Anchor Roller Installation

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

I got the roller installed last weekend, here is a pic...you can see the bright yellow trip line..

[RGF]

Been following this thread closely for your progress. Can you get any better/closer hi-res pics to plan by, please? Did you do it yourself? As hard as previously described? Congrats on getting it done!

[Tomfoolery]

What did you do with the nav light?

[Sumner]

I got the roller installed last weekend, here is a pic...you can see the bright yellow trip line..

Looks nice .

On the trip line are you having it as long as the rode or attached to a float? If it is the previous I'd consider the latter.

You are in shallow water where you are so the anchor will probably never be over 10-12 feet deep max. Put a 15-18 foot trip line attached to a float and if you have a problem bringing the anchor up then grab the trip line with your boat hook and bring it aboard and pull the anchor up. I wouldn't want a trip line as long as the rode all out there in the water. Bringing in two lines at the same time would be a real pain.

We only had a problem bringing the anchor up once...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... ll-09.html

... on Lake Powell where the boat drifted around in light wind and the road got tangled up with trees that were underwater. A trip line wouldn't of helped. Down by Marco Island I ran a float from the bow down to the water on the rode since so many power boats were cutting right across the bow and I didn't want one getting into our rode. I did put a trip line on the anchor a couple times with the float but never had to use it. Also it can be quite small in comparison to the size of the rode unless you are a lot stronger than me . I will probably start doing this more often being out alone,

Sumner

============================
Our MacGregor 26-S

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

Thanks RGF, I'll try to post a higher res photo soon. It is quite hard working inside that tiny bow. tried to do it at night once with a flashlight and there was not enough room for my head and the light so I had to come back the next day in the sun to do it without the flashlight. It makes working in the stern seem like a piece of cake. My arms were just barely long enough to get the nuts on the bolts. I think much shorter than about 5'8 and your arms may not reach..and probably if you weigh more than about 180-190, you might have trouble slithering in there either..lol So tall and skinny body types will have the easiest time up there. Anyway, I got it done and it works really nice now..went out and tested it in the bay today.

Tom, I haven't done anything with the Nav light yet. I'm sure the visibility is pretty compromised on the starboard side now and so I'll need to do something eventually, but I put it off for the time being.

Thanks Sumner..I think you are like the king of anchor rollers if I recall your double roller setup.lol Interesting story about getting caught in the tree that time. You are probably right that the trip line wouldn't have gotten you out of that jam. I got this oversized Mantus because of all the problems I had anchoring down in the Keys last year...around Tampa, its never been a problem anchoring with my 6 pound aluminum G-11 (Danforth style) but that anchor has a lot of issues down in the Keys. So my bright yellow trip line is actually a new england ropes double braided tow rope, that is designed to float by itself...as well as be quite visible. So today I took it out and tested it and it was floating about a foot below the surface and I could see it.

So here is how I used it today and what the plan is. The trip rope is also what I use to secure the anchor from falling off of the roller..I also have a bungie and when I trailer it, I'm sure I'll have another redundant rope or two. So the first function of the yellow line is to secure the anchor to the cleat..then it is also through the eyes and the cam cleat near the cockpit. The second function is to release the anchor. Basically, I went to the bow and undid the hitch on the cleat (which is like the safety) and then let the anchor hang on the trip line as the tension goes to the cam cleat. I can release this safety when I get in the general vicinity of where I want to anchor at. Now, because the roller is hinged and slopes down, I released the trip line from the cockpit and the anchor dropped right in. Then I went back to the bow to secure the trip line to the end of the chain where it attaches to the rope. The water was only 5-6 feet deep so I didn't need much rode past the 20 foot chain. This time the trip line floated free from the chain but was still visible as I mentioned above. With a 25 foot long trip line and 20 feet of chain, the trip line is just barely long enough to fasten to the chain where the chain meets the rope part of the rode. The idea is if the anchor gets caught under a log or a piece of concrete, and I'm in water that is less than 20 foot deep, I will come to the trip line when I'm pulling in the chain and then I could just pull the trip line from there for its third function which would be to release a stuck anchor,

It wasn't really a big deal pulling in the two lines. Really what I did was just pull the anchor rode in all the way until the anchor comes up on the roller, then step on the chain so the anchor can't get away while I then retrieved the trip line, hitched it on the cleat as the safety, and then led it through the single block and two eyes back to the camcleat. If that part gets to be a nuisance, I could just leave it attached to the chain all the time and it will just pull right in with the chain.

Anyway, the first test out on the water seemed to go pretty well...better than I expected.

