Rocna Anchor Storage Box - Mock-Up

[Perithead]

I needed an anchor I could put my trust in for my little Montgomery 17 (1600lbs displacement) so I bought a Rocna 6 (13lbs) so that I could sleep easy at night. The Montgomery doesn't have any storage large enough under the cockpit seats for the anchor and I can't fit it in the fuel locker at the aft end of the cockpit, so something had to be done so that I could store it down below.

After playing with it quite a bit in the cabin moving in different positions and angle and visualizing what I was going to build to hold this thing and the rode I came up with a plan. I would put it in a cusotm box and slide it under the cockpit, right inside the companionway. I only have about 12" height clearance under there so I had to be very precise if I wanted this to work out right.

I first tried a mild crate with the rode in the bottom. I cut some of the sides out to allow the anchor to rest all the way down on the rode but it just wouldn't sit low enough.

So I decided to build a mock-up box that would hold both the anchor and the rode (currently 20' of chain and 100' of line). After messing with the design in my head and on the workbench I came up with this.





It hold the anchor securely and doesn't let it move much at all, and there is room for a good bit more rode if I decide to go to 150' of line.

Next I am going to build the final box. I first was thinking that I would buy some of that composite building material and make the box from it. Then I got to thinking that since I am a woodworker and I have plenty of cabinet grade plywood scraps why not just build it out of plywood? All I would do is get it several good coats of poly and be done with it. If it doesn't work out like I want it or if it wears out for odd reason then I can spend money on some composite materials.

I plan to have several holes in the bottom to allow for water drainage. Also I will cut several larger holes in the sides to get rid of some weight but not to much to hurt it structurally. A few hand holes around the top will be put in there too.

What do you guy's think?

[Siamese]

Yeah, that'll work just fine, but doesn't scream out, "most elegant, easy solution". That said, I don't know what the "ME,ES" would be.

I think I'd be carrying my tape measure with me as I made my normal trips to the various big box stores, and see if I could stumble on something in plastic that's pre-made and requires just a little modification. Structural plastic tool box, etc.

Pity the milk crate didn't work, but I didn't quite grasp why it didn't. Stick in on the table saw with the bottom up against the fence, with the fence 11.5 inches from the blade....four cuts as you flip it around? Rope handles? Slot cut in the side like your box?

I'd wanna avoid all the cutting, gluing, fastening, priming and painting, etc..

This doesn't help, I suppose.

[Perithead]

The milk crate didn't work because there wasn't enough room in the bottom for the rode to spread out and be of a low enough profile to allow the anchor to sit low enough. It needed to be able to fit in the 12" height clearance that I had and with it sitting on top of any rode it sits up to high.

The cutting/glueing/fastening/priming/painting will not be a problem for me. I work with wood for a living so I can build something like this in less than an hour. As for finishing I'm not going to prime or paint, just slap on a few coats of polyurethane and be done with it.

[MarkSF]

Is that a Chinese or a Canadian Rocna?

Sorrry, sorry, couldn't help it

[Perithead]

I'm not sure actually. I gues it's stamped on it right? I will have to check and get back with you later on that.