Anchor System ( not the Usual)

[chrisgee]

We have inherited a bow system which uses a "rocker" system which operates as you drop the anchor. Never ever used one before and never had any anchoring problems so
Can anyone tell us the advantage ,if any, of this rocker system please?

 

[Lodesman77]

Surely just the usual - self launching, keeps anchor away from gel coat ?

 

[pagoda]

We have inherited a bow system which uses a "rocker" system which operates as you drop the anchor. Never ever used one before and never had any anchoring problems so
Can anyone tell us the advantage ,if any, of this rocker system please?

Our boat was originally delivered to Kiel, though French built . It has the same strange tilting bow -rocking roller mechanism. It works OK but tends to be a bit more noisy on recovering chain than a fully fixed outer roller? No great need to change it as it works.

 

[Neeves]

The forward roller recovers the anchor and chain at 45 degrees and the second higher roller takes the anchor and chain through another 45 degrees making, obviously, 90 degrees (which is the angle most bow rollers recover at). The 45 degrees reduced load on the windlass, especially when it it is turning the anchor shank..

Jonathan

 

[chrisgee]

Thanks all --- I guess I`ll keep it on and get used to it

 

[Quandary]

Thanks all --- I guess I`ll keep it on and get used to it

Yes, try that, If your boat is a recent design with plumb stem you may never learn to value its advantages, but not having to manhandle a swinging anchor away from your hull is the main one. I don't have one but every time I launch or recover the anchor and as it comes away from the water it swings back toward the hull, I wish I had.
A 'banana' swivel does a similar job but you see so few that they must be regarded as unreliable.

 

[anniebray]

The forward roller recovers the anchor and chain at 45 degrees and the second higher roller takes the anchor and chain through another 45 degrees making, obviously, 90 degrees (which is the angle most bow rollers recover at). The 45 degrees reduced load on the windlass, especially when it it is turning the anchor shank..

Jonathan

Yes , I agree with the above. In fact I converted my single Bow Roller to one of these "articulating" double roller assemblies. My main aim was to increase clearance between my anchor & near vertical stem also to enable self launching & recovery. The articulating rollers did not on their own give sufficient clearance, I had to incorporate an extension of about 150mm. I am on a swinging mooring so I also had to change from a single strop to a Bridle arrangement . Also if I was anchored in very rough conditions (unlikely for me) I wouldn't want to subject my articulating Bow rollers to any significant sideways load because the assembly incorporates only 2mm thick plate. My articulating Roller assembly came from Force 4 & was rather cheaply made (£55 on sale) , Piplers seem to have better quality.

 

[SandgroperWA]

Good answer!