Thoughts on an anchor locker on the 26

oreana123 · Mar 14, 2012

I did a similar mod. I added an anchor platform to store the anchor. I feed my rode down into a mesh bag the hangs in the space between the liner and the hull under the foredeck. The last 12 feet or so is SS chain so no UV degradation. Anchor is restrained by pin, but quickly deployed. Only downside is feeding rode through deck pipe- but small price. Good luck

3hr tourguide · Mar 14, 2012

That's a great idea. Thanks for the info!

Sumner · Mar 14, 2012

We go on and off anchor almost every day unless we stay in the same place for a couple days. For us I'd stay exactly like we are. It works great and there never has been a problem in letting the rode out or bringing it in.

I would strongly recommend against the idea of bringing the rode in and leaving it on the deck to dry. I can't imagine having 100+ feet of rode and 20-30 feet of chain all over the foredeck after leaving anchor. It would be a mess and if any of it were to go over the side it would probably drag the rest with it.

I thought about an anchor locker for some time, but for us didn't like a couple things associated with it. One is that the rode is going down there wet. Out west where it is dry it isn't quite as big a deal but if you are in an area of high humidity it isn't going to dry at all. Also some places like Florida the rode is going to come up muddy so now you have a wet/muddy rode down there. We sleep in the V-berth every night and didn't want to use it for a locker. Thus we would of had to empty the floatation foam out of the area above it or used the area ahead of it that also has foam in it. Both places I worried about a line that for some reason tangled.

Also as mentioned you are trying to run the rode/chain down a smaller opening, hawse pipe, into the locker and that opening has to be sealed with a cap or something. Doing that meant a hole in the deck and then making sure water was collected at the bottom of the anchor well and disposed of somewhere, probably another hole in the side of the boat. I weighed all of that and decided for us the only thing we gained was better looks and that isn't a big issue for us and that we loss the ability to deploy and bring the anchor/rode aboard quickly and easily.

We started with soft...

...bags on the bow for the rode and that worked fine but....

.... the hard side/hard top ones work better. The rode comes out of either soft or the hard bags with never a tangle and I can stuff the rode into them as fast as I pull us to the anchor or usually Ruth motors to the anchor. The hard are easier to stuff as the lid lays back and the sides don't fold in. Just stuff the rode into them. You don't have to coil it or anything. It goes in fast and comes out fast.

The foresail drug a little on the side of the bag when we had the hank-on sail, but now with the furlere the Johnson Lever raises the bottom of the sail enough that it clears the bag top and Ruth loves being able to see under the sail now.

There is more here....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/rigging-20.html

...and here....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/rigging-4.html

Another thing I've done is mark the rode every 25 feet. I just use a short length of black electrical tape doubled back on itself. I put in one piece at 25 feet and two at 50 feet and 3 at 75 feet and 4 at 100 feet and start over again with 1 at 125 feet.

I started with color coded and numbered like above, but now just use the black as the number of pieces tell me how much rode is out. The nice thing is that Ruth can be backing down if the wind isn't doing it and I don't have to stop the rode to see where we are. I just watch how many pieces of tape are on the line as it comes out of the bag.

We have done all of the above to make getting on and off anchor fast and easy. We have it now to the point where we can even put two anchors down in just a matter of minutes.

One thing I would have a hard time doing without at my age now is the anchor rollers. They make it so much less back breaking bringing the anchors on board and no more dragging the chain over the side of the boat. The tubes worked well, but the rollers are definitely better in all ways. Our anchors and chain are also a little heavier than what a lot of people use on a Mac. We use a 25 lb. Manson Supreme and a 22 lb claw and they both work great.

The Endeavour has an anchor locker, but so far....

...I have it rigged more like the Mac and have the one rode in the Blue container above. The second rode for the CQR is in the locker there.. That might change if at some point we have a manual windlass. With a windlass, manual or electric, the rode is coming in pretty slow and the windlass is setup to feed the rode directly down into the locker below it through the hawse pipe that is located right under the windlass. Usually they recommend that drop to be a couple feet so that the weight helps to pull the rode down into the locker. On the Endeavour above the locker is just right under that Honda generator and doesn't have that drop, so changes would have to take place there also,

Sum

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MrBill_FLL · Mar 14, 2012

Chesapeake, mud and salt.. smelly wet rope is the only issue I think.

but if you seal it off from the cabin, it should work.

someone's boat locker:
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h169/ftldiver2/MACGREGOR/anchorlkr1.jpg

the other thing I've seen is the a box made in the front of the vberth angled forward towards the bow eye, and a drain to the outside at the bottom. -that I think would be better in fresh water.

cleaning off the mud should help with smell

my .02.

GL!

MrBill_FLL · Mar 14, 2012

this is mine:

THECUSCUS · Mar 15, 2012

Here is the anchor/rode storage on my V25. I was going to have a piece of pvc pipe running from the top piece (in picture) down under the v-berth, but the rode seems to store nicely where it is. Any water dripping off the rode just goes down in the bilge area and evaporates. If you "shake" your rode in the water before you pull it up on the boat, you won't have any mud to deal with.

