Now that I have sailed with my new anchor roller - help...

[Chris & Lenore]

Didn't work quite as well as planned. Kept getting stuck on the way down and up. Problem was the shackles that attach the anchor to the chain and the chain to the rode. At first they were simply too wide so I switched to ones that looked closer to the chain links. That cut down on the problem - now it stuck only half the time (still unacceptable).
The problem now was the head of the threaded part on the shackle. It stuck out enough to get stuck on the "U channel" of the roller.
Solved that by cutting off most of the head so it was almost flush. The other end projected about 1/8 so I drilled that for the safety wire (I learned the hard way to NEVER omit the safety wire on an anchor shackle).
So now it goes up and down without getting stuck. Just one last annoying problem. Has anyone found a way to make the anchor orientate itself so it's right side up as it comes over the roller? Seems its backwards more than half the time. Takes a lot of twisting the chain and lowering/raising. There must be a better way? Do I need a swivel at the anchor where it connects to the chain - or do I just have to deal with it?

Chris (currently docked at Big Sound marina in Parry Sound waiting out the rain)

 

[THECUSCUS]

Chris, what type of shackles are you using? The threaded part doesn't stick out on mine. If you splice your rode to your chain, you can do away with that shackle ( ill try an take a picture this weekend). I don't understand how your anchor can come over the rollers upside down? The pure weight of it should keep it oriented correctly. Do you have one or two rollers on the end?

 

[Sumner]

On the Mac with ....

... two rollers on each bow roller.....

... both anchors seem to always turn the correct direction.

On the Endeavour....

.... with one roller on each side I think if I remember right the CQR can be a nuisance and the Manson seems to always turn.

I found these G-209A ....

http://www.defender.com/pdf/002082.pdf

...shackles for the Endeavour from Defender....

http://www.defender.com/category.jsp?path=-1|2259973|2260012&id=2260020

.... and they are about twice as strong as the majority of the ones you find and pretty compact. I'm going to switch to those for the Mac also. With the higher strength you might be able to switch to a smaller size.

The Endeavour has 2 chain lockers and we need a rope to chain splice to get the rode down into one of the lockers. Ruth and I practiced doing them and they aren't that hard to learn and might put them on all of the rodes for both boats. I feel very comfortable with the strength of them and you can cut them off ever few years if you want and put on a new splice. Here are some links we found helpful and you will see there are different methods. We haven't decided yet which we will use....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfDyDYC5g1E&list=UUib-4zwIFkOko-kucUIhNPg&index=12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yzMV8q7BOM&list=UUib-4zwIFkOko-kucUIhNPg&index=11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nemz-_GID7M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCvA4m8doVI

http://www.bluemoment.com/warpchainsplice.html

http://www.spadeanchorusa.com/how-to-articles/rope-to-chain-splice-2.html

http://johndanicic.com/sailing pages/GOB articles/JF07_Splicing.pdf

Those should keep you busy. We were fearful of trying a splice but after doing a couple practice ones I'd have complete confidence in them.

Have fun on the trip,

Sum

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Our Endeavour 37

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[Chris & Lenore]

I think my problem is that my roller assembly is narrower than the ones I see in the pics.

My original shackles were like Couscous's but the new ones are much narrower. The shackle I cut down had threads protruding enough to drill for the safety wire - but it was the only shackle I had that was like this. The others had no protruding threads.

In theory the weight and configuration of the anchor should make it flip over if inverted - once it starts to come over the roller. Mine tries to flip and gets jammed up.
Could be that the anchor is one size too large for the roller.

I would hate to have to change the roller assembly. Installation was the biggest PITA of anything I have ever done on Teliki.

We are off to anchor at Kilcoursie Bay - shallow sandy beach so I will be able to play with the anchor and see if I can figure about what's up with it.

Chris

 

[Sumner]

I think my problem is that my roller assembly is narrower than the ones I see in the pics.....Chris

If I was making the anchor rollers for the Mac again they would be wider. I had to hunt for narrower shackles and they work great now, but wider in the first place would of been better.

The Endeavour ones are commercial and plenty wide but the one anchor still can come up backwards. I can bring it up and kind of pause while raising it and it will turn back and forth some. Then it is a matter of timing to pull it over the roller. I do have the manual windlass on the Endeavour which also helps.

I'd strongly advise anyone getting an anchor roller to find one with two rollers on the nose, one lower than the other, or one of the ones that pivots and drops the nose at first. Retrieval is much easier than having the single roller if you are doing this by hand,

Sum

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Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

 

[Chris & Lenore]

I managed to improve it somewhat. The roller itself had a deep "V" which prevented the anchor from flipping right side up. I now have a flat roller which works except for two situations.
1) when that inverted "U" keeper is angled back the end of the anchor cannot clear it. I have to push it forward - so it looks like I need to add a screw or bolt to keep it from moving.
2) if more than 2 inches of the anchor shaft is over the roller, the shaft is too large/deep to flip over. A wider roller or different anchor would solve this. The Danforth would probably work perfectly but I prefer the Bruce as my primary anchor.

Also, my Bruce is a 7.5 KG and I remember the roller assembly being designed for a 5 KG. I found this out after installing it. The 7.5 seemed to fit perfectly except for the problem flipping when it's upside down going over the roller.

I'll try to take some pics later - just got home from two weeks sailing around Parry Sound and its pouring outside. Guess I timed it perfectly!

Chris