OK so who does the anchorwork?

[Robin]

A couple of times in recent posts contributors have said that their wives do the anchorwork. Is this the best use of personpower or not? Answers on a 'post' card please as usual.

In our case, mostly SWMBO stays at the wheel and I do the deckwork. Sometimes for practice we swap places, but then we have an electric windlass and an anchor that self stows/launches easily. I just cannot imagine SWMBO being at all keen to do the foredeck work if a) it involved excess effort, ie no windlass, anchor stowed on deck b) she risked breaking a nail c) she could get her hands or pretty gloves dirty!

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[jimi]

ditto on our boat, except when mooring up in tight spots ..

<hr width=100% size=1>.. when's that again, but ..

 

[bedouin]

I always get the anchor and rode ready; and I always weigh the anchor. If I want to take particular care in picking the anchor point then the First Mate sometimes gives it th final shove off the bow-roller, but more often than not I do that bit too.

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[timevans2000]

My Mrs likes doing the deck work. Says it keeps here fit!

We have a manual windlass. She is happy to use this but often asks me to help if she gets tired.

Pass me another G&T Darling

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[longjohnsadler]

Tempted to ask if it always weighs the same..
Don't have a windlass so its always me doing the heaving. Suffer from a bad back however and recently its meant usually favouring swinging mooring over an anchorage. Determined to fit a windlass this winter, but suspect that electric windlasses are prone to all sorts of potential problems with knock on effects?

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[qsiv]

Well, on our boat SWMBO watches, and makes helpful sugestions, whilst I round up, drop the main, stow it, pop back to the wheel, pick an anchoring spot, go astern gently, then nip forward and lower the anchor.

Having stowed the main properly, and put the cover on, it's usually time to lower the dinghy, and take evryone ashore.

Works well ...

One or other boy usually raises the anchor with SWMBO supervising so that I can keep an eye on the boat as we break the anchor out.

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[Robin]

Not sure what you mean by knock on effects of windlasses. On our last boat the manual windlass was so slow I did it all by hand, the windlass then seized from lack of use, then we had to move umpteen times to dodge over-friendly French yotties and I swore to fit an electric one. Oh what luxury, gazing over the bows watching that lump of iron gracefully ascending/decending into precisely the right patch of clear sand - but so what if you have to do it again, no sweat, quite literaly!

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[bedouin]

No - it usually weighs more on the way up because of all the mud

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[Robin]

Was she RYA trained for 'helpful suggestions'? Mine has a PhD in Hindsight!

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[longjohnsadler]

You didn't see the state of the electrics on my boat when I bought it last year!
I suppose I mean if the electrics failed you're back to the hand-over-hand method. And would there be more chance of the thing jamming at a crucial point in the manoeuvre with the anchor half on/off the sea-bed in a tight situation - maybe not.
However the idea of chain effortlessly gliding back onto the boat sounds mighty tempting.

Apologies by the way to anyone about to refer me to 15 similar threads if only I'd used the search option....it really started off as a rhetorical question.

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[Aeolus_IV]

I do the grunt work (no windlass of any sort) while the SWMBO manages the tiller and the engine. Works for us, just don't do it that often.

Jeff.

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[charles_reed]

As an observer

in the Mediterranean, where only the Brits don't have electric windlasses.

If there's more than 1 man on the boat, the girls act decorative in the cockpit or on the cabin whilst one man goes up front.

If it's a husband and wife team the woman is sent onto the foredeck in 85%vof cases, thereafter in 100% of cases a slanging match ensues.

Except the Dutch, where the women always drive (frequently their ability to see is severely hampered by the oversize ensigns they fly) and the men are harangued.

As I sail single-handed I do the lot myself and find the manual windlass too slow.

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[Robin]

Most electric ones have a manual handle albeit at 1:1 gearing as backup. In practice though you would just lift the chain off the gipsy and heave ho. If anchoring is less of a chore, we are happy to do it more often!

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[MainlySteam]

Windlass and chain, anchor stows on bow roller.

Arriving - I drive up, round up and stop the boat. I go forward and drop anchor and wife backs the boat up to lay the chain out as I do so (she understands hand signals, well the non rude ones anyway!).

Departing - I raise anchor, wife drives forward to reduce load if windy while I do so. Wife drives us out of the anchorage while I hose the deck down.

Otherwise if wife doing something else useful, like cooking, I do it all myself to work up an appetite and thirst.

John

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[Guest]

Who ?

Just before arrival ..... flake out chain on deck ... sufficient to hold, rest stays in locker ....
Approach and decide on spot, line up boat with others already on hook and slowly motor over the spot to drop.
Engine in neutral, go forward and drop anchor ..... letting the chain run out as boat starts to drop back.
Pull out more chain counting the marks that go out to see how much chain is deployed - snubbing chain as you get near to final which sets the anchor. (Rarely have I had to use an engine to set an anchor if snubbed well).
Pass chain round gypsy once enough scope out. This will hold the chain until you are sure all is ok.
Wait check position and ensure not dragging and that she is brought up to chain.
Short hook and lashing to secure chain with turn still on gypsy.

Back to cockpit and crack another Guinness can. Meanwhile she has been quietly sipping her Chardonnay ..... enjoying the colourful language coming from the bow area !!!!


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I came - cos they said was FREE Guinness !
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