Block and tackle for an anchor ?

[Snowgoose-1]

I'm fine hand over hand on the anchor chain because I can keep my back straight bringing it up. It's a bit awkward getting the anchor up that last bit, under control, onto the roller, particularly when a bit bouncy. Might be difficult to rig though. I keep the anchor and chain in a bow locker .

I would mention that I do not have a bow roller as there is no room because of the forestay position. I bring it up on a side fairlead with stainless protection .

Anyone tried it ?

 

[Plum]

I'm fine hand over hand on the anchor chain because I can keep my back straight bringing it up. It's a bit awkward getting the anchor up that last bit, under control, onto the roller, particularly when a bit bouncy. Might be difficult to rig though. I keep the anchor and chain in a bow locker .

I would mention that I do not have a bow roller as there is no room because of the forestay position. I bring it up on a side fairlead with stainless protection .

Anyone tried it ?

It is not clear to me what you are trying to achieve with a tackle. You sad " It's a bit awkward getting the anchor up that last bit, under control, onto the roller," but you also said " I do not have a bow roller ". Are you saying you are having difficulty lifting the anchor, as it comes up to your fairlead, into the anchor locker?

 

[thinwater]

I'm fine hand over hand on the anchor chain because I can keep my back straight bringing it up. It's a bit awkward getting the anchor up that last bit, under control, onto the roller, particularly when a bit bouncy. Might be difficult to rig though. I keep the anchor and chain in a bow locker .

I would mention that I do not have a bow roller as there is no room because of the forestay position. I bring it up on a side fairlead with stainless protection .

Anyone tried it ?

Have you investigated a ratcheting chain stopper? Maybe the geometry does not work. Good ones are not cheap either, but they can either eliminate you problem or allow you to use a cockpit winch and length of line to do what you suggest.

You can also mount a roller at an angle. There are good reasons that rollers are ubiquitous.

Other than that, minimize chain and use a lightweight alloy anchor.

 

[Neeves]

Use a chain hook on a short strop. Pull the anchor until it is just under the toe rail, or just clear of the water. Attach already prepared chain hook - the anchor and short piece of rode is now secure - and lift anchor manually up and through the lifelines.

I did it often with a second anchor that I would retrieve by hand - but I used 8kg aluminium anchors, Excel, Spade and or Fortress on a 38' x 7t catamaran and high tensile 6mm chain. You can buy high tensile galvanised chain from Gunnebo. Their 6mm will replace 8mm or 10mm chain (depends on the size of your yacht whether 8mm/10mm).

Jonathan

 

[MontyMariner]

Deploy the anchor with a tripping line.
Rig a derick (spinnaker pole with block and tackle), haul up the anchor on the tripping line with the block and tackle, haul up what rode you can by hand, readjust the tripping line and block and tackle, repeat . . .
It might work

 

[Neeves]

I'm fine hand over hand on the anchor chain because I can keep my back straight bringing it up. It's a bit awkward getting the anchor up that last bit, under control, onto the roller, particularly when a bit bouncy. Might be difficult to rig though. I keep the anchor and chain in a bow locker .

I would mention that I do not have a bow roller as there is no room because of the forestay position. I bring it up on a side fairlead with stainless protection .

Anyone tried it ?

It might help if you define your yacht, the anchor and chain.

Jonathan

 

[neil_s]

Monty Mariner above has the right idea although I find a simpler set up works for me. A short tripping line on the anchor is held back to the chain by a snap shackle. Haul in the chain until the snap shackle appears. Unsnap the tripping line and use it to lift the heavy end of the anchor - you will find it much easier to man-handle the anchor on board. I do this just aft of the pull pit and stow the anchor there. Just remember to re-snap the tripping line before chucking the anchor over side next time!

 

[Snowgoose-1]

Many thanks for the responses.
Sincere apologies for not responding earlier . Life
overtakes you sometimes.

This is a pic of my bow. You can see from the anchor locker footprint, the anchor is rather large and difficult to maneuver in the space available.
To save my back, I thought of a tackle pulling the anchor up with my right hand and guiding it with my left.

 

[Poignard]

I'll look it up later, if I remember to, but I think Eric Hiscock in "Cruising Under Sail" describes a simple system for getting a heavy anchor on board using a halyard.

 

[bikedaft]

It's a good question, I often take the anchor off the bow roller, for picking up mooring buoys etc. It is heavy, I wear steel toe cap boots etc.

Wonder about a sling cow hitched ust off centre of balance of anchor shaft, attach a line to a block hanging from top of Pulpit, just to get it up and over the buoy? Will give it a go. I can lift it at the moment, but not getting younger... Take the line back to winch barrel on anchor windlass.

