Catamaran anchor position

[Trident]

I have a Quasar 50 cat with a 32Kg Rocna on a 20kg stainless bow roller on the very front of the boat on the crossbeam. I have 8 feet of tramps behind that and then a solid fibreglass deck for another 10 feet where the windlass is located.

I was considering moving the anchor position back to the hard deck so that those 52kg are nearer the centre of the boat. It may reduce hobby horsing a little or mean the front rides a little higher and generally weight off the ends is always considered good isn't it? The bridle will still run from the front cleats so we'll swing from the front . Does anyone know any potential downsides to this idea - will 50 kg on a 15m boat moving 3m back make any difference anyway?

 

[Boathook]

Personally I don't think that it will make much difference on that size boat. It may possibly make it a bit more awkward to rig the bridle though. Neeves who posts here has a large cat in Australia and knows a lot about anchoring will hopefully have some views.

 

[RichardS]

Our windlass is in a bridgedeck locker and the chain drops down at the aft end of the trampoline. It works well and I like not having a dirty chain across the middle of the trampoline. You need to make sure that you have sufficient space where the chain drops down after the roller to be able to squeeze your hand through to sort out the occasional twist/bridle hook problem/anchor swivel jam/bridle whoopsie ..... whatever.

The only problem we have ever found is if the bridle snubber hook is accidentally dropped as it swings forward under the cross-beam and then, although you can haul it up to the cross beam, getting it back to the aft underside of the trampoline is impossible unless someone jumps in the dinghy and goes around and under the front.

We have sorted that by having a long safety line tied to the chain hook and cleated off next to the bow roller so we can pull the hook back up through that hand space mentioned above. However, letting out and pulling in the safety line is a bit of extra faffing that you won't have at the moment.

Another slight disadvantage compared to your system is that, until you get the bridle on and under tension, the boat swings around all over the place and usually ends up side on to the breeze. You can really only ever anchor by putting on the bridle, even if it's just a lunchtime stop, or you will end up taking a unguided tour around the bay.

Richard

 

[Birdseye]

I have a Quasar 50 cat with a 32Kg Rocna on a 20kg stainless bow roller on the very front of the boat on the crossbeam. I have 8 feet of tramps behind that and then a solid fibreglass deck for another 10 feet where the windlass is located.

I was considering moving the anchor position back to the hard deck so that those 52kg are nearer the centre of the boat. It may reduce hobby horsing a little or mean the front rides a little higher and generally weight off the ends is always considered good isn't it? The bridle will still run from the front cleats so we'll swing from the front . Does anyone know any potential downsides to this idea - will 50 kg on a 15m boat moving 3m back make any difference anyway?

Will it make any difference? Of course it will. Will it be a noticeable difference - no it wont. The boat has to weigh 10 tonnes min so 30kg of anchor is irrelevant. Your hobby horsing is a function of hull shape. Whats more you will be lugging a weighty anchor back and forwards.

 

[RichardS]

Whats more you will be lugging a weighty anchor back and forwards.

He's talking about moving the bow roller as well.

Richard

 

[Trident]

To expand further; I have an anchor platform that runs between the nets for the chain to run across and its 2 foot wide so a nice walkway too.

Its also a lump of very heavy solid fibreglass and I plan to laminate a new one using nidacore and foam stiffeners out of carbon and epoxy over winter so I can put a hole in the back end for the anchor to drop through from the rearward position or just leave the design the same and keep the anchor up front. Either way I'll probably save 20-30kg in weight from the platform anyway. But, if I move the anchor back I can also laminate the platform with a bow prodder to allow easier flying of a kite or to run another stay for a drifter etc - with the anchor where it is now I cant do that, though I can add an offset bow sprit if needed.

 

[boatmike]

as already said the anchor weight is not significant relative to displacement. Try stowing the anchor inboard when sailing without any modification at first and you will find it makes no difference at all to hobby horsing. Prout owners have tried many things including bow bulbs but usually give up and concentrate on all the advantages of having one rather than trying to cure the incurable.....

 

[Neeves]

You will not notice a performance improvement by moving a 32kg Rocna, or any other anchor, and a 20kg bow roller (that's quite some bow roller!) from the cross beam to the forward part of the bridge deck. But its part of a philosophy as if you can move small weights, 32kg, from the extremities and do it 10 times - if my maths is right you have moved 320kgs - and you will notice that! You have 2 ends, bow and stern and centralising anything that can be centralised - is a good idea.

The old story was the Neil Pryde used to check the crew bags on blue water races and chop off the handles of toothbrushes and have a communal tube of toothpaste. I only raced against him, never with him, so I don't know the truth of the story - but it is part of the same philosophy - look after the pennies and pounds will look after themselves.

I'd be careful about rebuilding the cross beam (fore and aft) across which the chain 'runs' - ours is 'like' yours and ours is part of the structure. Our cross beam has the bow roller as part of the build so overcomes the issue of attaching a bridle or correcting any snafu - as the chain comes up through the beam and the chain disappears immediately into the bridle deck locker.

If you really want to save weight I'd dump the 32kg Rocna and the bow roller and invest in an aluminium Spade and aluminium (or carbon) bow roller and downsize your chain - you will make a significant saving in weight then. You will not then need to consider rebuilding the cross beam/walkway. You can re-think your bridle (as you will lose catenary) and your spare anchors should also be aluminium. I note you are based Somewhere - which must mean you are local to me (as anywhere not in Oz is really.....nowhere - I'm arranging the production of 2 lightweight rodes 'as I type' 8mm to replace 10mm for a 43' Ovni and 6mm to replace 8mm (for a 50' tri), 130m each (100m for the primary rode and 30m for a second rode (with textile). If you were quick you could join the party. Sadly if you are still in nowhere - the freight is rather daunting for chain

Jonathan