I have a 2000 Hunter 460 weight all Chain Rode and Anchor. Has anyone moved their rode out of the very forward chain locker or have another solution to all that weight forward that may contribute to hobbyhorsing,,,except going to rope and chain rode which may lower the forward weight?
Hobbyhorsing from bow weight
- Thread starter 29palmsailor
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I've had 350' of chain on my 410 the past 3 years and haven't noticed any difference in "hobby horse" from back when I had only 50' of chain.
I think weight positioned outboard at the stern (= lever-arm advantage), as in a heavy dingy&motor on davits, plus wind generator, plus radar, plus solar panels, plus whatever else, are potentially culprits. I don't know if you have any of those items, but an anchor locker holding ground tackle is a feature (expectation) designed into the boat, whereas those stern-mounted items mentioned likely are not being add-on, etc. When hitting a wave, all that outboard weight at the stern might allow the bow to "rock up" farther than it normally would as the wave passes under. That sets the whole thing in motion, and keeps it going w/ additional wave hits. I once hobbyhorsed > 70 n.mi. motorsailing across the eastern GOM in an IP-37 with chain up front, but also a fully enclosed cockpit plus dinghy w/ motor hanging on stern davits & a wind generator mounted on the stern. It was slow and miserable.
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"that may contribute to hobbyhorsing"
Are you saying your boat has a problem with hobbyhoring or are you just thinking that weight up there will cause it because of what old salts say?
Hobbyhorsing isn't that big of a deal on modern boats due to the wide stern. What is a problem on many light weight modern boats is having to go dead into waves so just fall off if you can. They are light and ride them up and down and slam into the trough. That is not hobbie horsing. I have notice that with a full tank of water and all my gear up there, I do tend to plow thru the waves more than I did when I would sail with my tank near empty and just had 20' of chain.
You wanna see hobbyhorsing, watch those doubleenders or those old french boats in an anchorage. Wow....a little wake comes and they are non-stop up and down.
Are you saying your boat has a problem with hobbyhoring or are you just thinking that weight up there will cause it because of what old salts say?
Hobbyhorsing isn't that big of a deal on modern boats due to the wide stern. What is a problem on many light weight modern boats is having to go dead into waves so just fall off if you can. They are light and ride them up and down and slam into the trough. That is not hobbie horsing. I have notice that with a full tank of water and all my gear up there, I do tend to plow thru the waves more than I did when I would sail with my tank near empty and just had 20' of chain.
You wanna see hobbyhorsing, watch those doubleenders or those old french boats in an anchorage. Wow....a little wake comes and they are non-stop up and down.
weight in bow makes ye plow.
that can be uncomfortable.
chain in bow--find another place to stow some other item amidships so you havent as severe a plow action from heavy bows. remember, however, this is a matter of practicality. how easy/difficult is the equipment stowed to use??
plowing is only part of hobbyhorsing--which is a motion like that of a hobby horse-- which means rocking bow and stern.
you COULD stow all chain and anchor in stern of boat, anchor from stern , and experience pounding, instead of plowing, also uncomfortable.
load trim is as important as sail trim. each is individual for each boat and owner.
that can be uncomfortable.
chain in bow--find another place to stow some other item amidships so you havent as severe a plow action from heavy bows. remember, however, this is a matter of practicality. how easy/difficult is the equipment stowed to use??
plowing is only part of hobbyhorsing--which is a motion like that of a hobby horse-- which means rocking bow and stern.
you COULD stow all chain and anchor in stern of boat, anchor from stern , and experience pounding, instead of plowing, also uncomfortable.
load trim is as important as sail trim. each is individual for each boat and owner.
Ok, thanks for the reply, Zeehag
I do have stuff on stern as someone else commented on and am working to stop the chain locker from retaining water, which adds weight. I'm researching putting a drain from anchor locker to bilge and sealing the locker clamshells that let more water in than they ever let out. I've waited and watched those clamshells for a year but they're not doing what's advertised. I'm also working on finding a PDF owners manual for my Hunter 460, which is harder to find than I thought-
I do have stuff on stern as someone else commented on and am working to stop the chain locker from retaining water, which adds weight. I'm researching putting a drain from anchor locker to bilge and sealing the locker clamshells that let more water in than they ever let out. I've waited and watched those clamshells for a year but they're not doing what's advertised. I'm also working on finding a PDF owners manual for my Hunter 460, which is harder to find than I thought-
A really NOT good idea. Why introduce seawater inside the boat. Many boat have anchor lockers that drain directly overboard, mine does.
Stu, is it via a pump, clamshell above the waterline or gravity fed out of a one way valve out of a throughhull? My clamshells don't work well and there's no other way for water to leave the anchor locker
my anchor locker drains into bilges. the only problem with this has been unwashed chain makes a stink of dying fish under the bed. this is rectified by
1) cleaning all chain and anchor as you lift it, and
2) vinegar--neutralizes salt water and stink of dead stuff on chain--i pour some over chain if i donot have time to clean it all before stowing. that seems to help with the dying critter stink.
also seems to help with the rust problem whenye put it into chain locker unwashed.
i would much rather have sea water in my bilges than fresh water.
1) cleaning all chain and anchor as you lift it, and
2) vinegar--neutralizes salt water and stink of dead stuff on chain--i pour some over chain if i donot have time to clean it all before stowing. that seems to help with the dying critter stink.
also seems to help with the rust problem whenye put it into chain locker unwashed.
i would much rather have sea water in my bilges than fresh water.
No pump involved. The locker is deep. At the bottom is a Marelon scupper (i.e., hole) connected by a hose to a small thru hull on the hull. All gravity. No valves, no complications. Most call mid-sized Catalinas have this design, look around your marina, ask an owner to look inside their anchor/chain locker.