thoughts about an alternative to manual anchor winch

[sarabande]

my efforts to find a used anchor winch are thwarted by no-one wanting to sell one. So, tell me what is wrong with the following process, please, for geriatric recovery of the anchor on a less than fully crewed boat.

Assumptions: Anchor is attached to 30m of chain, possibly with a longer length of warp.

From anchor roller to for'd end of cockpit is about 8m. I have a decent pair of two-speed genoa winches, which are mounted at a good and convenient working height, and which are unlikely to be in use for sails at the same time as needing to hoist the anchor.

Why can't I attach a chain hook to a 10m length of line, and haul that in (fast or slow) using the S genoa winch, until the hook is up to the winch, then

EITHER
attach another hook and line to the chain in the bow via the P genoa winch, and use that in turn to recover the anchor chain, easing the S winch to let the recovered chain round for'd of the mast

OR
lock the chain off near the cockpit winch using a chain slip, and re-use the S chain hook and line.

Repeat ad lib, so the chain will be recovered on to the deck bounded by the toe rails, until the anchor is up into the bow roller. Winch ratios and power seem right for quick or slow recovery, and for most of the time no need to go onto the foredeck. Each 'phase' recovers about 7.5m of chain in a single pull, which is likely to be faster than the reciprocating lever of a horizontal anchor winch

Ideal for single handed as crew is mainly in the cockpit with engine controls, etc. Yes, there's some tidying up and washing down after the anchor is locked onto the bow roller, but the chain is free to be stowed away and unlikely to try to escape overboard.


Simple, cheap, and can use lines already on board. Only need to buy an additional chain hook.

 

[James_Calvert]

No windlass on my boat and I did do something like you described once. Can't now remember why, maybe a particularly sticky bottom or something stopping the anchor breaking out.

I think it was quite slow and once I got the anchor free I reverted to pulling it up by hand.

A 35lb Sowester plough with 8mm chain. I've recently downsized to a smaller Kobra 2 in the interests of easier handling (off the bow roller and into the anchor locker where it belongs).

I think the hardest work is pulling the anchor and chain aboard after the anchor is off the bottom. Up to that point you can ease the load by motoring towards the chain. So I guess you'd use your technique for that stage as a minimum.

 

[ghostlymoron]

There's no cure for geriatricy so I should consider fitting a powered winch.

 

[Bajansailor]

We have a pair of Lewmar 40 self tailing winches for the genoa sheets in the cockpit, and I have used these a few times for hauling the mooring chain up to the surface in the manner that you describe (altho' I was using rolling hitches rather than chain hooks).
It worked, but it was heavy going - I think because I was also hauling up 15' of studlink ships anchor chain from the bottom (it forms part of our ground chain).
The ideal windlass would probably be a SL Sea Tiger 555 - but they are very rare on the second hand market.
SL Spares do mention here - http://slspares.co.uk/parts.php?product=Seatiger+555+Windlass - that they do sell complete windlasses, but they are probably very expensive.

Would a SL Anchorman be too small for your boat? We have one on a 35' boat, with a 3/8" or 10 mm chain gypsy (probably 10 mm), and a 35 lb CQR, and I can wind it up ok so long as the engine is used to motor up to the anchor.

 

[TQA]

I regard my powered windlass as a major piece of safety equipment.

At the end of a long day with night approaching and the need to reanchor possibly multiple times it does not get tired as I do nowadays

 

[neil_s]

You would need to provide chafe protection. I have tried bringing a line to the sheet winch from the stem head and found the line takes quite a kink around the forward sides of the coachroof. You could fit a couple of permanent turning blocks to do this if you plan to do it regularly, although I got away with a piece of nylon strategically attached to the GRP. Look forward to messy, scratched up side decks!

 

[Pete7]

Look forward to messy, scratched up side decks!

The thought of galvanised chain under tension dragging across my GRP decks fills me with horror. Moody fit a strategic piece of stainless angle iron were the chain comes off the windlass and into the anchor locker for this reason.

How about this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Anchor-Wi...485806?hash=item4d4397872e:g:WNoAAOSwn9lXJ5vb

If that isn't an option then Faulkes Boat Yard will almost certainly have one, they are a scrap yard for boaty bits:

http://chandlerybarge.com/site/

 

[guyd]

We have a pair of Lewmar 40 self tailing winches for the genoa sheets in the cockpit, and I have used these a few times for hauling the mooring chain up to the surface in the manner that you describe (altho' I was using rolling hitches rather than chain hooks).
It worked, but it was heavy going - I think because I was also hauling up 15' of studlink ships anchor chain from the bottom (it forms part of our ground chain).
The ideal windlass would probably be a SL Sea Tiger 555 - but they are very rare on the second hand market.
SL Spares do mention here - http://slspares.co.uk/parts.php?product=Seatiger+555+Windlass - that they do sell complete windlasses, but they are probably very expensive.

Would a SL Anchorman be too small for your boat? We have one on a 35' boat, with a 3/8" or 10 mm chain gypsy (probably 10 mm), and a 35 lb CQR, and I can wind it up ok so long as the engine is used to motor up to the anchor.

not that rare, i had one, took ages to sell on.

heres a similar one
Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331843543284

 

[fergie_mac66]

What ever you do a simple aid for now to pulling it up is a chain pawl or the very least a chain stop

A chain pawl makes a huge difference

 

[single]

I'll have a spare manual one in a week or two. Old but functional.

 

[single]

Tim, that is what i'm removing.