Anchor chain stoppers

[BruceK]

Question. I spend an awful lot of time on the hook and the boat will swing a lot. The twists in the chain are just between the windlass (which straighten the collected) and the anchor. How would you go about straightening that out? Leaving the anchor dangling between water and pulpit doesn't, it just induces a to and fro twist (unlèss I suppose I leave it long enough which is impractical given local wind and tide as once the anchor is up you start moving pretty rapidly) so This will be a continual issue with the chain stopper.

As an aside on my snubber I do not use a carbine. I use a camel hitch. Never over tightens and as long as there is a big enough loop of slack chain behind it, never known it to slip even against storm force wind.

 

[MapisM]

I suppose you must have an anchor type which can rest on the roller on both sides of its shank, like a Danforth, Fluke, or similar.
With Deltas, Rocnas, etc. you must connect them to the chain with an anchor twist device (either straight or banana shaped to facilitate the self positioning - see pics below respectively).
They have the side advantage of de-twisting the chain automatically, so you might wish to fit one for that reason, even if unnecessary with your anchor.
Other than that, I'm afraid you should grab the chain by hand above the roller and rotate it, which is obviously feasible only with smallish anchors...

 

[MapisM]

The posts above talk of the carbine and the stopper as alternatives. I don't think they are and I have *both* OEM. Carbine in my book is only for holding anchor underway to stop it falling in sea if something broke/clutch loose. It is definitely not to act as anchor snubber. The stopper is for that.

If you're referring to my OP, I'm afraid I've been misunderstood.
Let's forget the reference to my previous horizontal (double) windlass with both clutch and brake (independent, and on both chains): I only mentioned it because with that I had no need for any additional holding device while under way.
Now that I'm back to the more common setup (vertical windlass+bow roller), I was thinking to fit the stopper just for holding the anchor while under way, i.e. as a replacement of the short steel cable with the carbine hook, which I don't like.
I'm not so interested in the stopper for anchoring, because for daily anchorages in fair weather I believe that the windlass alone is enough, and whenever necessary I would rather use a proper snubber anyway (with two lines secured to the cleats), also because the stopper doesn't release the chain tension on the bow roller, which creates the annoying grinding noise while swinging.
But as I understand, nobody trust the stopper for holding the anchor in place while under way, and the carbine hook remains the preferred method instead.
So, that screws my reason for fitting the stopper altogether...

 

[BruceK]

I suppose you must have an anchor type which can rest on the roller on both sides of its shank, like a Danforth, Fluke, or similar.
With Deltas, Rocnas, etc. you must connect them to the chain with an anchor twist device (either straight or banana shaped to facilitate the self positioning - see pics below respectively).
They have the side advantage of de-twisting the chain automatically, so you might wish to fit one for that reason, even if unnecessary with your anchor.
Other than that, I'm afraid you should grab the chain by hand above the roller and rotate it, which is obviously feasible only with smallish anchors...

ta! Yes my anchor is connected with a D-shackle. That makes more sense and in retrospect blindingly obvious. How it never occurred to me .....

 

[BruceK]

yikes!

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

yikes!

If that was a Pearl, the chain would have ripped the p bracket off and the boat would have sunk I'm quite impressed by how little damage there is to the sterngear and hull. I assume the boat was at slow speed at the time of the incident?

 

[BruceK]

I am presuming it was on the plane as the only information I have is the anchor chain lock hadn't been secured and the windlass clutch let go.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I am presuming it was on the plane as the only information I have is the anchor chain lock hadn't been secured and the windlass clutch let go.

Hats off to the boat manufacturer then! Any idea what the boat is?

Btw we aways ensure that our anchor is secured to the boat by a safety chain when not in use and we use a chain stopper to take the strain off the windlass when at anchor so I am all in favour of this safety stuff. In the end, the holding power of the windlass is dependent only a friction clutch

 

[Portofino]

Hats off to the boat manufacturer then! Any idea what the boat is?

Btw we aways ensure that our anchor is secured to the boat by a safety chain when not in use and we use a chain stopper to take the strain off the windlass when at anchor so I am all in favour of this safety stuff. In the end, the holding power of the windlass is dependent only a friction clutch

Yup
.View attachment 73091

We have replaced the tether chain with a rope .Reason it flipped back once and the crab touched one of the motor terminals .According to my wife sparks flew .What happened is it welded itself to the bolt .

Hope fully the tether rope .
1- does not reach the terminal bolt if it flips
2- does not conduct ,as much ?

Painted the motor housing with hamerite too .