 

[thinwater]

a. What anchor and weight do you use?

b. Do you bring the anchor through the rail? Don't. Deploy it over the rail, and then bring a loop back through the rail to the cleat. That is how I do it on my trimaran (similar size I think). Much easier.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

a. What anchor and weight do you use?

b. Do you bring the anchor through the rail? Don't. Deploy it over the rail, and then bring a loop back through the rail to the cleat. That is how I do it on my trimaran (similar size I think). Much easier.

The anchor is a Bruce copy . I can't recall the weight. Yes, I have been threading it through the rail.

Deploying the anchor over the rail is a great idea . I like it very much.

 

[thinwater]

The anchor is a Bruce copy . I can't recall the weight. Yes, I have been threading it through the rail.

Deploying the anchor over the rail is a great idea . I like it very much.

To deploy I place the anchor aft of where I am standing, along with the chain (about 20 feet), and lower it over the side, close to the bow, but not farther than I can easily reach. I let the rope rode play out over the rail, ad then bring a loop back to cleat.

If it is windy, I recover by sitting with my feet in the locker for good leverage and no back strain. I pull the rope through the rail. I can cleat the rope between my legs if I need a break. Yes, this means the rope is piled in the wrong place and that I need to bring it back around the, but it does not happen often and can easily be sorted out while I am moving slowly away from my anchorage. As the anchor comes up, I collect it over the side. After I pull the rope back around the rail, it all stows neatly in the locker.

Yup, this is different from if you have a roller. But it is physically much easier.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

I use 30m of 6mm chain before adding rope. I rarely anchor in depth of over 10m.

I can fashion some kind wooden protector for the chain to run over on the rail. As mentioned,the system keeps the back straight when either sitting or standing. I always put knee pads on when anchoring.

 

[thinwater]

I use 30m of 6mm chain before adding rope. I rarely anchor in depth of over 10m.

I can fashion some kind wooden protector for the chain to run over on the rail. As mentioned,the system keeps the back straight when either sitting or standing. I always put knee pads on when anchoring.

You need a roller. That is what I would do (I use 100' of 1/4-inch chain--I also have a windlass). The system I described was much smaller. I misunderstood the problem. Yup, terrible bow design for the anchor/rode you describe.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

There have been some excellent ideas .Thanks to all. The boat is still in a marina berth so I can experiment there with the options put forward.

 

[Serin]

I'm fine hand over hand on the anchor chain because I can keep my back straight bringing it up. It's a bit awkward getting the anchor up that last bit, under control, onto the roller, particularly when a bit bouncy. Might be difficult to rig though. I keep the anchor and chain in a bow locker .

I would mention that I do not have a bow roller as there is no room because of the forestay position. I bring it up on a side fairlead with stainless protection .

Anyone tried it ?

 

[Serin]

I have a manual windlass and can easily bring the anchor to the stemhead (with some good cardiac exercise and a little judicious use of the engine) I then use a spare halliard to take the weight, but I can't use the winch on the mast and guide the anchor, so I guide the halliard through an eye on the pulpit. However, I don't want to put too much leverage on the pulpit, so I then slacken the chain a little and use a four part handy billy, attached to the anchor crown and the halliard to raise the anchor to the deck, where I can bring it in to its chocks.

This works for me - 35lb anchor, 10mm chain, elderly boat (50 yrs) and ancient anchorwoman (77yrs)

 

[Minerva]

We keep it boat on a mooring so lift the anchor on/off the bow roller every sail - the technique I find the easiest is to hook the anchor roll bar with the boat hook and lift up & over the pulpit. You can keep your back straight and also weight inside the boat, not leaning over the side.

If you’ve a Bruce then making a small 6” loop of rope held open with some thin silicone tubing would work just as well.

 

[Neeves]

I have a manual windlass and can easily bring the anchor to the stemhead (with some good cardiac exercise and a little judicious use of the engine) I then use a spare halliard to take the weight, but I can't use the winch on the mast and guide the anchor, so I guide the halliard through an eye on the pulpit. However, I don't want to put too much leverage on the pulpit, so I then slacken the chain a little and use a four part handy billy, attached to the anchor crown and the halliard to raise the anchor to the deck, where I can bring it in to its chocks.

This works for me - 35lb anchor, 10mm chain, elderly boat (50 yrs) and ancient anchorwoman (77yrs)

I have a nagging suspicion that 10mm chain is unnecessary for a 35lb anchor. But assume 10mm is what you've got and it, importantly, fits the manual windlass. Down sizing to 8mm (or even 6mm) is therefore unlikely. However as you get older downsizing the chain would be a revelation and would extend your anchor retrieval for another decade, at least.

You simply prove the adage - weight is just a number - you are an example to us all.

Xmas is coming and the grandchildren are scratching around for a suitable present for you - a few hints that a fitted electric windlass would cut the mustard could be welcomed (by both them and you).

Jonathan