Of course, there is a wood panel (not in picture) that covers the hole in the front of the v-berth.

timebandit · Mar 15, 2012

Our anchor lives in a milk crate in the lazz. and is launched from the safty of the cockpit and then the box and bitter end are walked to the bow for the night.

Sometimes it is just launched from the lazz and tied off on an aft cleat if the water is shallow and the stay is short.

I like to keep the deck clear and GF likes to bow ride.

finding41 · Mar 15, 2012

I would suggest not having a hole it the deck. I have one on mine and its just another spot for water to get in. (I'm starting to get used to the 3" of water in the bilge.) I do like what the Ciscus has. It seems to close. Mine may have many years ago, but now its a just a hole with some chain hanging out. I'm yet to remove the wood hatch at the fort of the V berth. I don't know what to expect other than the normal drywall screws holding it on. Maybe Squirrels, it's big enough.

timebandit · Mar 15, 2012

I see the chain but where is the cap?

finding41 said:
I would suggest not having a hole it the deck. I have one on mine and its just another spot for water to get in. (I'm starting to get used to the 3" of water in the bilge.) I do like what the Ciscus has. It seems to close. Mine may have many years ago, but now its a just a hole with some chain hanging out. I'm yet to remove the wood hatch at the fort of the V berth. I don't know what to expect other than the normal drywall screws holding it on. Maybe Squirrels, it's big enough.

finding41 · Mar 15, 2012

Cap what cap? All there is is the little sink drain plug tie thing. I'm going to have to get a new ...what ever that thing is called. Anyone know what that is called?

THECUSCUS · Mar 16, 2012

It's called a hawse pipe, here is a link to West Marine and what they have to offer.
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...tegoryDisplayLevel1&N=377+710+2050364&Ns=Most Popular|0&catalogId=10001&omniTag=Category%3aChain+%26amp%3b+Rode+Pipes&viewTaskName=SiteSearchView

The one you have is kinda big for our size boat, you might want to consider one of the smaller ones, but you'll have to deal with the large hole in your deck.

oreana123 · Mar 16, 2012

The reality is that you will be stuffing the rode down the deck pipe. I chose the 6 inch long model and sometimes I wish it were larger. Mine has a spring loaded cap with a detent to hold it open. Once you cut a hole that large in your foredeck, there is no going back! I used a piece of HDPE plastic in 1 inch thickness to back up the deck in the hole area, sandwiched it all with SS screws.

timebandit · Mar 16, 2012

finding41 said:
Cap what cap? All there is is the little sink drain plug tie thing. I'm going to have to get a new ...what ever that thing is called. Anyone know what that is called?

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Fred Villiard · Mar 16, 2012

Check Defender, same thing, a good bit less expensive

Fred

finding41 · Mar 17, 2012

Thanks all. I had no idea what that was called. (oval rope/chain deck plate) It looks like the one that was originally installed on my boat wasn't hinged. Just kind of a pressure fit I guess. I will be ordering one soon.
I still haven't looked in the hole or pulled out the anchor chain to see whats there. If its like any ot her other hidden places (storage or bilge) I am in for allot of cleaning there too.
Here is a pic of my aft locker. It was black moldish slippery ICK! Lots of cleaner and power washing 3 times fixed it though. I'm going to have to get some ventalation in there so it dosnt get like that again. (I was thinking of a solar vent.)

rgranger · Mar 19, 2012

MrBill_FLL said:
this is mine:

That is what mine looks like too. Not fancy but works very well and takes 15 min to instal. (Thanks Sumner)

Doug J · Mar 21, 2012

How about this idea

Sumner · Mar 21, 2012

That is nice. In a good location and easy to stuff the rode into and it should come out of there good. I'd consider that on a Mac if you are up to the work. I personally don't like the idea of trying to get the rode to go down a hawse pipe unless the locker is down a ways so that gravity on the rode is helping you. I also like the one above since it would air dry pretty fast. I'd have to have the front of the cover notched so that the rode was attached to an anchor for quick deployment in an emergency. I know of one Mac owner that had a problem right at a bridge and only quick deployment saved him from possible boat damage,

Sum

P.S. I saved the picture. Who knows some day I might wake up with nothing to do

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rgranger · Mar 22, 2012

If you decide to go with the PVC pipe hose-clamped to the bow pulpit route... here is a nice trick to include. The pipe itself actually makes a nice place to store chain. I have about 10 ft of chain on my anchors and I keep it stuffed down the pipe but...you need something to keep the anchor chain from falling out the bottom of the pipe. It just so happens that a 20oz soda bottle exactly fits the I.D. of the pipe. So cut off the top, stuff it down the pipe and you now have a nice catch for the chain. Punch a hole in the bottom of the soda bottle so water will drain out.

Thoughts on an anchor locker on the 26

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