Anchor and Bow Details

rev. 2-15-2010. rev. 7-21-2024

Chain  can beat up the deck between the roller and the windlass.Solutions include wood, plastic, and in my case, heavy duty non-skid from the roller to windlass.

I've seen all sorts of lashings holding anchors while underway. A simple pin through the chain works very well and is FAST to release. Mine is home-made from 3/16-inch aluminum, but I believe you can buy them. I would not call this a chain lock - it won't take the strain - but it works better with mixed chain/fiber rodes than available chain locks because it is out of the way when open and permits easy man-hauling when needed. With a fiber rode you snub the rode on a cleat, anyway.

In my case, I always use a bridle and the rode is not loaded. With a catamaran the rode would suffer serious abuse and chafe due to exiting the the bow roller at a 40-60 degree angle. To protect the bridle I use 2-inch tubular climbing webbing (http://www.rei.com/product/472049) where it crosses the bow chock.

In the picture we have stopped for a swim in fine weather. In serious weather or when we leave the boat for a time, the rode would be cleated-off, as a back-up.

 

Note: A first I used a 316 stainless pin for the lock. It was pretty and shiny. Stainless is weak, the windlass bent the pin, and it jammed on me one night in close quarters. Enough of that .

 I replaced it with an old screwdriver. I cut off the blade and drilled a hole through the shaft for the retaining pin. Much stronger, and now there was a handle to hold on to, making it easier to tug it out if there was a little weight on the chain. It rusted a little, but the screw driver had a nickle plating that held up well.

 This photo was taken before I converted to all-chain rode. Also, I was using a short polyester bridle made from double braid dockline at the time. After I switched to all chain, the ride on the polyester bridle was noticeably rough, and that is when I began investigating snubbers and shock absorption. With a nylon rode the ride was fine, but the windlass would not recover rope very well and not reliably under any tension. It also liked to jam on the rope-to-chain splice. That was before I discovered the Irony Splice