Anchoring Bridle for Storm

[KZW]

I'm purchasing a 310 - my first keelboat, and laying in tackle for anchoring out in storms - it being the season in the Florida panhandle.

What is the best way to secure the rode to the boat? I plan on a 45 lb Ronca, 100 ft of 5/16 - 40 chain, with 150 ft of 5/8 Nylon rode, in 20 ft of water behind a 50 ft cliff trying to hide from the wind. I was thinking of running a 5/8 plaited Dacron bridle from the rode after a bight on the bow cleat down the side of the boat to the mid cleats, but there aren't any mid cleats. So, I'm planning on running the bridle from the bow cleats to the mast and tie them off there.

Questions:
1) Do I run the bridle from the bow cleats inside the bow pulpit stanchions up and over the anchor roller support and through the roller bail to the rode? It would seem there would be a lot of chafe, and extreme pressure on the bail as the boat sails on anchor in high wind.
or,
Do I run the bridle from the bow cleats outside of the bow pulpit stanchions and not through the anchor roller at all?

2) Where does the rode get cleated? The cleat inside the chain / rode well looks rather small (compared to the bow cleats). Does one wrap the rode around the windlass capstan and then to the cleat in the well? That would seem to put a lot of strain on the windlass and its mounting.

3) How to connect the bridle to the rode? I really don’t want to rely upon tying a rolling hitch. Do I put a thimble in the rode and bridle, and use 3/8 shackles?

I take all the help / opinions I can get

 

[Alansails]

Welcome, This is a great place to get your questions answered and surely get LOTS of opinions from good people!
We sail Lake Erie and have 200' of rode with 20' of chain on a Manson Supreme anchor. Lake Erie is shallow so we we get Short wave patterns with steep waves. We generally anchor in 10-20' deep water with our rode that is marked off for length. We have the bitter end attached to the cleat in the anchor locker and run the rode over the bow roller but cleat the rode to a bow cleat and if need be attach to both cleats still over the roller. We try to plan our anchorages in areas that are wind sheltered for the most part.
Hope that helps.

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

Someone with local knowledge for Florida Panhandle can probably give you better info for you area but here is my general thoughts on what you posted.

1) Anchor - Why 45 pounds? The Rocna sizing chart puts our boats in the Rocna 10 (kgs) range with the 15 being very conservative. The Rocna 20 (weighs 44 pounds) will be two sizes up. Did your boat come with a chain gypsy (not standard but some have upgraded)? If not, getting that anchor on board with all that chain will be tough. I am usually not one who says you are going too big on the anchor, but I have a Manson Supreme 35 pound anchor and it barely fits between the anchor roller and the drum of the roller furler. I had to remove the bail on the anchor roller to get the anchor to fit. I don't think the 45 pounder will fit.

2) Amount of chain vs. nylon - See above comment about windless. Some have put the chain around the drum and used it that way. I can't speak from experience because I only have 30 feet of chain at the moment and both my Bride and I can hand haul that. I do plan to add 90 feet of chain next year so I will be in the same boat if the chain around the drum doesn't work.

3)Bridle running - I added mid-ship cleats by getting the ones that attach to the genny tracks. I don't know if I would use these for a bridle. Currently we just use the bow cleats and I don't go through the anchor roller. Or more often, we use a swell bridle because this boat likes to sail on anchor. http://www.windtraveler.net/2011/03/slow-your-roll.html I will comeback to the winch for this or the stern cleat.

4) Bridle attachment to rhode - I use a rolling hitch. When we get more chain I will also have a chain grabber for when I have less than 100 feet of scope out.

5) Cleat for rhode - I do use the small cleat but I added a large backing plate. If I didn't have the backing plate I would use the bow cleats.

Hope this helped. Fair winds,

Jesse

 

[KZW]

Thanks very much for your reply.
The Ronca will live in the dock box and only be used when a storm threatens. The marina makes us all move out during storms and the anchoring area gets rather crowded. I cannot afford for the boat to drag even a little bit. Yes, the charts say I will be one to two sizes up, but I'm sizing the gear for winds of 70 mph.

I don't have the modified gypsy for the chain and the parts are no longer available.

Can you post a picture of your backing plate on the cleat?

I'm adding cleats on the Genny track, but don't want to use those for storms as I don't think the backing will be sufficient.

I will check out the bridle post, thanks.

Cheers!