Kedge Anchor Storage

[Little Dorrit]

Where do you store your kedge anchor? At the bottom of the cockpit locker where it's secure but difficult to get to in an emergency or do you elevate it to 'safety equipment' status? It occurs there may be times when ditching a kedge from the stern could be a safer, quicker and easier option than going forward to deploy the bow anchor? I am not advocating this as an alternative just a short term fix. Any kedge anchor stowage comments welcome.

 

[sarabande]

Zoidberg has a neat way of storing a Fortress in parts, and in such a way that it can be quickly re-assembled ready for use.

Worth dropping him a PM for some pics ?

 

[LittleSister]

A boat of mine had a Danforth kedge, stowed (almost) flat on its side against the inner (closest to centreline) side of the cockpit locker, held in place by a couple of simple wooden slots. This meant it was always readily to hand, never buried under other kit, did not require assembly (apart from attachment of chain/rode), and was hardly any restriction on the more general use of the locker.

I'd like to have similar again, but with a lightweight Fortress.

 

[Neeves]

If you look on the Fortress website they have some ideas, and/or links, tucked away. Mantus make a universal bracket that will take a whole variety of anchors. Yachts in the Baltic have stern rollers, like bow rollers but on the transom - some of which are articulated. Some Baltic yachts even have stern windlass or drum winches and hawse pipes in the sugar scoop.

There is an article in SAIL, January issue of this year with lots of images and ideas (if you want more detail send me a PM with email address).

Jonathan

 

[thinwater]

Where do you store your kedge anchor? At the bottom of the cockpit locker where it's secure but difficult to get to in an emergency or do you elevate it to 'safety equipment' status? It occurs there may be times when ditching a kedge from the stern could be a safer, quicker and easier option than going forward to deploy the bow anchor? I am not advocating this as an alternative just a short term fix. Any kedge anchor stowage comments welcome.

I would forget the "speed" concern. Unless it is on-deck with the rode flaked out, it will always be faster to walk the to bow and lower the main anchor. If not, the main anchor is stowed incorrectly.

The notion that you would use a Fortress to stop in a straight line is also inherently flawed. First, dropped at-speed it will not catch, it might not even make it to the bottom. Second, if you really need to stop, spin a fast 180 to kill the speed first and then used the bow anchor; if you don't have room for that, you're going the crash anyway.

I've had to put down an anchor in a hurry due to engine failure twice. In both cases, I wanted coast some distance first, generally into the wind first anyway, to gain room and to slow down. A stern anchor would have been worse.

Your main anchor is your safety equipment. Make sure it is ALWAYS ready to go; pull a pin or something and down she goes. If you can get the kedge out in a few minutes, that's fine.

 

[Neeves]

We keep our spare rode in a milk crate. Its 40m of 10mm 3 ply and 15m of 6mm chain. Every time we retrieve we coil the rope around the perimeter of the inside of the crate and drop the chain into the hole created in the centre. The bitter end 'snakes' out and can be attached to a horn cleat. We store the crate in a bow locker and one of our spare anchors is always attached. The other spare anchor is in the same locker, with its own shackle.

Its a toss up which would be quicker

Walk, run!, up side deck, disengage chain lock, open locker (where the windlass is housed), attach winch handle, disengage clutch and let anchor fall freely

or Open same locker, pick up anchor attached to spare rode, chuck anchor over the side.

The disadvantage of both these scenarios - there might be no-one at the helm as you are at the bow - and having a kedge attached at the helm with the rode sensible and neatly stored means - if short handed - you can tend the yacht, steer, and chuck the spare anchor (aka Kedge) over the side - simultaneously.

Your main anchor cannot be ready to go - it should be secured when you are at sea, lashed or using a chain lock, the clutch (my guess is) would normally be engaged, the winch handle would not be 'in' the windlass. So - you need to free the anchor and disengage the clutch, which means accessing the winch handle and inserting.

It helps if your spare/kedge is alloy - they are easier to chuck. A 25kg, or larger, steel anchor would be more difficult.

Our method os storing is purely accidental, we had a milk crate - but it is also ideal to load, as is, into a dinghy and use to deploy a second anchor. We need to get the rode down the side deck to the transom, so disengage the anchor - and carry the crate and anchor separately - anchors, even alloy ones are not the most convenient items to move.

I've seen spare anchors housed in domestic water pipe, the pipe cable tied to a stanchion (fluke at the top) and the rode neatly flaked in a longish stainless cage. I've seen spare anchors attached to stanchions with cable ties and rodes on big reels. Some Danforth/Fortress brackets are quick release.

There are lots of ways and some of them can be quick - if you plan in advance.

I confess we have never had to anchor in a panic, yet. We live a very sheltered life.

Jonathan

 

[thinwater]

With practice, anchoring should be a one-man job. Asking for help is just to involve people. Head into the wind and put the engine in neutral, knowing about how long it will take for boat to stop. There is no need of steering, since the boat is slowly heading up. My chain lock is just a pin, but it should always be something simple near harbors where the anchor may be needed quickly. In my case, the windlass is always on and simply powers down. Unless it's howling, I have time while the boat is loosing way to pull out the bridle and have it ready on the tramp. Once the boat starts to drift back, I can attached the bridle before the chain is tight. I've done this countless, times and it went just as smoothly when the engines died.

