Automatic Anchor And Chain Washdown

[jviss]

I recall seeing, usually on larger vessels than we have, a couple of spray nozzles on either side of the bow, which spray seawater onto the anchor chain, and the anchor, as it is raised. I would like to have that, arranged so that it sprays, automatically, when the windlass is energized in the "UP" direction.

Is anyone familiar with such a system? Know where to get the appropriate nozzles, and perhaps the control?

Thanks,

jv

 

[capta]

I doubt seriously that you'll find a premanufactured complete system to fit your boat, but you could certainly build yourself one for a reasonable price. Start with a wash down pump and then figure what plumbing you'll need. IMO an automated system just wouldn't be worth the expense, and since you are washing the chain with sea water, why would water conservation be of importance? Just turn it on before you begin to pull the anchor, and shut it off when you are done. Plenty of small sailing boats have them.
Your windlass is a pretty big electrical draw (I doubt a pump fault would trip that breaker), so I'd run a dedicated line, from it's own circuit breaker, for the wash down system.

 

[jviss]

Thanks, capta,

Not looking for a complete system, I think the critical components are the nozzles. I like automatic becuase I would have one less switch to run to the cockpit, one less thing to do. Not worried, at all, about water conservation.

The boat already has a wash down hose with a faucet control in the chain locker, but it's plumbed for fresh. I think they put an additional tank for this, under the v-berth. I prefer to reserve that for other purposes. I just want to wash the mud off the chain and anchor before it hits the deck, windlass, and chain locker.

 

[Head Sail]

Sounds like you have most of what you need to make a system yourself. I'd try connecting your washdown pump directly to windless power connection but use an appropriate inline fuse. Then, make a bracket that holds the wash down nozzle pointed at the rode. Re plumb to use seawater if desired.

 

[Rich Stidger]

I have thought an automatic washer would be nice too. But I observe that in many cases the mud is so heavy and hard to remove that I need to wash a foot or two of chain and then hoist some more and repeat. Having an automatic system would not remove most of the mud in this case. Unless you were pumping HUGE amounts of water under fairly high pressure. That would be well beyond the capabilities of the wash-down pumps that I have seen.

 

[Ron20324]

Maybe put in another windlass relay to work off the same trigger-switch as the windlass. You'd not be concerned with line reversals.

 

[jviss]

Thanks, Head and Rich.
I was thinking the nozzles would be mounted in the hull, so they'd have to look good and last a ling time. They would also have to be adjustable, for "aim," and for cone size.
Yes, Rich, I think you're right, you'd need fire-hose like volume for this to work. I anchored in Onset, MA, this past week, and the mud that came up was like clay, and completely embedded in the chain.

 

[Gunni]

Just disconnecting it from your freshwater supply and losing the faucet control would be a big improvement. Tap it into your seawater line for the head if you can, then you can suck AF into your head line using the washdown pump when you winterize. Run the power supply to a dedicated breaker, the surge amp loads on a windlass breaker are already marginal, and get worse when you run into a stuck anchor situation - the last place on earth you want your dandy little washdown pump blowing a fuse.
SOP: click in your windlass breaker, click in your washdown breaker, go to the bow and do your anchor recovery while hosing it with a nozzle and hose. Put everything away and reverse the shutdown process. Simple.

 

[jviss]

Hi Gunni,
Thanks for your reply. One reason I was looking for an automatic system is that I'd like to be able to deploy and recover the hook from the cockpit. Looking into a chain counter, too.

 

[capta]

Hi Gunni,
Thanks for your reply. One reason I was looking for an automatic system is that I'd like to be able to deploy and recover the hook from the cockpit. Looking into a chain counter, too.

You might really want to rethink this idea. Several years back, the picture below shows what was fouled on our chain about half way between the anchor and the boat. Had we not been forward watching our gear come in, I shudder at the damage that could have been done.

 

[jviss]

Not sure what I'm looking at - is it a grapple? How big?
Yes, I hear your point. Life is not without risks. Kinda like the odds of hitting a partially submerged shipping container, which would be "game over" for most boats on here.

 

[Gunni]

That is a homemade anchor. I've snagged many items while hoisting anchor, logs, duck blinds, row boats, someone else's rode, and a big old 1" link mooring chain down on Union Island. In each case I would not have heard or known what was going on if I was standing in the cockpit or didn't have a watch on the foredeck.

 

[jviss]

Good point.

 

[Rich Stidger]

Yes, Rich, I think you're right, you'd need fire-hose like volume for this to work. I anchored in Onset, MA, this past week, and the mud that came up was like clay, and completely embedded in the chain.

Every time I anchor in Onset it takes me 10 minutes or more to clean 100 feet of chain. Very sticky and hard to wash. The upside is that you have very little danger of dragging if there were adverse conditions.