Quote:
Originally Posted by SloopJonB
One thing to consider if you mount it well back on one side - as the boat swings at anchor it might tend to saw across the stem, chafing the rode and wearing away at the hull gel coat. |
or worse, chain eating into the stem until it sinks the boat! 
The solution to this is to install a bow eye about 6 inches above the waterline, with a snubber (1 size smaller than your
rode) permanently attached to the eye and brought to a forward deck
cleat. Dave Gerr designed this for
Imagine (I know, a motor cruiser, but it's still a very good idea!)
If you're anchoring single handed, you bring the
anchor and
rode outside of everything and back to the pulpit for storage and lowering from the cockpit.
Alternatively, you could have your 'chain locker' just about anywhere, as the attachment point of the
rode to the boat is the bow eye; the location where the rode goes over the side is immaterial so long as the snubber holds and the rode has sufficient slack up to the snubber. (Possibly could have a 'chain locker' and
anchor storage in the cockpit area?)
After setting the
anchor, you attach the free end of the snubber to the rode (devil's claw on chain, or rolling hitch or stevedore's hitch on rope) and pay out the rode until the load is taken by the snubber and there is sufficient slack in the rode between the
winch/samson post/chain stopper on deck, and the snubber attachment point at the bow eye.
On weighing anchor,
winch in the rode as you motor or sail up to the anchor, remove the snubber from the rode and re-cleat the free end, and continue winching in the rode.
Obviously, the bow eye needs to be both adequately strong, and properly secured
through the stem, so as to not pull apart or pull out under any anticipated loading. If the snubber parts, of course the boat is still held by the anchor rode.
The benefits: required scope is reduced by 5x, 7x or 10x the height from waterline to deck; the pull on the anchor is better directed being somewhat closer to horizontal; and perhaps most importantly, there is very little possibility of (1) chain jumping out of the
cleat and sawing through toe rail, gunwale and down the topside, (2) the snubber overheating and or weakening through chafe at the
cleat, and (3) the rode causing damage to dolphin striker or bob-stay, or being chafed through by either of them, if you have one.
Cheers to Dave Gerr for the idea!
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Quote:
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"You start with an empty cup of experience and a full barrel of luck. The trick is to fill your cup before the barrel runs dry." - bljones
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Still on the hard, but definitely getting wet this year!
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