Chain/line rode down hawse pipe?

[David in Sandusky]

Last year, we added an anchor roller to our '77 h27. It's a great improvement for stowing, deploying and hauling our 22 pound anchor!

While we do not have a deck door to an anchor locker, the space is there in the forepeak, with access through a door at the forward end of the v-berth. We are now storing the anchor rode on a bag secured on deck. This is workable, but untidy.

So I am looking at hawse pipes that would allow us to feed the rode through the deck into the space in the forepeak where it would fall to the bottom of the boat. Our rode is 15 feet of chain, and 120 feet of 3/8 inch line.

How well will the rode feed into and out of the space forward through the new hawse pipe? Will it feed well, and stack itself, or will it tend to catch on itself, and require attention below to free it? Are there any other thoughts about doing this?

I plan to install a fitting for the bitter end of the rode. Do I need to put a floor in, or can I just let the rode fall about 4 feet down to the forward (dry) end of the bilge?

Thank you for your ideas!

 

[Bill1565]

Last year, we added an anchor roller to our '77 h27. It's a great improvement for stowing, deploying and hauling our 22 pound anchor! While we do not have a deck door to an anchor locker, the space is there in the forepeak, with access through a door at the forward end of the v-berth. We are now storing the anchor rode on a bag secured on deck. This is workable, but untidy. So I am looking at hawse pipes that would allow us to feed the rode through the deck into the space in the forepeak where it would fall to the bottom of the boat. Our rode is 15 feet of chain, and 120 feet of 3/8 inch line. How well will the rode feed into and out of the space forward through the new hawse pipe? Will it feed well, and stack itself, or will it tend to catch on itself, and require attention below to free it? Are there any other thoughts about doing this? I plan to install a fitting for the bitter end of the rode. Do I need to put a floor in, or can I just let the rode fall about 4 feet down to the forward (dry) end of the bilge? Thank you for your ideas!

You are going to add water to the bilge unless you put in the floor and drains outthru the hull. Don't know about where you sail, but some of the mud herein SW Florida STINKS. You wouldn't want it in your bilge.

 

[astovell]

David,
What you need is a "oval deck pipe". This is a fitting, usually chrome/brass. It will mount on deck over an oval shaped hole about 4"x3". It will flange mount on deck and has a cap. There is a slot for your chain and you hang the last bit of chain on the hook under the cap, which will hold it down. The fitting is quite common and should be available from any full service marine dealer or they could order it for you.
Ideally you should install a bottom to the chain locker with a drain.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

And here's what it generally looks like after feeding the rode, and chain down through the deck pipe. This is how it coils itself, just fed through the pipe.

 

[WayneH]

OK, I'm going to jump in on this one.

If your anchor rode has a thimble with a shackle connecting it to the anchor chain, you are going to have to watch that thimble coming out and going back in the hawse pipe. My thimble was wider than the narrow section of the hawse pipe and it caught every time.

So I fixed it this weekend. Yeah, finally did it, Charlie. I spliced the rode to the chain so it can now run free if I need to deploy the anchor quickly.

http://www.animatedknots.com/chainsplice/

A word of caution I heard before doing this splice. Make sure the chain is as snug as possible in the first part of the splice to reduce wear and tear. And inspect it often.

The anchor rode and chain will lay out in the locker somewhat messily but it will not tangle and will run out smoothly when you anchor. Unless you have a thimble then you'll have to watch while the thimble comes up.

 

[David in Sandusky]

Te usual great responses

First, I understand that the line and chain will self coil most of the time!

Lake Erie is mostly sand and mud, with the occasional weed later in the season. Fresh water doesn't seem to have the odor potential that I remember from the Keys, or New England. I usually clean the chain and anchor of any mud or weed by running it up and down (off the bottom) a few times as we pull away from the anchorage, and stripping weeds by hand. We could also dry it out by flaking it on the deck before running it down the hawse pipe if conditions allow. (That would be most of the time in the summer.)

The forward space we will use does connect freely to the bilge if any water comes in on the line, or through the cap fitting. Green water over the bow has happened, but rarely, and the fit of a cap to the chain will limit water we take on to a minimum.

I'll check the thimble against the hawse pipe. We could use a smaller thimble than the one we have which would also allow the thimble to feed through the chain stopper. (I have to open the stopper to deploy or weigh the anchor now.)

Looks like a go to me for this winter. Perco has the oval pipe that was recommended with a good, attachable cap, so that looks like the hardware we will use.

I think we will start without a new, higher floor for the space. We can add that later if needed. but the space is uncluttered down to the bottom.

So we will need a fitting for the bitter end, and the wiring for the running lights needs to be firmly fixed to the overhead and out of the way. That's about it!

Thanks for the help! We now have a plan.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

One additional point since you don't have anything installed. If you use a rope to chain splice instead of a thimble you don't need nearly as large a deck pipe. Mine is just a 2 inch round one.

 

[David in Sandusky]

Thanks, TSBB2

I'll consider the smaller pipe. I'm looking at a chain splice over a smaller thimble, too.

By the way, your pic was a great help!

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

Skip the thimble- just do the back splice in the last chain link.. Many years and close to 10,00 miles of cruising using that method. Zero chafe. I do inspect often, and renew the splice every year or so.

 

[Benny17441]

Make sure you have a nice fitting cap on the hawse pipe as the first time you dunk that bow under a wave you may have some unwanted water in the V-berth.

 

[DianaOfBurlington]

Seadog Marine makes a very nice stainless-steel swivel for the rope (splice)-to-chain connection that will travel fairly through the roller and the rode pipe. This beats a traditional bow shackle any day and is vastly cheaper than the Suncor one. I have three. Hunt one down at the local chandlery, who will be able to order it from the usual wholesale suppliers (WM doesn't like to carry Seadog-- cuts into their Seafit and WM brands).

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

???Why add another link when you don't need to?

I can see maybe putting a swivel at the anchor/chain connection. I never have but I guess there might be a reason. But at the chain /rode splice, there's no need. Just one more thing to be concerned with