2005 Hunter 38 - When pulling up the hook the chain doesn't fall to the bottom of the anchor chain locker, instead piling up on the aft (insufficiently) sloped surface, eventually high enough to remove the tension on the gypsy, and the up-pullin' stops! We've taken to leaving the chain locker hatch open and nudging the pile of chain with the boat hook, but I'd like to be able to leave an anchorage with a push of the windlass button and the chain neatly slipping below the closed hatch. Skipping the boat hook-foot switch-open locker-pitching deck dance is appealing. Any recommendations for a fix?
Anchor chain/locker aggravation
- Thread starter rwspreen
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If it is like the 376, Hunter had a fix for it. They built a snorkle that moved the chain farther forward.
Call them, they can send you the sketch.
Call them, they can send you the sketch.
There's a major difference between the anchor locker in the 38 and the 376 - although, apparantly the problem is the same. With the 38, at least you can open a top "hatch" to push the pile forward. No such access in the 376. As Steve D pointed out, Hunter (and many on the list) came up with a fix using a "snorkle" type arrangement, sort of moving the chain forward as it comes off the gypsie (sp?) and moves it forward for a free 'fall' into the deep part of the locker.
The link below is to the the pics and story I posted of solving that problem. If the link doesn't work, at the top of this page is the tab for "boat info" go there, then to "owner modifications" and you'll see the project and outcome (extremely successful!).
Good luck and I hope this helps...
http://hunter.sailboatowners.com/in...id=267&cat_id=40&aid=7878&page=article&mn=376
The link below is to the the pics and story I posted of solving that problem. If the link doesn't work, at the top of this page is the tab for "boat info" go there, then to "owner modifications" and you'll see the project and outcome (extremely successful!).
Good luck and I hope this helps...
http://hunter.sailboatowners.com/in...id=267&cat_id=40&aid=7878&page=article&mn=376
Here is the link to my solution for the H376 - see photos below my posting; but I believe the H380 is quite different. Indeed I think Hunters went to the scheme as used on the 380 because of problems experienced on the 376. My mods were done in 1998 and have proved successful ever since apart from an occasional reluctance for the rope chain splice to fall down the pipe correctly. As this is some 25 metres from the anchor, which is still well dug in, I go on the foredeck when the chain counter tells me the splice is due and I help it down the pipe. Then I go back to the cockpit and carry on weighing anchor as before.
I guess you are stuck with your setup though.
http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=575919&highlight=Anchor locker
I guess you are stuck with your setup though.
http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=575919&highlight=Anchor locker
What I did is similar to what Donalex did except I brought the "pipe" forward to the bow and then down and then aft to get the chain to the bottom of the locker. Although the end result is the same, by doing something considerably more complicated I avoided the pipe's intrusion into the v-berth.
What a great community! Recently out of car racing and into sailing, I am a dedicated learner. My call to Hunter was very politely received, yet Customer Service had no awareness of an issue and no suggestions for a remedy. The suggestions posted here are a great help, and being a bit of a fabricator (necessary in sports car racing) I think I can come up with fix. Thanks to the worldwide Hunter family - I don't have to reinvent the wheel! Bob
What I have worked out is sitting down facing forward with the locker open, operating the windlass switches with my right hand and, as the chain piles up on the bottom of the locker, grasping a short length of chain with my left hand and pulling it off the top of the pile , letting it fall forward and away from the jam point at the gypsy. Messy, yes, but the hand will wash off.
The anchor locker in the 38 is actually quite well thought out compared to many other contemporary boats. We have 40' of chain and then rode and do not get the problem you mention. You will see that I have modified the set-up by removing the cover on the forward part of the windlass. Little plastic feeder is also long gone, the result of boat being supplied or previous owner changing to chain that did fit the gypsy. Had some horrendous jams first few times anchoring. There was also an alignment problem but that's another story. With the cover gone, I can lift the rode off the windlass to recover by hand as we slowly motor up to the anchor. Once we are stopped over the anchor I put the rode onto the gypsy, stand back and operate the windlass button. I have seen the problem you mention with the chain starting to pile up on top of the rode but as I manually put the rode into the locker I make sure it goes right to the bottom and as far forward as possible. Also added cleat on starboard side so rode is cleated rather than left on the windlass.
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That plastic arm has been a PITA from the get go. Mine was installed upside down for a year before a friend told me it was wrong. I've never really understood what it did and would be happy to delete it. I like the idea of removing the cover. With the cover on, one concern I have is what if the windlass stops working and you have to haul the rode up by hand. Do you have to go get a screw driver to take the cover off so you can muscle it up? What about at night with a dragging anchor? On a lee shore?
As far as the pile up problem - we just keep kicking the chain down into the forward part of the locker. Its a damn sight better than then hauling the whole thing up by hand, manually stuffing the chain/line into the hawsepipe and hanging the anchor on the bowrail. That used to really hurt my back.
As far as the pile up problem - we just keep kicking the chain down into the forward part of the locker. Its a damn sight better than then hauling the whole thing up by hand, manually stuffing the chain/line into the hawsepipe and hanging the anchor on the bowrail. That used to really hurt my back.
Y'all's anchorages over there on the left side must be different from the ones over here on the right side....
I NEED to do the "boat hook-foot switch-open locker-pitching deck dance", so that I can use the anchor wash down to get all the mud and crud off the chain and anchor as it comes up.
" I'd like to be able to leave an anchorage with a push of the windlass button and the chain neatly slipping below the closed hatch. " ... come on :neutral: ... you've got a sail boat , not a stink-potter ... as a "sailor", don't you also NEED an occasional "bow movement" ?
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A side note to the guide bar and cover plate: if you ever have need to replace the bolts for these items shop carefully; they're metric sized shaft and threads.
Steve, thanks for the metric warning, which too often is realized only after inflicting damage.
Buck, I was told by someone who should know that the plural of Y'all is All Y'all, not Y'all's. Perhaps both are correct down there in the lower right corner.
Buck, I was told by someone who should know that the plural of Y'all is All Y'all, not Y'all's. Perhaps both are correct down there in the lower right corner.
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