On my old boat I used a guardian for full service AF annual maintenance etc,etc as I was working and time poor .
One Easter we turned up and shot off in a freshly serviced / maintained boat - so I thought !
About 3 miles in on the plane say 26 knots ,suddenly the speed dropped to 18 knots and kept decreasing .
I immediately throttled back engines to N to investigate.
Turns out they had studiously removed the chain on the hard ,but not would it back round the gypsy just piled it in .
So the anchor was precariously balanced on the roller ,once I pitche up on a wave it fell off and unleashed 50 M of chain .
Luckily it did not get near the outdrives ,but I got a nasty chain rash near the bow .
Next year I sacked the guy(s) ,this was a facet of the decision.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Next year I sacked the guy(s) ,this was a facet of the decision.

Blimey that was the least he deserved

 

[MapisM]

View attachment 73091

That's an unusual installation indeed PF, with a vertical windlass working as an horizontal one.
Btw, makes me wonder how are you supposed to use the capstan, in that position...
Is that OEM, or retrofitted?

PS: the resurrection of this thread reminds me that I didn't post a pic of the installation I eventually made - I'll comply asap!

 

[Portofino]

That's an unusual installation indeed PF, with a vertical windlass working as an horizontal one.
Btw, makes me wonder how are you supposed to use the capstan, in that position...
Is that OEM, or retrofitted?

OEM .
Perhaps this pic makes more sense ? The lid hinges back .

View attachment 73095

You just wrap the line around the drum from a fwd fairlead .
After dropping the chain off the gypsy .Theres a remote on a unbiblical as is the norm hidden away hanging up in the locker .
If a Med bow line once tight then it gets tricky as the cleats is perpendicular to the drum .

 

[MapisM]

You just wrap the line around the drum from a fwd fairlead.

Mmm... Even if you could, the tensioned line would rub against the GRP border of the lid, surely? Not very carefully designed is an understatement!
I would go as far as guessing that Amati didn't consider the bow capstan very useful (a view I tend to agree with, btw), and fitted a windlass with it just because it came standard with most vertical windlasses...

 

[MapisM]

PS: the resurrection of this thread reminds me that I didn't post a pic of the installation I eventually made - I'll comply asap!

Here's the thing, just for the records.
With apologies for the red rain spots on the s/steel plate, but since there's a chance to have another bit of that tonight, we postponed the boat rinse...

 

[Pinnacle]

Here's the thing, just for the records.
With apologies for the red rain spots on the s/steel plate, but since there's a chance to have another bit of that tonight, we postponed the boat rinse...

Looks good P.
The stainless plate not only protects the deck from the chain, but it also forms a strong initial base for the downward pressure on the front of the lock when it is in use.


Ps......the deck paint looks great too!

 

[MapisM]

Glad you like it. Why don't you and S come to see the real thing?
Down here, from now up to at least mid of Oct (but most often up to the end) the boating season is at its best...! :encouragement:

 

[Hurricane]

Here's the thing, just for the records.
With apologies for the red rain spots on the s/steel plate, but since there's a chance to have another bit of that tonight, we postponed the boat rinse...

We have that arrangement and it "did us proud" earlier this year.
Not the banana (the twist) swivel - I have one but chose to just shackle the new anchor rather than introduce a swivel.

"Did us proud" - well, I should have said the SWMBO "did us proud".
In Calobra earlier this year, we deployed the anchor and suddenly it started to run out uncontrollable.
In fact, the woodruff key that drives that windlass fell out.
This allowed the whole windlass to run freely and 12m of water was enough to keep pulling on the chain.
Calmly, SWMBO flipped the flap on the chain lock with one hand and caught the woodruff key in the other hand.
All in the time that I was still wondering what was happening!!

So, yes, the chain lock "Did us proud".

 

[Eren]

I have the same chain lock with MapisM but mine does not work quite good. While releasing the chain, the lid drops by itself and stops the chain, which is usually not good during manuovering. I realized that the lock was not at level with the gypsy, making the chain touch the lid and flip it. So I made an installation which made the chain lock slightly higher and level with the gypsy. Now it is better but, still now and then the lid falls. I don’t know if yours are working flawless.

 

[rogerthebodger]

This is how I fitted a chain stopper to my stem fitting

 

[MapisM]

I realized that the lock was not at level with the gypsy, making the chain touch the lid and flip it. So I made an installation which made the chain lock slightly higher and level with the gypsy. Now it is better but, still now and then the lid falls. I don’t know if yours are working flawless.

Nope, also mine at times behaves as you describe.
To avoid that, I simply keep the small lever down with my foot, while releasing the chain - no big deal.
But of course, this workaround doesn't work when helming singlehanded, or if you wish to release the chain from the helm station.
I considered modifying the thing in order to keep it "locked open" with a dowel or something, but I'm not going to loose my sleep over it, because I'm never out alone, and I have the habit to go at the bow and look at where to drop the anchor regardless of the need to keep the chain lock open while releasing the chain.