Stowing a spare anchor?

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SimonFa

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I was wondering where the panel stow their spare/emergency anchors, assuming that one is carried.

One of the guys on the other side of the trot told me that I was listing a few degrees to Port. I knew I was but hadn't given it a great deal of thought but apparently its been getting a bit worse so yesterday I had a clear out of the cockpit locker, which is on the Port side, as is the fuel tank. There was quite a bit of stuff in their, 20L of 10 YO diesel I'd inherited and forgotten about right at the back :mad:, but mainly its my spare anchor and chain doing the damage.

When I removed the anchor and set it on the centre line I was perfectly balanced.

I don't want it in any of the cabin lockers, not least because of the problem of getting it all up and down the companion way but also lack of suitable space. I had a look at the anchor locker and reckon I could store the chain and rode below the main chain and rode, but that's going to be very difficult to get out, esp in an emergency.

I have 3 batteries on the Starboard side and the water tank is under the forward cabin bunk. The water heater is also on the Port side as well.

Any thoughts?
 
I have mine under the V berths in the fore cabin. Not ideal - but I find myself always compelled to move heavy stuff forward to compensate for a heavy engine aft.
 
A bit pointless moving it from it's current accessible position unless all your fuel and water tanks are in the center line of the boat.

We list one way or the other depending on how much water or fuel we have at any point in time. Anyway after a few G&T's you'll list anyway... :LOL:
 
Mine are in a cockpit locker but we have lockers on both sides on this boat. Our Sadler 29 only had one cockpit locker on the port side and so had a similar list to yours. We sorted it by re-arranging the stowage in the saloon lockers - moving everything heavy to the starboard side. Biggest effects were by moving tools and tinned food.
 
Some anchors (without roll bars) will sit ( in certain boats )upside down under the forward berths with the shank aligned with the curve of the bow. Sometimes the shank can face aft and be even more snug.
 
Not sure what size of boats all those who put their spare anchors up forward, but they must be substantial, otherwise ruining the trim of the boat for going to windward.

I was always told to keep the weight out of the ends.

Ink
 
I’ve got an aluminium Fortress disassembled in its box right at the back of the cockpit locker.

I‘ll stow the rope & chain rode once I see how the boat sits when fuelled, watered and provisioned..
 
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As well as a Fortress made up ready as a kedge, we have a larger Fortress as a spare for the Spade bower. If I was buying again I would buy a Viking, for similar low weight to holding and stowability but probably a better all-rounder (relatively) than the Fortress.
 
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Simon you mention anchor and, spare, rode. Chain, depends how much of it is on the spare rode but could be much heavier than the anchor. Chain is much easier to stow than the anchor. So, maybe think of splitting the items into rode and anchor. If your spare anchor is a Fortress then its weight might not be significant at all. You might be able to downsize the chan from 10mm to 8mm.......

But if you do not carry a spare anchor (and rode) one day you might be, very embarrassed. We lost our anchor and ALL the chain once, which we later retrieved, but we did carry a spare, rode and anchor.

We keep our spare rode in a milk crate. We keep all 'that sort of stuff' including mooring lines and fenders in a bridge deck locker (its a cat_ just forward of the mast - but you are unlikely to find this of much use to you. When we raced we lashed the 2 required anchors to the saloon table legs, over the keel - wherever they were they were a nuisance! - but so useful when you needed them!

You can buy (or have made (or make yourself) brackets to secure anchors. A company in America, California I think, ,make them for Fortress (and would be easy to copy). Mantus make a universal bracket (I have no idea how good it is), people like Jimmy Green might sell brackets.

What anchor are you trying to stow and how much (and what size of chain).

If your spare anchor is not good enough, in your estimation, to replace your primary - it might not be worth carrying.

Jonathan
 
We keep a Fortress assembled, it stores, relatively, flat so does not take up too much room and is immediately available. We agree wholeheartedly with Poignard's comment.

We also carry a disassembled Spade.

Jonathan
 
Neeves said:
Simon you mention anchor and, spare, rode. Chain, depends how much of it is on the spare rode but could be much heavier than the anchor. Chain is much easier to stow than the anchor. So, maybe think of splitting the items into rode and anchor. If your spare anchor is a Fortress then its weight might not be significant at all. You might be able to downsize the chan from 10mm to 8mm.......

But if you do not carry a spare anchor (and rode) one day you might be, very embarrassed. We lost our anchor and ALL the chain once, which we later retrieved, but we did carry a spare, rode and anchor.

We keep our spare rode in a milk crate. We keep all 'that sort of stuff' including mooring lines and fenders in a bridge deck locker (its a cat_ just forward of the mast - but you are unlikely to find this of much use to you. When we raced we lashed the 2 required anchors to the saloon table legs, over the keel - wherever they were they were a nuisance! - but so useful when you needed them!

You can buy (or have made (or make yourself) brackets to secure anchors. A company in America, California I think, ,make them for Fortress (and would be easy to copy). Mantus make a universal bracket (I have no idea how good it is), people like Jimmy Green might sell brackets.

What anchor are you trying to stow and how much (and what size of chain).

If your spare anchor is not good enough, in your estimation, to replace your primary - it might not be worth carrying.

Jonathan
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice. Its a Fortress and is flat at the bottom of the cockpit locker with the chain in a bucket, although that's just for storage I couldn't lift the bucket out with it in.

From advice so far I think I'll leave it where it is and live with the slight list, emergencies are more important and I'm not racing. Given the weight I suspect that when I get down to a half tank of fuel the list won't be noticeable,
 
I have kept a Fortress Anchor in the cockpit locker for many years and never used it. It gets in the way and is a bit of a pain.
I am starting to wonder whether I really need two anchors....... If I do then a good solution for me would be a Mantus anchor because it can be dismantled and I could stow the bits more easily awaiting that once in a lifetime that I actually need it.
 
mainsail1 said:
I have kept a Fortress Anchor in the cockpit locker for many years and never used it. It gets in the way and is a bit of a pain.
I am starting to wonder whether I really need two anchors....... If I do then a good solution for me would be a Mantus anchor because it can be dismantled and I could stow the bits more easily awaiting that once in a lifetime that I actually need it.
Click to expand...

There's a cheap and easy solution, which allows you to keep your beer tokens in your wallet.

50560888296_8ba5aa2ca5_z.jpg


And you won't assemble a Mantus anchor nearly as fast as you/I could, having replaced those wee nuts 'n bolts, that need tools, with these. Fingers only....

51130736865_99f1c21abb_z.jpg


:cool:
 
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