Anchor locker, windlass, chain and rope.

[Rappey]

My anchor locker is accessed by a hatch on the foredeck next to the horizontal windlass.
I've often mulled over if it's worth sealing the deck and having access via the front cabin through a hatch.
My friends boat only has the hole in the windlass through the deck for the chain and access to the anchor locker via a hatch in the front cabin.
My friends boat is new to him.
We decided to let out all the chain and spliced rope to see how long it is. 50m chain. 50m rope
First problem was when the rope splice to chain tried to come up through the windlass. It stopped it dead as the rusted chain in the splice did not want to bend through the hawes pipe and around the gypsies.
Eventually it was time for it to go back in the anchor locker.
The only way to get the rope back in the locker is with someone down below pulling it.
Next the rusty splice has to be wrestled around the gypsie and down the hole, another two man job (one out operating windlass, one inside pulling. Eventually the chain went in like it was meant to.
Now my friend has sailed solo 100 miles and stops to anchor, starts lowering the anchor in a small rocky bay and thecwindlass stops dead ! He motors away from the shore and has to go to the anchor locker inside to see what's gone wrong.
The pile of chain has fallen over on itself while sailing and got tangled when being winched out so now it's jammed
I've now concluded a deck hatch to the anchor locker is far superior due to having access to the chain while winching in and out
And a horizontal windlass is better as it's so easy to put a stiff splice down the hole as it's open rather than guards that are on many vertical windlasses ?
If your solo you can't use rope and chain ?
What do others think ?

 

[Arcady]

I too have experienced the problems you describe: however it can be made to work!

Firstly I would suggest getting rid of the long rope to chain splice. Try a back-splice as an alternative coupling between chain and rope. I have found this works much better.

Secondly, I suspect you are right about the advantages of a horizontal windlass. My Quick (horizontal) windlass successfully passes the rope below deck and copes with the join with only a minimal amount of assistance - easily provided by briefly pulling on the incoming chain.

Sorting out the capsized chain pyramid in the locker is another matter - I still have to go below on the odd occasion that happens!

 

[NormanS]

Chain will always self-stow better than rope, but the main problem that you refer to is a stiff rusty splice. Sort that, and it becomes more manageable. I have all chain, and nothing would persuade me to change.

 

[Graham376]

Firstly I would suggest getting rid of the long rope to chain splice. Try a back-splice as an alternative coupling between chain and rope. I have found this works much better.

+1 And use a tapered splice, where strands are reduced in thickness progressively before finishing.

 

[Neeves]

Chain will always self-stow better than rope, but the main problem that you refer to is a stiff rusty splice. Sort that, and it becomes more manageable. I have all chain, and nothing would persuade me to change.

We would agree with Norman, use all chained/or sort out the splice (lots of youtube vids will show you how). You will not lose much chain by chopping the splice off and starting afresh - and consider it part of maintenance to check the splice and re-new more frequently. My guess is your chain is oversized - when you need a new windlass (or new yacht) think of a smaller chain.

And returning to your original investigation. You want to keep your chain clean and dry. If you have a deck opening hatch you can wash you chain down overtime you wash the deck. You can open the hatch and allow the chain to air. Neither of these actions will be possible in you have a 'sealed' deck. The other action is to store the rope separately to the chain - don't leave the chain on top of wet rope - its a surefire way to accelerate corrosion. Coil the rope and store separately - hanging in a coil from a hook.

We have a mixed rode, for our second rode. We deploy by hand (and retrieve by hand) but I always coil the rope round the inside of a milk crate, filling the hole in the centre of the coil with the chain - but the 2 are separate.

Know how: Ground Tackle

Jonathan

 

[BabaYaga]

I have no windlass (yet), but have often wondered why they often come with an integrated deck pipe/hole? Given the advantage, and frequency, of anchor lockers being accessible through a deck hatch, would it not be better if windlasses came supplied with some kind of open 'slot', so that the rode could be taken on and off the windlass without being tied to a hole through the deck?
Too complicated, perhaps?

 

[NormanS]

I have no windlass (yet), but have often wondered why they often come with an integrated deck pipe/hole? Given the advantage, and frequency, of anchor lockers being accessible through a deck hatch, would it not be better if windlasses came supplied with some kind of open 'slot', so that the rode could be taken on and off the windlass without being tied to a hole through the deck?
Too complicated, perhaps?

I'm not sure about any advantage that you see in that?

 

[BabaYaga]

One could be, if following the advice of Neeves above, you want to coil the rope part when retrieving a mixed rode, so probably easier to do by hand. With an open slot, you could engage the chain part of the rode to the windlass once it comes up.
Also, I imagine, if the chain to rope splice is stiff and there is a risk for it to get stuck (as in the OP's case), you could simply disengage the rode from the windlass manually for a few metres when the splice passes, and then re-engage the rode to the windlass again.
I'm just theorizing, never used one...

 

[NormanS]

One could be, if following the advice of Neeves above, you want to coil the rope part when retrieving a mixed rode, so probably easier to do by hand. With an open slot, you could engage the chain part of the rode to the windlass once it comes up.
Also, I imagine, if the chain to rope splice is stiff and there is a risk for it to get stuck (as in the OP's case), you could simply disengage the rode from the windlass manually for a few metres when the splice passes, and then re-engage the rode to the windlass again.
I'm just theorizing, never used one...

Fair enough. All my experience has been with "all chain".