[Sumner]

T..... With a 25 foot long trip line and 20 feet of chain, the trip line is just barely long enough to fasten to the chain where the chain meets the rope part of the rode. The idea is if the anchor gets caught under a log or a piece of concrete, and I'm in water that is less than 20 foot deep, I will come to the trip line when I'm pulling in the chain and then I could just pull the trip line from there for its third function which would be to release a stuck anchor,

It wasn't really a big deal pulling in the two lines. Really what I did was just pull the anchor rode in all the way until the anchor comes up on the roller, then step on the chain so the anchor can't get away while I then retrieved the trip line, hitched it on the cleat as the safety, and then led it through the single block and two eyes back to the camcleat. If that part gets to be a nuisance, I could just leave it attached to the chain all the time and it will just pull right in with the chain.

Anyway, the first test out on the water seemed to go pretty well...better than I expected.

I like that plan and would try it attached to the chain all of the time.

One thing to think about with using a float like I suggested in the other post is you bring the anchor in normally and the float and the line will stay down in the water until you secure the anchor and then just grab the trip line and bring it and the float aboard. Two other benefits.......with the float out there you know where the anchor is and if for some reason you had to cut the rode or some thing happen that it was cut you know where the anchor is and can go and retrieve it if needed. The float also lets others in an anchorage know where your anchor is.

I secure the anchors with 2 things as I want to make sure they don't go overboard while underway....



... pins through the roller and chain and ....



... carabiners and lines to a cleat, both shown in more detail here...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... ng-18.html

Enjoy the new anchor. Our claw and Manson Supreme both did well in Florida with the Manson being a little better,

Sumner

============================
Our MacGregor 26-S

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

Great ideas Sumner, and I think you have the most anchor power than anyone else on this board..lol I'm going to investigate the idea of a pin as well as the ropes I'm using to secure it. The only issue is that either the shank on your anchors is shorter, or your roller is quite a bit longer because on my setup, the shank sticks out past the roller so I couldn't pin it like you have done. But I'm going to figure out something with a caribiner like you have done so that there is a quick solution. Also, that can secure the anchor while I gather in the trip line. The problem is that I have a hatch where you have a cleat.

Here is a nice high-res cropped photo of my solution..hopefully photobucket doesn't compromise the resolution at all.



The reason my trip line came detached from the chain yesterday is because it is too fat to make it through a link, so I will have to fabricate something else like a small piece of line to tie the bigger line to the chain...I don't want to defeat the fact that the rope is braided into the chain though (windlass type of rode) since that makes it so easy to ride the roller.

I like having the release line at the cockpit because I single-hand so often. I know that I still have to go to the bow to release the safeties, and then go again to secure the anchor after it is dropped, but having the ability to drop it exactly where I want it is not a bad thing. I can remember instances where I get the boat into position, go up front to get the anchor out of the roller, get tangled on something and by the time I was ready to throw, I had moved too far away from where I intended to anchor at.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

ok, I see photobucket is only displaying a smaller version of this photo...I will need a different place to host the picture in its full size. @RGF, any suggestions?

[Sumner]

....The reason my trip line came detached from the chain yesterday is because it is too fat to make it through a link.....

Maybe try a smaller line...

New England 3/16" Sta-Set, 1300lb. Breaking Strength and 1/4" Sta-Set, 2500lb. Breaking Strength

Even the 3/16 is plenty strong for the application I believe. Those lines won't float but I don't think I'd want my line floating just below the surface or on it. Even in remote anchorages we had power boats run right across our bow (not sure what they get out of that ) and you don't want them to get hooked up in your anchor gear. I'd keep it tied to the chain like you mentioned or use a float where it is more vertical in the water above the anchor.

We were sitting just inside the lock going out into Charlotte Harbor for a couple days to weather out a storm with some protection. Just before the storm there were a lot of people fishing from their boats right there and the front came in and they all started motoring out. A smaller jon boat started to pullup their small mushroom anchor and I saw the chain and wondered why it was so big. Then the guy started telling me "sorry, sorry" and I realize it was our chain he was hooked onto. They left and I had to reset the anchor since he moved it and we had 2 anchors down in a Bahamian Moor and were right up against the shore without much room for error,

Sumner

============================
Our MacGregor 26-S

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Seapup]

Looks good and sounds like you are getting a system that works for how you want to use it. It is tight working under there

For a securing pin how about drilling the back of an upright side of the roller base plate to attach a egg hook/caribbeaner to clip on to the first chain link? or hang an extra swivel link from the shackle attaching the chain to the anchor and it will always line up to clip off to.

