caramaran anchoring system

I am looking for ideas for a good simple anchor setup for my Hughes 36 beachcat. Over at Kurts blog there a photo of a bridle set-up that appears to have a roller premanently attached to the end of a cable bridle. It looks like the rode is fed out through this roller, which stays put then on the end of the bridle, and acts as a fairlead for the rode, which I guess is made fast at the windlass chain stopper, or a cleat or something. Then, when the anchor is hauled in, it eventually fetches up on the roller, and the bridle inverts inwards under the trampoline with the anchor then being held in place (it appears) by three points: the two bridle wires, and the rode. It looks like it is just hanging there under the net.

http://multihullblog.com/2012/01/neat-anchor-system/

Is this common? Anyone have any direct experience with similar? Am I missing something about this particular setup? It looks appealing, though it seems to me potential problems would be chafeing at the roller, and the anchor flopping about in a seaway.

Thanks for any inputs.

 

I'm looking for similar solutions for my F40 cat I've only just bought, so learning the ropes. I'm struggling to see how this acts as an effective bridle without the bridle taking the anchoring tension (that is, being fixed to the chain, or relative to the chain).

I am looking at using a tube to carry the anchor and chain, that is pushed forward like a bow sprit when anchoring, with the bridle attached at its forward end, and a pivot at the aft end. This allows the bridle to carry the anchor tension (via compression in the tube) and keeps the anchor and chain away from all the carbon, whilst allowing the anchor winch to be aft in the cockpit.

I've considered having the tube pivot under the tramp, which would then put the anchor at the aft end when stowed, but the anchor is alum. alloy so the chain is most of the weight.

Previous owner had the anchor in a bag in the cockpit and then had to deploy the entire thing to the bow, make fast, and anchor. Not exactly rapid!

 

I don't see how that would work either.

When you let the anchor out, there is a roller attached to the ends of the bridle which allows the chain rode to pass through.

I am wondering, after deploying this anchor system, how you then get the roller to somehow put a hook into the chain, since it's going to be way out forward of the boat at this point.

I'm surprised that works at all. ??

 

Maybe they have some sort of stopper which they attach to the rode when it gets extended to the length/depth they want. The stopper then jambs in the roller, so the bridle then takes the load.

 

i will try and describe the one that I have seen and plan to use;

Make a soft eye in the middle of your bridle, spliced or tied about 3" long.
Set the anchore and pay out most of the rode
Loop the rode through the soft eye in the bridle and pass a wooden pin or piece of plastic tube through the loop in the rode and then snug it up
Let the rode out until the load goes onto the bridle.

Yes, the whole boat is riding on the pin/tube, but if it fails or drops out, the rest of the rode is the back-up.
The knack is to get the soft eye and pin the right size - a tapered or ribbed pin might be best.
For a more secure pin, a clove hitch would work

 

That seems like it could work, as long as the stopper doesn't bugger up the roller, and could be securely fastened to the chain and not jam on the chain or in the roller. maybe a slotted plate with some kind of keeper or pin? And You could still use a snubber, attached to the rode, without affecting anything else.

I guess a retreival line and float could still be used with this system, just let it bypass the roller, and feed it off the deck/tramp.

How to fasten the bridle to the hulls? Seems like an eye splice and shackle might foul on itself when it "makes the turn" back up under the tramp upon retreival of the anchor. It sure would be nice to be able to keep the angle of pull on the bridle low down nearer the water line, using less rode, or when making up for a [gulp] tow.



Just thinking out loud here. All ideas appreciated.

 

Here is an entry from Kurt's blog on a neat anchoring system might help with yours.

http://multihullblog.com/2012/01/neat-anchor-system/

 

Thanks Corley. I linked to that one already in my first post this thread. It was the inspiration, its just that it is not clearly illustrated.

When I get a chance I will ask Kurt about it. The trouble with him is that his mind works at 78 speed, but he types at 33-1/2 .

 

I must be slipping it's sleep deprivation prior to my wife and I having our second kid I'm sure.

 

Well I hope you can get some now, you"re gonna need it

Heck, while we are on the subject here is a recent entry

http://multihullblog.com/2012/05/nicks-launch/

Notice the eyes at the bows. I have been thinking about putting something like that on mine for a permanent bridle. I kind of like the idea of a through hull tube, something to get all the bridle stuff down lower and off the deck, where space is really limited. A big cleat has to compete with running lights, deck access plate, bow tube connections, and stanchions, etc... something like a bow thruster tube, only out of the water, maybe about mid- high, with nylon bridle lines rigged up with heavy duty chafeing gear, eyes spliced in, or maybe just bowline knots tied. Has anyone done that? Any other ideas?

 

A couple of links you might find useful if you have seen them already then just ignore me

This link shows the anchor and windlass locker on Sarabi in the pdf

http://www.multihulldesigns.com/pdf/aero56story2.pdf

One owners experiences with a beugel anchor and bridles on his cat

http://www.maxingout.com/Buegel_anchor.htm

 

You could simply keep a large oversize caribeener or quick release shackle etc in the anchor locker, then once youve set the anchor, clip the quick release shackle thru the chain and let out another few meters until it stops on the bridle roller if you want to bridle to take the load... potential problems in the middle of teh night when you drag anchor and need to get it in and cant find the caribeener on the chain!!!

But then again why does the load need to be taken by the bridle? The bridle can simply act to keep it central and the load taken centrally in front of the windlass...?

 

Aha! Thanks Corley

With a setup like this one, all you need to do is to clip it on (I would still want some kind of keeper) where you want it, and pay it out till the bridle takes up the load. Keep the roller set up permanent on the boat, back near the main beam fairing and the windlass. With the line exiting the boat in the middle like this, if the boat falls off the wind while paying out or hauling in, I guess you might have some problems with the rode riding up under one of the hulls... but it could do that with the other system, where the roller is mounted on the bridle too, no?

Thanks for those links

 

Trouble with cats is that the chain comes from the centre of the 2 hulls and in tide and wind combination you can get the chain rubbing on one hull.

Bulbous bows make it worse

Besides sleep being impossible the damage is concerning.

I had thought of fastening or--being able to shift the attachment so that it pulled from one hull. A shift of this would be necessary on change of tide.

This combined with different rudder settingings might get over the problem.

Cats are not easy.

 

You think your sleep deprived BEFORE the birth ?