(Dumb me, I closed a fuel valve when I changed the filters--figured this out right between the jetties in a 30-knot cross wind. Think fast. I had time to use stored momentum to anchor, but not time to diagnose the problem. Once anchored, I thought for about one minute and then slapped my forehead.)

Weighing anchor in a breeze is much harder, assuming I want to protect the windlass. I either get help or just wait.

 

[Neeves]

I think the scenario is rough water, single handed, something fails (engine (line round prop), steering) and you need to act quickly. You have a reef whose entrance you are now going to miss. You are at the helm - the quickest solution is having something immediately to hand, not down at the bow - gravity is quicker than the windlass - so freefall is the option you need to get to the bow to free up the 'lock' and provide the freefall - time is finite..

This is worst case scenario.

We used to use a pin through the bow roller wall and link - but now our link is so small the pin is a bit wimpy we use a claw (or what the lifting industry sometimes call a clutch). We could use a bigger pin through the shackle - but that would mean drilling more holes in the bow roller.

If its controlled and standard anchoring and you are just in hurry because its raining - no drama. But I have read of people saved by a Fortress in a reef entry and I have also read of yachts swept up onto harbour walls because they were either not quick enough, panicked or clueless. Stern anchoring is common in the Baltic - in fact some yachts there do not have bow anchors (as they tie bow to shore and anchor from the stern).

Jonathan

 

[BabaYaga]

I have an alloy Spade on a bespoke bracket on the stern rail. Anchor line lies flaked aft of the cockpit coaming, ready to go. Deploying this anchor is a matter of seconds.

 

[Poignard]

I have an alloy Spade on a bespoke bracket on the stern rail. Anchor line lies flaked aft of the cockpit coaming, ready to go. Deploying this anchor is a matter of seconds.

That's neat.

 

[GHA]

I have an alloy Spade on a bespoke bracket on the stern rail. Anchor line lies flaked aft of the cockpit coaming, ready to go. Deploying this anchor is a matter of seconds.

Too scary for me, all that warp on deck waiting to get washed or kicked overboard into the prop..

 

[BabaYaga]

Too scary for me, all that warp on deck waiting to get washed or kicked overboard into the prop..

The bundle of anchor line is secured by a quick release strap to the cockpit coaming.

 

[GHA]

The bundle of anchor line is secured by a quick release strap to the cockpit coaming.

Ever had to use the it for real ?

Like a lot I've a fortress tied to the push pit but quickest is pressing the down button on the windlass remote.

 

[BabaYaga]

Ever had to use the it for real ?

Certainly, I use this anchor as often as I use the bow anchor.
As mentioned by Neeves in post #8, anchoring from the stern is more or less the norm here.

Edit: If by 'for real' you mean 'in an emergency to stop the boat' the answer is no. But as it is there, it is the anchor I would use.

 

[GHA]

Certainly, I use this anchor as often as I use the bow anchor.
As mentioned by Neeves in post #8, anchoring from the stern is more or less the norm here.

Ah, Sweden - all makes sense now

 

[Neeves]

Certainly, I use this anchor as often as I use the bow anchor.
As mentioned by Neeves in post #8, anchoring from the stern is more or less the norm here.

Edit: If by 'for real' you mean 'in an emergency to stop the boat' the answer is no. But as it is there, it is the anchor I would use.

Its a technique that would usefully transfer to other places.

Jonathan

 

[Tranona]

Its a technique that would usefully transfer to other places.

Jonathan

Yes - in the Med a stern anchor is common for both going up to quays forward or to anchor in the Swedish style, bows tied to shore and stern anchored. Many boats have brackets on the pushpit or Bins attached to hold kedge and warp.

As usual there is no one solution. It depends mainly on how you use the kedge and if you use it frequently how best to mount it on the stern of the boat if you want instant access. That often depends on the layout of the boat. In the UK i would suggest kedges or stern anchors are rarely used so the issue of permanently mounting it outside, or even in a position to be accessed rapidly does not arise.

 

[Gunfleet]

I have an alloy Spade on a bespoke bracket on the stern rail. Anchor line lies flaked aft of the cockpit coaming, ready to go. Deploying this anchor is a matter of seconds.

I like this arrangement of yours. I have a spade on chain on the foredeck and it takes up an inordinate amount of space on my little boat. I can't stow it over the bow without changing the roller etc etc... I keep a danforth lashed to the pulpit at the mo.

 

[Yngmar]

Copied an idea for the stern (=kedge) rode storage I saw on another boat somewhere this year. Made from a jerrycan I found rotting in a field in Portugal. Still need to figure out a good way to store the actual anchor, so following this thread with interest - the Guardian/Fortress is surprisingly tricky to store with all its poky bits.

 

[thinwater]

^^ Nice holder Baba! Simple is best.

I notice there is no chain on the anchor, which suggests several questions:
1. Chafe. I don't use chain on my kedge either (Fortress), but I do use a covered Dyneema chafe leader ~ 5 meters long. This protects against cutting while making it easier to handle. I gather wear has not been a problem? Do others here go with no-chain on the kedge and what is your experience? Setting and holding has no been a problem, but it is only used as a second anchor or for kedging, of course.
2. Plaited rope vs. 3-strand vs. double braid. I've been doing some testing, and the rank order re. chafe seems to be 3-strand is better than plaited, which is better than double braid. Thoughts?

In fact, historically the main use of my kedge has been to hold the boat motionless while testing other anchors (the Fortess moves lass in soft mud than my main anchor). Not that many days of use, but very, very high loads.