Sum I like the way you have the caribbeaners to grab the chains.

it is too fat to make it through a link, so I will have to fabricate something else like a small piece of line to tie the bigger line to the chain

How about a caribbeaner on each end? One to clip to rode at the top of the chain to keep it in place and the other to the anchor? With one at the anchor if you want to skip the trip line and leave it rigged for the next time you can.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

What I got was 25' of 3/8" (10mm) Tow Line Yellow with Blue Fleck by New England Ropes

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H7Q73BE/ref ... 00_TE_item

From Amazon: Dinghy Tow Rope is a durable, sliceable line designed for use as a painter. The cover is strong, UV-resistant nylon in a highly-visible yellow while the core is 100% braided polypropylene. Dinghy Tow Rope is kink-resistant and flexible, and floats just under the surface of the water-significantly reducing the chances of the painter becoming tangled in a propeller. Applications Tow Line. Specifications Weight: 4.1 lbs/100 Feet or 61 grams per meter Tensile Strength: 2,900 lbs or 1,310 kg

I know it is way overkill, but it was the smallest they had in that color and still floating, and UV resistant is also important for a line that is out in Florida sun all the time. I think it got fatter when it was wet too....but the good thing about that is the thicker rope is easier on the hands. But slightly smaller rope that still floats and will hold up to the sun would certainly be usable. The only problem with this stuff is that the cover has shrunk some and so now the poly core is exposed at the end and it may not be so UV resistant. I will figure out how to tie it to the chain though cause I know what you mean about the powerboaters (sailors seem to be much smarter) running across my anchor rode. It happened to me out at Cayo Costa a couple years ago....the guy must have been like 6-8 feet from my bow and when he snagged my line, he complained that I had let out too much scope.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

Thanks Seapup, interesting idea about drilling a hole in the base plate (and that would provide pin like security too), I'll take a look at that and see if it will line up right. Of course, drilling the hole through the plate to attach it was a major pita..maybe I was using the wrong drill bit and too lazy to go buy a new one but it took almost two batteries worth of drilling on my cordless..lol Its not shown in the picture, but I've also been using a bungie cord over the shank to pull down on the hinge a bit when its in stowed position. This is because the hinge plate rides the rub rail some and I'm worried that trailering or wave bounce will cause excessive wear on the rail, so with the bungie, it kind of just pivots on the fulcrum instead of hitting the rub rail.

Otherwise, a caribiner like Sumner has done should work well provided I can find a good place to attach it too..and if that line is low enough, it will also pull the hinged plate down some too (as well as making sure the anchor is pulled tight up against the roller. So far so good anyway, and when I make my next trip to the Keys, its going to get a lot of additional realworld testing.

Edit - I went out and looked at it and the shank will sit too far back from the base plate to drill a hole there - I think I can just attach the caribiner line to the pulpit and have it pull down enough to secure it in a floating position (while also having enough pull backwards). What size caribiners did you use? I was looking at either 1/4 or 5/16. The 5/16 are twice as big and have a working load of double too (250lbs) but they will also be clunkier.

And I also looked at the Nav light. Although having it on the pulpit would probably be cleanest, I can't see how to get the wire through the pulpit without having that problem I"ve avoided so far of having to cut through the flotation box to get to it. I wonder if they make one on a 2 or 3 inch pedestal which I can just install right where the current one is. It will probably get broken off at some point is my guess, but replacing it may be easier than getting the wire through the pulpit. I dunno...

One other interesting factoid is that my furler seems to operate better on the port side now (than where I've had it on the starboard side for 10+ years)..I wonder what kind of wierd torque vector theory supports that...

[RGF]

ok, I see photobucket is only displaying a smaller version of this photo...I will need a different place to host the picture in its full size. @RGF, any suggestions?

Thanks for the better side pic. maybe a better from the top pic and try using tinypic to post it. Thanks again for going to the extra trouble.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

Lets see if tinypic preserves the 2703X1645 resolution in this photo:



Edit - Nope, it cut it down to 1599X973, although that is better than photobucket.

Here are a couple half hi-res photos from the top:

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

So I was wonderin if I were to move the nav light to the pulpit, then doesn't that get in the way of the mast attachment point for trailering? Also, I like to tie my spin halyard to the pulpit and I wonder if it would get in the way for that too.

For 55 bucks, I wonder if this is the easiest solution:


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Certainly seems like the easiest although it may be more elegant (and more work) to put in the side lights, not to mention the vulnerability of the 12 inch pedestal pole and the fact that it uses a socket which may get corroded in the elements ...so, I'll need to ponder over it some more.