Anchor chain holder

[SimonW]

If the anchor rode and chain are left loose on the foredeck they can get washed over the side in bad weather. What have other owners done to retain the anchor rode and chain? I have seen a small rub tub used tied on to hold them and a cut down bakers tray but does anybody have a good solution?

[Ru88ell]

It would have to be pretty extreme for it to bounce out of the anchor well. A previous Zephyr owner rigged up a fixed rode bag, and mounted a pipe clip to retain the round semi-circular bar. They also fixed a wood base with bungy strap. More often than not I just left it all loose, and it was always where I'd left it.

[SimonW]

I know Mike Brook had it jump out when it was rough, hence considering the options. I don't know how much of a problem it was in general use, but sounds as if it isn't.

[Dennis]

Hello Simon

I use a shallow plastic basket/tray for which I have made a plywood top (to cut down UV degredation of the nylon rode).

The tray was one of a (cheap) set of three which made into some sort of office storage system on castors.

There is a photo in the album "Mary Ann Modifications" with the caption "Foredeck arrangements".

My very first time on the water with Mary Ann, I had a nylon mooring rope coiled in the foredeck well. I was motoring into steep seas (? Kielder Water) with the bowsprit digging into the waves, the rope washed off the deck and the first thing I knew about it was when the motor came to a sudden stop.
I had to swiftly unfurl the yankee and turn about and run into the lee of a headland where I managed to pick up a mooring buoy. It was blowing a F6/7.
Fortunately there was no damage, and I managed to lift the outboard motor into the cockpit and unravel the rope from the prop.

I learnt from that lesson, never to have anything loose on deck which could potentially go overboard and foul the prop.

[Ru88ell]

Did Mike Brooke perhaps have the anchor jump out of the bow roller? That would be more likely that out of the well, especially as the pin isn't all that secure.

[SimonW]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_O1RNikmrQ

at about 5:47 Mike shows the damage of having an unsecured anchor chain washing out over the side. He jad a bakers basket then, but a deeper rub tub when I went on his boats.

[Ru88ell]

I can't begin to imagine how rough it must have been for that to happen. I can recommend the Zephyr arrangement, but I can't find any pictures of it.

[Dennis]

I can't begin to imagine how rough it must have been for that to happen.

If he had a nylon rode attached to his chain, it would not be too difficult for that to get washed overboard and then drag the chain after it.

It looks from the video that the chain had been dangling from the anchor still in the bow roller.

[Nick Martin]

For a long time now I've had 50m of cheap and nasty uncalibrated 6mm chain .. goes down a hawse pipe into the locker under the front berth .. works very well and if and if anything adds to stability .. I dont like the idea chain / line on deck .. The chain pipe cover is raised up and I've had very little water down - even in quite bad conditions .. despite location, never had any noticable smell below deck .. seems like a lot but I've used it all in anger on a number of occasions .. chain is so much easier to handle and stow than warp

[erbster]

I have 8m of chain and 25m of warp. I stow it all flaked into a zipped nylon bag. Works well for me. The weight of the chain stops it from moving much. I re tasked the bag from some camping equipment.