anchor swivel

[markc]

My SWMBO has downed tools during the mooring or anchoring process more than once i

I suspect we've all been there - I certainly have!

Anyway, this thread is really interesting because my anchor has an annoying habit of arriving on the roller upside down. I do already have a swivel joint, but even so it's very difficult to persuade it round the right way, even turning it with a boat hook. I was planning on swapping the regular swivel joint for a banana one, but reading some comments here, I'm not sure. Any ideas??

 

[MapisM]

I was planning on swapping the regular swivel joint for a banana one, but reading some comments here, I'm not sure.

Why not? It does work very well indeed.
You should just be gentle in the last bit of the recovery, but that's the right thing to do also with a straight swivel, and even with just a shackle, anyway.

The only thing I would have done if it weren't that I already had the Osculati banana on my boat, is go for the similar thingie which I linked in post #6.
Having seen it in flesh, I can vouch for its much better quality, well worth the somewhat higher cost, imho.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I suspect we've all been there - I certainly have!

Anyway, this thread is really interesting because my anchor has an annoying habit of arriving on the roller upside down. I do already have a swivel joint, but even so it's very difficult to persuade it round the right way, even turning it with a boat hook. I was planning on swapping the regular swivel joint for a banana one, but reading some comments here, I'm not sure. Any ideas??

Leave the anchor hanging just below the waterline and go astern for a few metres. Doesnt have to be fast but just enough to create a water flow over the anchor and that usually rights it. Obviously you need a swivel to allow the anchor to right but you've already got that. Actually I have to say that my SWMBO is a dab hand at this but then its her giving me the hand signals so that's alright

 

[MapisM]

Maybe we should have married Italian women, eh?

Naah, I don't think they are more tolerant, generally speaking.

In this specific case, it's the role inversion that helps, in my experience.
Staying at the throttles on the f/b is more comfortable than fiddling with the winch at the bow, lock the chain, and pull up fenders on the way back to the cockpit...
Actually, in my previous boat, the choice was originally driven by the somewhat tricky double winch with separate brakes and clutches that handled the twin pocket anchors, but now we are using the same procedure with the new boat, and I must say that it still works well.

 

[Hurricane]

I suspect we've all been there - I certainly have!

Anyway, this thread is really interesting because my anchor has an annoying habit of arriving on the roller upside down. I do already have a swivel joint, but even so it's very difficult to persuade it round the right way, even turning it with a boat hook. I was planning on swapping the regular swivel joint for a banana one, but reading some comments here, I'm not sure. Any ideas??

I'm sure fitting a banana swivel will work - it has to.
The swivel bit is on the chain end of the banana.
The banana itself is fixed to the anchor so that it can't swivel.
When the bent banana shape arrives on the roller, the anchor can't do anything but turn the correct way round.

Warning though.
You HAVE to use the correct shackle between the banana and the anchor.
We have had the banana get "locked" at 90 degrees to the anchor shaft with no way of recovering it.
Here are some pics of the banana in detail:-

As said above, we don't use it any more - with our bigger chain and anchor but it does work.

 

[MapisM]

Warning though.
You HAVE to use the correct shackle between the banana and the anchor.
We have had the banana get "locked" at 90 degrees to the anchor shaft with no way of recovering it.

Absolutely correct.

And even more important, avoid installing it the other way round, i.e. with the CHAIN attached to the shackle and the anchor on the other side.
I know this will sound as stating the obvious to yourself and anyone else who knows how the thing works, but believe it or not I'm aware of folks who complained that the banana only works half of the times, and then realized that it was installed upside down...
Also in this sense, the Douglas Marine model is better, and practically fool proof, with no shackle at all.

PS: btw, if you abandoned the banana because you feared that it's too weak in proportion to your new chain/anchor, the Douglas one is available in larger sizes, for up to 180Kg anchors, no less!

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

I use the banana; I also have an AnCam (the superior down-facing version ) and I single hand a fair amount. I do all my anchor recovery from the helm, using the camera. Works very well.

 

[TonyR123]

Actually I have to say that my SWMBO is a dab hand at this but then its her giving me the hand signals so that's alright

.

I just watch the anchor cam . SWMBO can carry on drinking/chatting

 

[Portofino]

View attachment 74452 View attachment 74456
You can see how the centre tang fits into a pocket so needs to land accurately .
Wife understands that but - - -

View attachment 74450

A “up “ by inexperienced crew member it’s not fully in the box properly thx mates ( boys trip )

We are theoretically at a huge disadvantage compared to most so far on this thread because we can’t even see our anchor .
Instead when the hatch is open you see the rectangular SS box that the shank protrudes through into the locker .
I,ve marked the chain with white paint and red near the up position.
Wife uses a remote to bring it up and with hand signals guides me on the helm if as is normal we have swung about since deploying it .
As others have said she stops leaving it dangling ( using the painted red mark to know ) in the water or hanging in the air .
We,ve got a chain wash so so as it comes up during the last M or so as well as un winding it getting weed blasted as well .

Slowly slowly for the last M .If the last M is rushed ( choppy bumping about ) then there’s a danger of not upside down but sideways .If this happens the shank jams in the rectangular shaped box .
Needs a lump hammer to knock out - marina fix job after disconnecting the swivel to get a good swing on the end of the shank to knock it out , with a rope safety line attached .Don,t ask how many times / season I have to do this grrr ! .

View attachment 74451
In not quite right from this view ,shank the is off centre to port side .
We have a normal swivel as it’s hang in mid air and any other shape will not work .

Wife,s good at it now she’s had enough practice! Bit like parking a car women are spatially aware comprised and learning this stuff takes time , but eventually they get it .

View attachment 74453
Here you can see the correct shank position in the box .

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Slowly slowly for the last M .If the last M is rushed ( choppy bumping about ) then there’s a danger of not upside down but sideways .If this happens the shank jams in the rectangular shaped box .
Needs a lump hammer to knock out - marina fix job .

Thats the danger with any hawse pipe anchor installation where you cannot see the anchor coming up. I had something similar on my old AZ46 and I used to carry a sledgehammer handle to poke down the hawse pipe and a lump hammer to hit it with just to deal with this very situation which used to happen regularly. For this reason I would always prefer a bow roller set up

 

[vas]

I'm also on the no banana no swivel camp.
Since changing the bruce to a Mantus, I just use a small shackle. It's a Tigres Lofrans horizontal windlass, distance from bow roller to gypsy is tight. Over the last two years it always comes up the right way round.
In order not to, the chain has to jump and turn on the gypsy (can happen when the new 10mm chain jams in the anchor locker)

V.