Moving anchor points on my boat...

Discussion in 'Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building' started by missinginaction, Jul 29, 2020.

  1. missinginaction
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    missinginaction Senior Member

    IMG_20180803_161047747_HDR.jpg Here's a photo of the bow of my boat. You can see the anchor hanging there. Typically I just tie the line off on the starboard cleat. That's worked fine over the past few years.

    I recently built a nesting pram and have been wrestling with how to store it on the boat. I could store it aft but I'm considering keeping it on the fore deck. It will fit up there and I'll still have room to walk around it.

    I have an idea as to how I might launch and retrieve it. That's not why I'm posting this though.

    First some information. She weighs about 7,000 lbs. 25.5' LOA. Beam 10.5'. The boat, not the dink. :confused:

    If I store the dink up front, it's going to make dropping anchor and tying it off on a cleat more difficult.

    A couple of years ago I saw a mid-40 foot boat that had an interesting anchor rig. The boat had a bridal that attached to the topsides on both sides of the bow. The boat was docked and I noticed that the bridal was just tied off to the bow railing as the bridal stayed permanently attached to the topsides.

    Looking at the picture of my boat the cleat, or attachment point on the starboard side would be pretty much right below that front railing stanchion or base that has the dock line attached to it. It's about 40" from the deck to the waterline there. There would be an identical cleat added to the starboard side. I'd probably locate them a foot or two below the deck. Of course I'll leave the existing cleats on the deck for docking.

    I've looked around online but haven't been able to find any boats with this set-up.

    If any of you have any advise of comments I'm all ears. I'll have to check to see how thick the laminate is in that area. If I do this I'll make up a substantial base for the cleat and a strong backing block. Stainless steel machine screws, structural washers/nylocks and bedding.

    Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

    Just trying to solve the "dinghy dilemma".

    MIA
     
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2020
  2. gonzo
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    gonzo Senior Member

    There would be a couple of difficulties with the anchor rode. First, to adjust the length you would have to untie the end of the rode from the bridle and then re-tie it. Secondly, retrieving the anchor is going to require some gymnastics to get around and over the dinghy. A small pulpit with an anchor roller would let you handle the anchor without having to work from on top of the dinghy.
     
  3. bajansailor
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    bajansailor Marine Surveyor

    If you install a small plank bowsprit with a roller such that the anchor can self stow in the roller, would it be economically / practically feasible to install a small electric anchor windlass as well, where you can control everything remotely from the flying bridge?

    A typical small 'horizontal' windlass - Lewmar HX1 for $879, boat length up to 37' :
    Lewmar HX1 GD 800 Horizontal Windlass with Drum https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1&id=4119222

    And a typical 'vertical' windlass - VX1 for $758, boat length up to 34' :
    Lewmar VX1 Gypsy / Drum Windlass Kit https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=3585173
     
  4. missinginaction
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    missinginaction Senior Member

    Hi Gonzo. I see what you mean about the length of the rode. Not as easy as just shortening it up and tying it off on the cleat. As for the gymnastics, when the dinghy is in the stowed position it's up by the windshield and I can get around it pretty easily. It's 57" x 50" x 21" high when nested.

    I like the pulpit idea but I have a conflict there. You may think I'm crazy but here goes...... I'm still in the experimental stage here. I can assemble the pram on the fore deck. My idea is to install a trailer roller about 6" forward of the bow, like a bow anchor roller but wider. If I make up a plate with a couple of slots I'll be able to adjust the roller forward or back. It's 44 inches from the deck to the waterline. I'm going to install a 3' stainless steel boarding ladder (will fold back and stow on deck) and can install a couple of rollers on the ladder. I'll block the ladder so that it extends down at about 45 degrees. The assembled dink weighs 70 pounds and the bow handhold ends up about 2' above the water. I think I can put a line on the dink, pull her up up onto the roller at the bottom of the ladder, wait for her to center herself and then simply haul her up onto the deck. I don't know if this is going to work, I don't know if I'll need maybe a 2:1 block (I could use the bow rail as a lift point as I've tested it with 200 lbs of load) so I'll have to see. 70 pounds isn't that heavy.

    I hope this makes sense. The reason that I want to move the attachment points for the anchor is because when she swings sometimes the rode crosses the deck between those two forward bow rail stanchions. Not a problem when the deck is clean but with a dingy up there it could pose a problem. Another solution might be to just install a skene bow chock and just keep the line tied to the existing cleat but routed off the starboard side of the bow.

    Thanks for the reply.

    MIA
     
  5. Yobarnacle
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    Yobarnacle Senior Member holding true course

    You can make that bridal a continuous loop. Do your anchor set, and retrieve, safely from aft cockpit, where it is easy and secure to stand, kneel, or sit. When anchor is set out, rotate continuous bridal around to where the boat rides well, bow into wind and sea.

    Offshore commercial vessels sometimes have provided, a standby buoy to hang on. We lasso the crucifix cleat on the buoy, alongside amidships, then hang off by the bow with a long floating poly rode. Trying to lasso from the bow, is fruitless.

