Anchor Stowage

Moderator: GreenLake

Anchor Stowage

Postby Sailor Chlud » Sat Mar 26, 2016 12:09 pm

Hi, Folks:

I am curious as to how DS owners stow their anchors? I have a Danforth, and am looking for suggestions on a way to keep the sharp edges and chain/rope rode from beating up my mahogany floorboards. I had kept it in a heavy canvas mailbag, but that got moldy pretty quickly. Then I tried a PVC plastic short tub, but that cracked and fell apart. Next I made a custom plywood and fiberglass triangular box about 5 inches high, but that was so overbuilt and heavy I threw it out and need to start again.

Any thoughts on a lightweight solution that is tough? I mostly cruise with 2-3 crew, and we are already pretty heavily loaded. Thanks!
John Chludzinski
DS1 #4101
Spotswood, NJ
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Re: Anchor Stowage

Postby GreenLake » Sat Mar 26, 2016 2:16 pm

I very rarely bring an anchor, but I'd be happy to brainstorm a bit.
  1. If the bag worked out, other than the material, then you could try to find or make a bag from a more water and mold resistant fabric.
  2. If the tub worked out, other than the material, you could try to find or make a shallow one from plywood. (Use epoxy as glue, drill some drainage holes, coat everything in epoxy and then finish with a PU varnish for an abrasion resistant finish. A layer of fiberglass on the inside would further prevent damage from the anchor and rubber pads would keep it in place and protect your floorboards)
  3. If you have that bulkhead a foot or so before your mast, you could fix a hook to hang the anchor. Or an eye and a hook to hang it from the cross bar rather than from the stock, so it doesn't swing with the heel. (A small rubber bumper where it rests against the bulkhead, and perhaps some way to hold it in place with a bungee.)
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: Anchor Stowage

Postby UCanoe_2 » Sat Mar 26, 2016 5:13 pm

Milk crate.
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Re: Anchor Stowage

Postby TIM WEBB » Sat Mar 26, 2016 8:21 pm

I carry 2 anchors: a big and a bigger Danforth. Keep 'em in Rubbermaid tubs with drainage holes drilled into the corners. Caveat: DS2 ... no mahogany floorboards. For daysailing, I keep them both in the cuddy, with rode ends tied to the mast stub, just in case. When cruising, I carry the smaller one in the stern, with the rode tied off to one of the cleats back there. There is a pretty lively anchor debate going on the WCTSS FB page, based on this pretty interesting link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l59f-OjWoq0

Geared more towards bigger boats, but some pretty good info ...
Tim Webb
1979 DS2 10099 The Red Witch
(I used to be Her "staff", in the way dogs have owners and cats have staff, but alas no longer ... <pout>)
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Re: Anchor Stowage

Postby talbot » Sat Mar 26, 2016 11:27 pm

Great videos. Interesting how a 10lb aluminum Danforth held fine, while an imitation Danforth of twice the weight never set at all.

I agree with Greenlake; all you need is the right materials--a synthetic bag that doesn't deteriorate in water or UV, or a lighter box of the same material or wood. Milk crates seem to be made of the right stuff, but with a Danforth, the cross piece can poke through the lattice.

I do agree with Tim that if you carry an anchor, carry it where you can get at it easily. If I'm by myself and know I might need to anchor in a hurry off a lee shore, I put the anchor in the stern with the rode already attached and running outside the shrouds to the bow chock. I usually tie the bitter end to the mast with the flaked line on the cockpit floor. When I get within range of the shore, I drop the anchor without leaving the helm and steer a 180 away from the rode. At that point, you let go of everything and step up to the mast to pay out the line and tie it off.
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Re: Anchor Stowage

Postby jeadstx » Mon Mar 28, 2016 1:04 am

I sail with my Danforth anchor (or two anchors when camp cruising) sitting on top of one of those old orange PFDs (got to do something with those old ugly orange PFDs that seem to be included when I've bought boats) next to the cuddy cabin bulk head. Like Tim, I have a DS II, so I don't have wood floorboards. Anchor line and chain rode are attached. If sailing where I may need to anchor or on camp cruise I run the line out of the cuddy to bow cleat. I secure the anchor with a Velcro strap to an attachment point to keep it from shifting. When carrying a second smaller Danforth anchor it would attach to stern cleat as Tim does, but stored in cuddy similar to main anchor.

