Chain problems

DwayneSpeer · #1 07-21-2010

I have a buddy with a beautiful Hans Christian 38 and last year he installed a new Lofrans windlass but now complains that the chain piles up in the locker as it is coming up until it blocks the inlet and he has to go below and knock it down before he can continue. Then when he is letting it out the chain he has knocked down before is now in a knot and stops the out process until he goes below and untangles it.

He has a quite deep chain locker and is using 3/8 BBB high test chain.

Any handy dandy suggestions as to how he can get better service out of his system?

TQA · #2 07-21-2010

I will be interested in the answers as I have the same problem. I am currently looking at fitting a slant board 20 degrees off the vertical and facing aft to direct the chain to a deeper part of the locker.

jimmalkin · #3 07-22-2010

This is interesting and seemingly contradictory re: the HC 38. If the chain builds up under the hause pipe (inlet) I'd suspect the chain locker was too narrow. But as it seems to be deep and as he has to "un-knot" the chain when letting out his anchor, it sounds like the locker is wide. I'd ask what his experience was prior to the new Lofrans - is there anything to learn from his prior experience?

We use a complete chain rode on Taronga and experienced similar problems with our chain "knotting itself" in the locker during the first year of a new windlass. We found that by bringing in the chain more slowly and allowing it to "settle" in the locker seems to have resolved our issues.

As I'm sure you know, the idea is to build a chain "pyramid" as the chain comes into the locker. I have heard of folks putting a length of pipe extending below deck level by 6" to 1' so keep the pile/pyramid from building up too high and narrow. I get nervous about moving chain lower into a locker as when/if it gets tangled, it's bloody hard to get at.

TQA · #4 07-22-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmalkin

As I'm sure you know, the idea is to build a chain "pyramid" as the chain comes into the locker. I have heard of folks putting a length of pipe extending below deck level by 6" to 1' so keep the pile/pyramid from building up too high and narrow. I get nervous about moving chain lower into a locker as when/if it gets tangled, it's bloody hard to get at.

This my problem, the pyramid builds up until it jams the chain as it drops through the deck.

I have to go below and push the pyramid over.

donradclife · #5 07-23-2010

I've heard of a couple of solutions:

1. A loop of line which knocks the cone over, with a bungee cord to retract the loop. The end of the line comes up through the deck, and a periodic pull as the chain is coming in does the job.

2. Lining the anchor locker with a plastic garbage can, making it slippery enough that the chain slides and doesn't stack.

Craig Smith · #6 07-23-2010

You can experiment with something to disrupt the pile forming, like a traffic cone or something similar. Trial and error.