    A different mooring certainly, but there is no reason other than silly tradition, for you have to be on the foredeck to handle the anchor.
     
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2020
  6. missinginaction
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    missinginaction Senior Member

    Bajansailor, Interesting idea but not sure how I could reconcile it with my dinghy load and launch idea. If I could figure out how to mount the anchor underneath the bowsprit, maybe the windlass could do double duty and pull the dink on board?

    Yobarnacle, I never thought of using a bridal for anchoring from the stern. I did a little searching to see if I could find anything. While this video isn't perfect, these guys are doing what you described I think. I usually boat single handed, what these guys are doing would certainly be safer, especially if it's windy.



    MIA
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2020
  7. Yobarnacle
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    Yobarnacle Senior Member holding true course

    Rigging is just marlinspike seamanship, err, engineering!
    A little trial and error, put on the wisdom cap, you'll guess it out. LOL. :)

    Video looks very doable, though I had something a little more complicated and big boat in mind. Keep it simple principle, endorses the video.
    Congratulations!

    I don't see the need for the fancy slider. just clip the buoy onto the floating line to nylon rode connection.
     
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2020
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  8. bajansailor
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    bajansailor Marine Surveyor

    MIA, if you are now stowing the dinghy on the foredeck instead of on the swim platform (I remember you posting a photo recently showing this proposal to stow the dinghy on the platform), then you could maybe do like so many Scandinavians do and have your anchor mounted on a roller (on the swim platform?) at the stern.
    You could even have an electric windlass for it back here as well.

    If you want to anchor by the bow instead (eg if the water is choppy, or you don't want the afternoon sun in the cockpit, or the breeze is too cold, or.........) you could just attach a line to the anchor rope with a rolling hitch - the other end of this line is made off on a bow cleat. Let out another 30' of anchor rode, and she will just swing around to face into the wind(or current, if that is predominant).

    I like your proposal for using the boarding ladder as a 'slipway' (of sorts) for pulling the dinghy up on to the foredeck (I presume it will fit ok under the bow railing?).
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2020
  9. missinginaction
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    missinginaction Senior Member

    I'm not sure where I'm stowing this dinghy yet, but I'm leaning towards the bow. I got thinking, aside from the head the bow is the place on the boat where I spend the least time. I thought originally that I might build a small crane and lift it over the port side rail. Once I actually had the dink on the fore deck I noticed that I could just shove it straight off the bow. The opening between the bow rail stanchions was plenty wide. So that idea was born. It will clear the bow rail vertically as long as I pay attention to the angle that the dinghy drops from horizontal as she's launched. Mounting up 2 or 3 rollers to a telescoping boarding ladder is straightforward and maybe I can attach a small float to the lowest rung of the ladder? If the lowest roller floats it would seem to me that the dinghy would line herself up on the "slipway" even in a breeze. I had a trailer boat years ago and learned to put the rear keel roller right on the water. I'd put a little tension on the winch, wait a minute and she'd line herself right up.

    Thanks for the advice on the anchoring. I never gave the anchor too much thought aside from the proper size, some decent chain and line. Both you and you Yobarnacle have me thinking that I don't need to add new anchor points, I just need to be more creative with what I already have.


    MIA
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2020
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  10. The Q
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    The Q Senior Member

    Many boat round here have an anchor winch, remote controlled from the helm, the motor and chain hidden up in the pointy bit no one uses below decks.
     
  11. missinginaction
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    missinginaction Senior Member

    I wish that would work for me but underneath that fore deck is my v-berth.
     
  12. Blueknarr
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    Blueknarr Senior Member

    Mia

    I have used bow anchor bridles for several reasons. Mostly because like your boat the bow cleats where set wide or too far aft.

    1 Set anchor using one of the existing cleats.
    2 hitch bridle line to the anchor line just forward of the cleat.
    3 rove the other end of the bridle thru the other cleat and make fast
    4 ease anchor line to match the bridle.

    As pointed out, it does complicate things a bit
     
  13. Yobarnacle
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    Yobarnacle Senior Member holding true course

    Vee berths are miserable, cramped and bouncy. Is there anyway of installing quarter berths, extending under cockpit seats, in your boat?
     
  14. missinginaction
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    missinginaction Senior Member

    Generally I'd agree with you Yobarnacle. Remember though that I'm a solo traveler. So while my v-berth would be uncomfortable for two, it works fine for me. I have it all to myself. I can convert the settee to a berth but having tried it both ways, I like it better upfront.

    My wife and I have been married for going on 30 years. Before I began the restoration of this boat she made her position clear.

    "You can go wherever you want for as long as you want. Just remember, if you want me on a boat, book with Holland America."

    How could I argue with that?

    MIA
     
    Last edited: Oct 12, 2020
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  15. Yobarnacle
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    Yobarnacle Senior Member holding true course

    A happy wife is a happy life, and the alternative is...don't go there.
     
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