane Ivan I had to replace the headstay. While I was at it I shortened the foil and raised the furling drum. I can now pull the rode up at about a 45 degree angle to the deck. This makes it much easier to get the whole mess on deck without the gymnastics you refer to. That's a major change but I didn't see any other way to make raising the anchor easier.

One other thing that I did that has worked well. I read an article years ago in a sailng rag that described a split rode. I have the Delta, 8 feet of chain, 62 feet of 3/4 nylon rode, 25 feet of chain, and 250 feet of nylon rode. For shallow anchorages or lunch stops I put out the first 70 feet. For overnights I put out the rest of the chain and some of the nylon rode. When ready to depart I can raise the top rode and the 25 feet of chain before breakfast and then raise the rest when we are ready to go. Doing it is two steps makes it easier for my old back.

Ray Rhode
S/V Journey
E35-III, #189

 

[Maine Sail]

One suggestion

One suggestion is that in winds over 12 knots you should avoid using the mostly decorative and somewhat useful transportation devices called anchor rollers. If you get into any serious winds they can bend like pretzels. I almost always run my rode back to the actual mooring cleat and take it of the roller. This does two thing; 1) keeps the roller quiet, no clunking or squeaking during sleeping hours as the boat moves on it. 2) It gives you a much more robust location to attach the anchor to the boat. Most of these anchor rollers are NOT as robust as folks assume they are..

P.S. It's funny you bring this up because the morning we saw you in Quahog Bay I snapped a couple photos of the bow that shows how I route the anchor rode to the cleat to take the load off the roller. I'll try to upload one later..

This is a rather robust anchor roller, compared to most, yet she still bent like a pretzel at anchor in some rough weather..

 

[mherrcat]

If you take the rode off the roller, where does it leave the deck going to the water? I have two bow cleats on port and stbd toe rails. Is it OK to lead the rode directly over either side into the water? I was under the impression it would be better to lead it straight off the bow, hence over the roller.

There was another discussion like this recently dealing with the efficacy of leading the rode over the roller and whether the roller was actually designed for this purpose.

 

[Maine Sail]

If you take the rode off the roller, where does it leave the deck going to the water? I have two bow cleats on port and stbd toe rails. Is it OK to lead the rode directly over either side into the water? I was under the impression it would be better to lead it straight off the bow, hence over the roller.

There was another discussion like this recently dealing with the efficacy of leading the rode over the roller and whether the roller was actually designed for this purpose.

Most anyone who moors an Ericson leads the pendants right off the cleats. I actually prefer these cleat locations as it avoids a chock to chafe the rode due to stretch & rebound.

The roller will suffice in calm conditions but if you were to get a good storm, which can happen unexpectedly, it is not the ideal place. It's not a good idea for a number of reasons one of them being chafe and the other being that the rode can "hop" out of it if the pin or bail is not in place. When the boat goes beam to or sails at anchor in a storm the rollers are subject to loads that it was not really designed for. Also keep in mind that you are side loading torquing and shock loading your stem heat fitting which is what is needed to hold up your spar. I have actually seen anchor rollers bent just from un-setting an anchor. The bow cleats are designed with mooring or docking the boat in mind and holding it in all conditions, within reason.

Personally if I owned an Ericson one of the first upgrades for me would be some 10" Herreshoff style bow cleats in blue water grade quality. I don't like those aluminum ones as properly sized pendants don't fit through the center to get a good wrap on the cleat but still the cleat is stronger than the roller..

Granted I don't own an Ericson, it would be easier with an Ericson because my bow chocks are closed, but my rode comes out of the anchor locker, over the roller, back through the chock, cleated then out to the anchor back through the chock. It takes about 5 seconds longer to do this...

 

[amadon light]

Anchor tech

Maine sail your anchor pics show a sure fire way to yake the load off the roller tyvm it solves issues im sure more than one has pondered

 

[Akavishon]

MaineSail - the pretzel picture is very convincing (gulp), and the tying-off-to-a-cleat arrangement rather practical ... I have actually wondered if it would make sense (e.g. in a hurricane prep scenario) to distribute the load between both bow cleats by rigging a little bridle just off the bow, and attaching the mooring line to the bridle instead of just one cleat?

Ray - I thought of raising the drum as well, but in addition to shortening the foil, would I also have to tailor all my jibs to fit the new dimensions? The split rode setup sounds interesting but I don't mind pulling the chain/anchor weight ... it's the balancing act on the bow when fitting the anchor into the roller which unnerves me.

Rob - That thought crossed my mind on a few occasions. Alas, despite a few pet-peeves (anchoring setup, bilge configuration, mast step), I am rather attached to my lovely E32 ... so, not yet

Zoran

 

[WBurgner]

Direct to chain splice

Zoran,
For solving your issue #3 try having your rode spliced directly to the chain. Monitoring this splice closely for chafe is important, but it will allow your rode to flow smoothly over the roller. Ought to save a finger or two if nothing else.

 

[u079721]

Well it sure doesn't help you folks with 35s and 32s any, but the anchoring gear on the E38 seems up to the task, as I never experienced any of these problems. My only issue was the lack of a centerline cleat, which I solved using a rolling hitch to distribute the load over both front cleats.

I did have a bridle rigged and ready to use to apply the load directly to the cleats and bypass the anchor roller if a storm with a bad chop should ever come up - but it never did.

One thing I did that you should be able to see in the photo deals with the retaining pin at the top of the bow roller. This pin was only used when underway to ensure the anchor did not pop out. When launching or retrieving I pulled the pin out to one side to ensure that the anchor shank and thimble would not get hung up. If there had ever been a big chop while at anchor I would have put it back in, but again, that doesn't happen too much in the hurricane-hole type anchorages we have on the Great Lakes. The PO of the boat left it in place while launching and retrieving and I tried this at first, but that pin is really in the way.

My concern with the way that Main Sail shows his rig is the need for chafe gear at the closed bow chock. With a properly sized roller and centerline cleat there should be no chafe issue.