Anchoring (storage) a trailer sailor

[SteveHughessails]

I am preparing to spend some time with the anchor and rode on our Mac25. I do not have a storage area for it. I thought of a few things but I’m stuck on a bucket inside a bucket. I have 150’ of 3/8 twisted nylon 3 strand and 20’ of 1/4” galvanized chain. If I place the nylon in bucket 1 and drill a hole in the bottom of bucket 2, I can run the chain up keeping the two separate. I don’t want the weight of bucket 2 on top of the nylon though. My idea is getting too complex so I thought I would ask, what are other “no anchor locker” trailer sailors doing?

Other concerns:
I have a 10kg Bruce, bit over kill but a tad heavy for a 25’. It should hold well. Too much? I am a young 54 yr old, titanium clavicle 7 screws. Looking at 20’ anchoring depths.
The 3/8 nylon has a stainless thimble. I have a galvanized shackle? (We are likely fresh water only)
Storage on the vessels CofG would not be obtainable. There is an acceptable spot right behind a bulk head but it is more aft of the vessel?
Safety wiring the shackle pin would make storing the rode away from the anchor arduous. Will I ever be in a position where deploying the anchor must happen seamlessly and immediately? Have you?
5/16 shackle on a 10 kg Bruce?
2 shackles must be used to get the best motion at the anchor?
Thanks

 

[pgandw]

I was storing my anchor and rode loose in a cockpit hatch in a tangled mess. And I'm usually single handed. I don't like anchoring by the stern especially in a low freeboard Mariner, I like to be headed into the wind to back down and set the anchor. Just didn't have a good arrangement. Then another Mariner skipper presented what he did.

I mounted my 8lb Danforth-type anchor to the bow pulpit with hooks on the pulpit. In the cockpit locker is a small clothes basket with 10ft of chain and 200ft of nylon rode. At the anchor end of the chain is a strong mountaineering style carabiner (yes I checked breaking strength of the carabiner to get at least as much as the chain) that I hook on to the anchor. The bottom of the basket has a hole with the bitter end of the rode so I can cleat it off before deploying. In relaxed circumstances, I simply go forward with the basket, tie off the bitter end, clip the carabiner to the anchor, and tend the anchor from the bow.

In real world single handing when it's not nice, before I leave the dock, I'll often bring the anchor back to the cockpit, and pre-run the rode through a forward chock and back to the anchor outside of the shrouds. I installed convenient midships cleats for both docking and anchoring. Probably will end up with a second anchor one of these days and do a similar rig for it.

Fred W
Stuart (ODay) Mariner 19 Sweet P

 

[JBP-PA]

Anchor plait stows much more compactly with less tangles than 3 strand. You can also get nylon webbing/ribbon anchor rodes that roll up on a reel. Ankorlina is one brand.

Ribbon anchor rodes

I believe Ross's reference to ribbon anchor rodes in the thread about uncovered halyards was a jab at the guy who thought downward water pressure on the anchor rode was what stops a boat from moving.Well, they really do make a ribbon anchor rode. The "Ankarolina" material is like seat belt...

forums.sailboatowners.com

Practical Sailor has an article about boats without anchor lockers

Handling Anchors on Boats Without Anchor Lockers - Practical Sailor

If your boat doesn't have an anchor locker, you can use a combination of options to keep your anchor securely mounted and chain stowed.

www.practical-sailor.com

 

[Will Gilmore]

I haven't much experience on my Mariner 19, with anchoring. Currently, I keep two anchors, one on either side of the CB trunk. It's the rode I keep forward, or will, when I've finished everything I'm planning to do to prepare Aquaria for overnight sailing.

Will I ever be in a position where deploying the anchor must happen seamlessly and immediately?

Yes!
An anchor is an important piece of your emergency safety equipment. You may never be out in a situation where you needed to stop your drift towards a bridge or rocks, but an anchor could be the best solution to rescue yourself at times.

We lost our anchor during a storm in Mobile Bay one night, many years ago. It was a 60' S&S cutter, I was 14. The spare anchor was lashed on deck, under the dinghy. My father and I worked at getting that dinghy untied to get to the spare anchor, but we hit the sandbar before we got the dinghy shoved aside. We would have saved ourselves a mayday to the CG, had that anchor been ready to deploy.

-Will

 

[shemandr]

One way to keep it neat is to make two coils - one for the length you actually need and another for that reserve section you might need. The reserve goes on the bottom of the basket, milk crate, bucket or whatever container works. The coil for what you will actually use on top of the reserve coil and anchor chain on top that and the anchor on top. The coil should be a flaked with some wraps around the middle to contain it.
I like the idea of pre running the rode from the anchor cleat on the bow to the cockpit where the rest of the anchor and rode would be. Deploying an anchor from the cockpit works as long as there is minimal forward way and the ancho is attached to the bow. For boats which don't have a usable foredeck a suitable turning block could be on the bow and the rode led back to the cockpit where it could be adjusted after deployment.