anchor hawse hole

[AndrewJ]

I have a manual windlass, seatiger 555, and the hawse pipe for the anchor chain is off to the side, located near the toe rail. I was thinking of putting a hole in the deck so the chain would follow the normal ?? path (immediately as it came off the after end of the gypsy). I found that when using the windlass in it's present configuration, the chain would pile up as it came off the gypsy and had to be stuffed manually into the locker and by the way, becoming loose from the gypsy. I tried taking almost a full turn around the gypsy, thus leading the chain back forward, but it piles up there also. Does anyone have any ideas about how to keep the chain from piling up. I've noticed a few boats with the hawse pipe set off to the side from the windlass.

<hr width=100% size=1>The only easy day was yesterday

 

[jerryat]

Hi Andrew!

You don't say whether you have a horizontal or vertical axis windlass, though I suspect you have a horizontal unit. It is perfectly normal for the hawse (strictly the chain pipe) to be directly in line with the gypsy and thus be self-stowing. It sounds as if someone has added the windlass at a later date but left the existing chain pipe in its original place.

Assuming there is nothing structural in the way such as a deck beam, bulkhead or the like, and there is sufficient depth within the locker for the fall of chain to provide the 'weight', the chain should stow very well. Unless you are very lucky, you will probably have the same problem most of us have, in that the chain stows well until it piles up under the chain pipe, when it has to be poked about before more is put in.

You should be able to position a chain hole directly in line with your gypsy to achieve self-stowing and then remove the old one (or re-use it) and make good the deck with grp (or whatever your deck consists of) the paint with deck paint or your chosen finish.

I've done exactly the above on my own boat, and it's nothing like as difficult as it might sound.

Final thought. You may not be able to use the existing chain pipe if its opening is too high off the deck. The chain off the gypsy should ideally fall slightly towards the chain pipe to aid the 'flow' of the chain.

All IMHO of course. but I hope it helps!

Good luck and good sailing!

Jerry

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[AndrewJ]

Thank you for the response. I had contemplated doing just that, but wondered about another method which would allow the chain to feed out on the deck without piling up. But it seems like the best way is just to go ahead and cut the other hole in the deck.

thank you again.

Andrew

<hr width=100% size=1>The only easy day was yesterday