Anchor locker lament

[Phil Herring]

Perhaps no part of most production sailboats has been overlooked, underestimated, and just plain ignored more than the poor anchor locker.

Between anchor redesigns, windlass evolution, and the constant struggle for more interior volume, many anchor lockers are somewhere between a glove box and a malformed meteor crater.

This weeks assignment is to rant or rave about your locker, its features and flaws.

 

[MikeHoncho]

Mine is smelly no matter how often I wash it.......

 

[OS2Dude]

Ours is the typical old-style hole in the foredeck with a flimsy door over it. Nothing to hold the door up and out of the way while deploying/recovering the anchor, not even a backing plate to secure the bitter end of the rode. No place for a windlass and the anchor is left to bounce around on top of the rode/chain.

 

[Ken Cross]

Ours takes up the deck space where one would logically put a windlass. In order to add a windlass, the rode would need to travel over the locker (or locker door). Otherwise, it's okay for a manual only anchor deployment/ retrieval.

Ken

 

[LeslieTroyer]

One of my major projects this year. The drain on early Catalinas was a copper tube glasses between the bow and the locker. Of course it’s low enough that waves force water into the locker. If that’s not bad enough, the copper rots out and guess where the water goes. In addition to redoing the drain I’ll add a layer or three of glass to the bottom as they have a habit of developing pin holes.

 

[jssailem]

I have a big hole to fill under the bow. Now that I have a windlass I need to take the anchor and it's rode out and drop it somewhere.

 

[NY BIMBO]

Well boys & girls, I have started to install a Lewmar Profish 700 on my ODay 322. It began with cutting the anchor locker hatch about 1/3 of the way aft, cutting out the core and replacing it with a piece of 3/8" fiberglass panel (pic1,3,4). Then locating the windlass as far aft as I could (Pic 6 & 8) installing a tube thru the existing anchor locker (Pic 11 & 12) so the chain will fall ahead of the forward bulkhead in the vee berth. I will then install another tube into the bilge for the chain to nest in the bilge under the vee berth, plenty of room. The piece of hatch with the windlass mounted will be screwed/bolted permanently in place (Pic 9& 10). The aft portion of the hatch will be reinstalled, with hinges so the area in the aft portion of the anchor ocker will continue to be usable. I have left the anchor locker drain intact so it will continue to drain as intended. I will put a rocker switch at the helm and a remote up forward (it will plug in below, able to come thru the forward hatch) for forward control. I am not in favor of putting additional holes in the deck for the foot switches. The plan is to use all chain. It nests better and will not hold moisture. I am hoping the additional weight forward will not be a problem. Stay tuned.....

 

[jssailem]

I am hoping the additional weight forward will not be a problem.

Should not be. Should allow you to add more folks and gear to the stern to so as to trim out. how much chain are you thinking of storing in your bow?

 

[NY BIMBO]

Here is a Sketch from another forum that has guided me. There was quite a bit of measuring prior to cutting. So far things have worked out, but as I said "stay tuned".....

 

[NY BIMBO]

Should not be. Should allow you to add more folks and gear to the stern to so as to trim out. how much chain are you thinking of storing in your bow?

Hoping 200' + will work be ok....

 

[LeslieTroyer]

I really like EBay Jeep wireless for up and down. I have a wired pendant in the locker but use the wireless 99% of the time. For $10 it can’t be beat.

 

[hejira17]

My boat is only 26 feet (85 O'Day 26), so I consider this as a luxury item for a boat that size. It's a little too small and a lot too shallow. In order to get the Danforth in with a few feet of chain and 100' of rode everything has to be placed perfectly or the lid won't go down. But on a boat that size I am really pleased to have it, so if I sound like I'm complaining, I'm not.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

100’ rode @5:1 is 20’ or water dept of ~17’ (assume 3’ bow to water)
If windy and you need 7:1 is ~11’

If you have no tidal action that may be ok but here in th PNW 8’ is not unusual. I don’t think I’ve anchored in less than 14’ (low tide) 20’ (high tide) This year and so far I’ve dropped the hook 6 times.

 

[Tom J]

My anchor locker looks just like the one you posted, Phil. I like it. I don't have the divider, though, and store the anchor on the bow roller.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

Don't have one. Anchor lives on a roller, and the chain drops through a deck pipe into a rode stowage locker

 

[Michael Davis]

@NY BIMBO I did much the same thing but used 3/8 aluminium plate. I found that the fall from the windlass was not quite enough to trust it not to jam when raising the anchor but I can drop it without trouble from the cockpit.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

Too add to my post above- I have 75 feet of chain on that Bruce, backed with 150 feet of nylon. When cruising away from home port, I also carry a 16 pound Northill, with 25 feet of chain and a 12 pound Danforth with 25 feet of chain, both with 125 feet of nylon each. Those live under the cockpit in a place designed for them when I rebuilt the boat

 

[NYSail]

One of the features I was hoping for with my new boat was a roomy anchor locker and I must say my Beneteau 423 has a sweet one! I can easily fit in there when empty. Great placement for windlass. And a ton or room. Right now I only have 100 feet chain and 250 rode. Will be getting 250 chain and locker will ha e no issues with it. I also have room to keep my spare fortress anchor in there and typically store my spare chain and rode in there as well (50 chain 300 rode in nice bag).


Greg

 

[jssailem]

Wow Greg... Room to spare. You might even have room for a crew bunk...

Maybe a crew bunk for a misbehaving crew member.

 

[thinwater]

Too shallow. Only pivoting fluke or take-apart. And it never, ever dries out, since all rainwater drains inwards.