John
1976 Day Sailer II, #8075 - Completed the 2011, 2012, and 2013 Texas 200
1952 Beetle Boat Swan Catboat
Early Rhodes 19
1973 Mariner 2+2, #2607 - Completed 2014, 2015 and 2016 Texas 200
1969 Day Sailer I, #3229
Fleet 135; Canyon Lake, Texas
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Re: Anchor Stowage

Postby Sailor Chlud » Mon Mar 28, 2016 8:50 am

Thanks, all. When I made the plywood box, I overbuilt it - hence the concern about weight. It was pretty ungainly, and not pretty either! The milk crate is about the right weight and material, but it is pretty tall. I think I will try cutting it down a bit, and epoxy some indoor outdoor carpeting to the bottom to prevent the hard plastic bottom from rubbing the finish off my floorboards. I don't always need an anchor while sailing, but always bring it, so the wear on the floorboards is not inconsequential.
John Chludzinski
DS1 #4101
Spotswood, NJ
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Re: Anchor Stowage

Postby GreenLake » Mon Mar 28, 2016 12:21 pm

Now I'm curious. I have a hard time imagining a plywood construction that competes with your anchor in weight. :D
(Actually, I can totally see it, if you routinely work in 3/4". I'd think 1/4" (6mm) is overkill, but a compromise if you can't get 4mm.

Looks like you found some alternative worth trying.

Just for kicks, here's another option: Cut a rough T shape out of outdoor carpet. Put the "bar" on the floor next to the mast. Rest the anchor's cross bar on it. Lead the "stem" up the mast and tie the anchor shank, carpet and mast together with a bungee. The anchor will be upright (hence out of the way) and secured. The weight penalty is minimal. If you have a desk-stepped mast or if you keep your boat on the water, you can tape the top of the carpet to the mast for additional convenience. There's a slight asymmetry in weight distribution, but this close to the centerline, it's totally negligible.

Another alternative: take two triangles of outdoor carpet and use pop rivets to make a pouch. Some carpeting materials are more like a heavy fleece. That stuff should work fine. (Use washers, if the rivets would otherwise pull through). Or, you could use a single larger triangle with a grommet in each corner, fold it over so the grommets meet and secure them suitably.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: Anchor Stowage

Postby Sailor Chlud » Wed Mar 30, 2016 1:02 pm

Yes, Greenlake:

The bottom of my plywood box was 3/8ths and sides of 1/2 inch were what I had handy. Once I put a single layer of cloth and resin on it, it was pretty ungainly.

The indoor outdoor carpet idea has some merit - I might try that next. But as a pocket, not rigging it to stand up against the mast - that would likely inhibit gear stowage too much.
John Chludzinski
DS1 #4101
Spotswood, NJ
Sailor Chlud
 
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Re: Anchor Stowage

Postby talbot » Wed Mar 30, 2016 4:38 pm

This prompted me to do some window shopping for anchors.
Turns out Manson makes a padded anchor bag for their Danforth-style Racer anchors.
$77.99 for the one that fits a 17' boat. (The bag, I mean. The anchor is $159.99).
Anytime you think of a good idea, odds are that someone else is already charging money for it.
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Re: Anchor Stowage

Postby Sailor Chlud » Wed Mar 30, 2016 7:33 pm

Thanks for the tip about Manson. I will try to find them.
John Chludzinski
DS1 #4101
Spotswood, NJ
Sailor Chlud
 
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Re: Anchor Stowage

Postby GreenLake » Wed Mar 30, 2016 11:48 pm

I think I'd rather make my own and spend the money on things I can't make myself, like trailer tires...

The idea I suggested for a pouch looks like it takes so little time (and I have all materials) that I might run up one, even though, as mentioned, I don't often take my anchor.

Their bag has the dual compartment so it holds the chain as well, and holds it separately, but their anchors look like they are finished - so I can see the need to keep the chain off the anchor for stowage.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: Anchor Stowage

Postby SUNBIRD » Mon Apr 25, 2016 4:57 pm

WOODENBOAT Magazine had a great anchor stowage idea in their "Small Boats" special edition a few years ago. The person built a more or less triangle-shaped box, about 3-6" deep, sized to hold the anchor and line. On the boat they showed (an open, double-ended design ,about 18' long) the owner had cut out a part of the floorboard forward to allow the anchor box to fit into the floorboard, but you could install a few wood cleats to hold it in place. On the DSI this could easily be placed forward of the mast inside the cuddy. I've attached a scan of that idea from WOODENBOAT.
I keep my anchor, a 4S Danforth in a small milk-crate with the rode loosely coiled under the anchor, lift out the anchor and the chain and rode pay out with it. My crate is about 1/2 the usual depth and about half the width, the anchor doesn't completely fit inside, but rests nicely enough to stay restrained. I have it located just inside the cuddy on my DS II, with wood cleats that keep it from sliding around. I like it since it is easy to get to, easy to stow anchor after raising (well, actually, I place the anchor in the cockpit after raising, then wait until I have sailed far enough off the shore to be clear, then quickly fake the rode into the crate and lay the anchor into the crate. Wish I had a picture handy!
Attachments
anchor box.jpg
from WOODENBOAT Magazine's 2011 Small Boats
anchor box.jpg (149.03 KiB) Viewed 10083 times
Rod Johnson, "SUNBIRD"
1979 DS II, # 10201
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Re: Anchor Stowage

Postby Sailor Chlud » Tue Apr 26, 2016 10:32 am

Neat, thanks!
John Chludzinski
DS1 #4101
Spotswood, NJ
Sailor Chlud
 
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