Bow roller options for mounting a Danforth?

[Murv]

Long story short, I went out on Monday in weather that I shouldn't have been out in and the bow roller broke off, along with some of the GRP.
New anchor has been purchased, a 7KG Danforth and 10m of 8mm chain that will be spliced to 50m of 14mm nylon (I have no windlass.)
I obviously need the GRP repaired, but hopefully it won't need to be a neat job as I'll be able to mount a new bow roller over it.
The old Danforth was faultless as an anchor, but a real nuisance to stow.
I was going to look at one of the plough types, that sit neatly in the bow mount, but it appears that there are universal options that will hold a Danforth.
Anyone any experience of them? or recommendations of where to look? the majority seem to come from the states for some reason so it would obviously be nice to buy from a UK supplier.

Access to the front of my boat is extremely limited, and in fact, bloody dangerous in heavy weather so a self launching one may well be an advantage as I could rig it to launch, and be recovered, from the hatchway.

 

[TradewindSailor]

To stow a danforh on the bow roller, it would have to extend beyond the bow by about a foot. This would increase the loads on the foredeck so the fitting would need to extend aft to be supported by a similar amount of deck. The deck will need to be beefed up underneath with say a pad of marine ply 12mm thick, extending say 10 cm beyond the deck foot print of the fitting.

Lewmar make some fittings for danforths like this one ..... and should be available in the uk :
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|2276108|2276122|2304756&id=2011475

On the other hand a local fabricator could make you one up. You could even improve it by making it dipping ....
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|2276108|2276122|2304756&id=598810

I think you may find it difficult to self-launch as the chain is likely to get caught on the hawse pipe.

 

[William_H]

I can't imagine how you can have a self launching anchor when not using a powered anchor winch. The anchor will need to be tied on in some way and you will need to go forward to release it. I also can't imagine why you need a bow roller if you are going to retrieve the anchor by hand. Surely a fair lead is all you need to ease the chafing on the rope. You will proabbly end up hauling the anchor rode in by standing up. I imagine this is a new boat to you so try anchoring a few times and it will become obvious just what is the best arrangement.
A far better place for the Danforth if it will fit is in the anchor locker along with the rode. Just carve a slot out of the locker lid so you can lead the rope out when the lid is down.
You will however need a decent cleat or sampson post to tie off the anchor rode. Probably have one just not in the picture. good luck olewill

 

[Murv]

Thanks very much both, that's certainly given me plenty of ideas to go on.

I can't imagine how you can have a self launching anchor when not using a powered anchor winch. The anchor will need to be tied on in some way and you will need to go forward to release it. I also can't imagine why you need a bow roller if you are going to retrieve the anchor by hand. Surely a fair lead is all you need to ease the chafing on the rope.

Just to cover these, the boat is a small cabin cruiser. Just aft of the foredeck cleat its a hatchway that's bigger enough to lean out of and access the cleat.
It should never be needed, as I won't be out in bad weather again, but in the even of being caught out in bad weather it would be possible to access the rode hitched around the cleat and haul it from the hatchway whilst standing below.
The arrangement before was a small roller that held the chain off of the bow to prevent damage to the GRP. It's not obvious in the picture but the bow does extend beyond the edge of the foredeck by a few inches so just a fairlead would cause the chain to abrade directly against the GRP.