Anchor roller on a cluttered bow?

[kwaltersmi]

I'm looking for ideas on how to mount an anchor roller/pulpit on the bow so that I don't have to deal with lugging the 33lbs Lewmar Claw from the cockpit lazarette to the bow everytime we anchor. The problem is that the bow on our Irwin 28 is cluttered with two large cleates, bow rail stanchions, furler, a chain pipe, chocks molded into the toerail and a large stemhead fitting. I don't have a picture, but suffice it to say there is no room to simply mount a raised anchor roller offset to one side or the other.

The best idea I've come up with so far is a stainless pulpit that would extend past the bow and rail and be supported both on deck and with a strut support going down the bow towards the waterline, similar to the picture below.

Anyone have any ideas or know of somewhere to get a pulpit like the one shown below?

[Vasco]

Most machine shops will be able to make one. Many boats add a stainless bowsprit. Here's a guy who did it himself on a 28 footer.
Bristol 29: Adding a Bowsprit to my Bristol 29

[donlofland]

I'm dealing with the same concern on my Catalina 27-I've thought about bolting an anchor roller off the starboard bow, between the bowspirit, (it's a tall rig, and the bow spirit is too insubstantial to support an anchor), and docking cleat.

But where I get fouled up is, since there is no anchor locker, what do I do with the rode? I could take it off whenever not in use, but re-shackling/seizing with wire each time I want to use it doesn't seem practical. And leaving it led back to the cockpit won't work.

So I keep coming back to having to carry the anchor and rode forward to use it and aft to the cockpit lazarette.

Something else I've thought of is installing a stern anchor roller instead, and deploying/weighing anchor from the stern...

[JohnRPollard]

Hi Kevin, nice to hear from you!

I can see why you'd get tired of that anchor drill. I would too.

I'm not sure you'd find an off-the-shelf platform that would fit properly. This may be a case where a custom fabrication would get the best results/fit.

One aspect of the platform shown in your photo that I wonder about, is the lack of support from above. Our platform is very similar to the one in the photo, except our headstay is tacked at the front of it and thus helps to support it from above. I'm not sure I'd be as comfortable with it if it was only bolted and supported from below by a strut. Maybe?

If the bow platform doesn't work out for whatever reason, another option might be to mount a stern anchor roller, and launch from there. Then, it's a pretty simple matter to walk the rode forward to the bow cleat.... Just brainstorming here.

[mitiempo]

The bowsprit Vasco linked to is well done but I would go with a stainless tube arrangement like in the first picture. As strong or stronger and less maintenance. Any good stainless shop should do a good job but they will only build what you ask for so your design is important.

[kwaltersmi]

Here's a link to another interesting roller design I found that deals with the issues of a cluttered bow. However it doesn't look substantial enough or long engough to hold a 33lbs (10kg) anchor and it would block the chocks in my toerail: SJ23 Tech Tip B26 - Anchor Roller

Here's a picture: