Anchor stowage photos please

[Clodi]

 Hopefully this photo is visible to all.

Following the thread. If I ever find myself unfortunate to deploy my anchor recovering the damm thing will be the last thing on my mind, if however I'd shelled out for a Fortress I'd be scared to lose it 

Edited September 25, 2018 by Clodi

[Alan de Enfield]

18 minutes ago, luggsy said:

Or just buy a fortress anchor ⚓️ 

 

And get 10x better performance.

[Alan de Enfield]

18 minutes ago, Clodi said:

I'd shelled out for a Fortress I'd be scared to lose it 

My Mantus Anchor was obtained at a special discounted price (from the Orkney isles - of all places) at an eyewatering £600.

However, the performance is so good that the 1st time of use it 'ripped' the electric windlass off its mountings - which was probably a good thing to find out as it was only a 'practice'.

We had to 'hand-ball' 100 metres of 10mm chain + the anchor back on board - back breaking !!!

 

A couple of days later (after a trip into the ship-yard) and a vastly reinforced windlass mounting fitted, it worked to perfection.

 

30Kg Mantus

 

Edited September 25, 2018 by Alan de Enfield

[rusty69]

4 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

My Mantus Anchor was obtained at a special discounted price (from the Orkney isles - of all places) at an eyewatering £600.

However, the performance is so good that the 1st time of use it 'ripped' the electric windlass off its mountings - which was probably a good thing to find out as it was only a 'practice'. A couple of days later (after a trip into the ship-yard) and a vastly reinforced windlass mounting fitted, it worked to perfection.

 

30Kg Mantus

 

Jeeez 600 squid and it comes as a kit. Think i will stick with my oversized cqr! 

Edited September 25, 2018 by rusty69

[Clodi]

 My 30kg cost £75 complete with chain, thank-you eBay ?

[Alan de Enfield]

10 minutes ago, Clodi said:

 My 30kg cost £75 complete with chain, thank-you eBay ?

There are a number of manufacturers of 30kg anchors - they have vast differences in performance.

[nb Innisfree]

I bought a temporary 10kg, easy to handle and as it was never used it proved ideal. 

[Clodi]

10 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

There are a number of manufacturers of 30kg anchors - they have vast differences in performance.

One 30kg Danforth is much the same as another 30kg Danforth. It's not really practical to carry anything bigger on a 57' narrowboat. In my experience Danforth are a necessary evil. On our Motor cruisers I always prefered Bruces with all chain and a winch.

Total overkill for the canals

[Alan de Enfield]

13 minutes ago, Clodi said:

One 30kg Danforth is much the same as another 30kg Danforth

Very true - but Danforth anchors are not one of the better performing anchors (probably not much better than Mr Brooks 'milk crate')

 

A 15kg Bruce would out perform a 30kg Danforth and a 7kg Fortress would outperform both. Its not all about weight,

 

Why would a 7kg Fortress be 'total overkill on canals Rivers' ?

[blackrose]

On 25/09/2018 at 14:28, Clodi said:

 

My question is not about actually deploying the anchor but rather stowing the thing! 

 

 

To clarify, do you mean stowing as in storing it (just keep it in the roof?) or stowing ready for deployment? If it's the latter then the question does indeed encompass deploying the thing! 

Edited September 28, 2018 by blackrose

[NickF]

This is what we did when traveling upstream on the Thames from Limehouse with the tide behind us. ....... I have just noticed the mooring line round the tiller.... not so proud of that! I think it was a temporary arrangement while we secured the anchor to the starboard dolly.

Edited September 28, 2018 by NickF

[blackrose]

25 minutes ago, NickF said:

This is what we did when traveling upstream on the Thames from Limehouse with the tide behind us. ....... I have just noticed the mooring line round the tiller.... not so proud of that! I think it was a temporary arrangement while we secured the anchor to the starboard dolly.

 

Weighing it all up I think I'd still have my anchor at the bow on the tidal Thames going upstream on a flood tide. There's going to be room to swing the boat around to face the current unless you're approaching a bridge which of course is a strong possibility. I just wouldn't fancy being anchored from the stern facing a 4 or 5 knot current on the Thames. 

 

Edit: I'm no expert here but just wondering whether something that's less likely to bite or set like a couple of 56lb mud weights at the stern to slow the boat down and an anchor at the bow might be the way to go? Or would the mud weights have no effect at all in a strong current? 

Edited September 28, 2018 by blackrose

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, NickF said:

This is what we did when traveling upstream on the Thames from Limehouse with the tide behind us. ....... I have just noticed the mooring line round the tiller.... not so proud of that! I think it was a temporary arrangement while we secured the anchor to the starboard dolly.

Very nicely flaked (but at the wrong end)

[Clodi]

That is very neat and practical.

It's Still possible to deploy ones anchor from the stern. Paying out the chain & rope with 'the bitter end' secured to a mooring point at the bow, or the stern for that matter. Let's face it most narrow boats are (hopefully) not going to be in very deep waters & as already noted most tidal stretches are muddy estuaries. I know there is talk of the mooring cleat being ripped from the bow of vessels but that must be the exception.  

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, Clodi said:

………………. I know there is talk of the mooring cleat being ripped from the bow of vessels but that must be the exception.  

Considering the infrequency of a NB having to 'emergency stop', and the fact there have been a couple (or three) reports on here of having the T-Stud ripped off (I think Onion Bargee was the last one, or, was it Biz ?) it could be read as being a high risk when deploying the anchor and it 'sets' and jerks 15+ tonnes of boat to a halt.

 

The NB I was with that broke down above the weir at Cromwell was fortunate that he had a 'strong point' welded on his bow, so we didn't find out if his T-Stud would have taken the load.

 

I guess we will only ever know the result for the few who use this forum.

[Sea Dog]

1 hour ago, blackrose said:

I'm no expert here but just wondering whether something that's less likely to bite or set like a couple of 56lb mud weights at the stern to slow the boat down and an anchor at the bow might be the way to go? Or would the mud weights have no effect at all in a strong current? 

If you were facing upstream deploying the weights from the bow, the slowing effect of the drag would impart a relative forward motion against the current giving a flow over the rudder allowing some steerage (ferry gliding) which would certainly help in terms of getting the boat out of the main stream towards the potential relative safety of the bank.  Trouble is, that's just one scenario and we need to try to cater for any eventuality - that's the elusive bit!

[Alan de Enfield]

2 hours ago, blackrose said:

I'm no expert here but just wondering whether something that's less likely to bite or set like a couple of 56lb mud weights at the stern to slow the boat down and an anchor at the bow might be the way to go? Or would the mud weights have no effect at all in a strong current? 

 

 

18 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

If you were facing upstream deploying the weights from the bow, the slowing effect of the drag would impart a relative forward motion against the current giving a flow over the rudder allowing some steerage (ferry gliding) which would certainly help in terms of getting the boat out of the main stream towards the potential relative safety of the bank.  Trouble is, that's just one scenario and we need to try to cater for any eventuality - that's the elusive bit!

 

Much of the argument about having a suitably sized anchor on board is the weight, when it has been suggested to use a 20kg anchor there is always the comment about being able to lift it, but we are now talking about a couple of 25kg mud weights.

The old  56lb 'potato weights' are sold t around £40-£50 a time, so for two of those you could buy a decent anchor.

There is a 2nd hand 20kg Bruce anchor on ebay at the moment for £65 or best offer, or

A new Danforth 20Kg £69 inclusive of delivery

 

Unlike on a lumpy-water boat where anchoring is an almost daily event, the use on rivers (or canals) would probably be a 'once in a life time' experience. It is only used in an emergency and that means it needs to do its job 1st time (every time). At sea we may need to re-set the anchor a couple of times before it sets correctly and is safe for the night.

 

If the anchor gets stuck (cannot be recovered) - treat it as a disposable item, it may well have saved your £x, 0000 boat and you from going over the weir. 

If you really want it back, buoy it off and get the local sub-aqua club to recover it for you (they will be glad of the practice)

Edited September 28, 2018 by Alan de Enfield

[Clodi]

5 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

To clarify, do you mean stowing as in storing it (just keep it in the roof?) or stowing ready for deployment? If it's the latter then the question does indeed encompass deploying the thing! 

Good point. I rather meant storing ready for deployment rather than storing for decoration ?

[Slim]

Sorry but I don't have a photo.

 

I have two tee shaped brackets welded to the stern one either side of the fender. They are 2" square tube with the 'cross' bit vertical. They were originally fitted to carry a bike rack. one day I stuffed the anchor shank down one short term as somewhere to put it and never permanently moved it. In a dire emergency I could easily tie a stern line to it in seconds. If going on rivers I simply deploy it at the bow with the chain/16mm nylon warp attached to a really hefty towing eye welded to the stemhead by the builder and live with stubbed toes etc  

[howardang]

5 hours ago, NickF said:

This is what we did when traveling upstream on the Thames from Limehouse with the tide behind us. ....... I have just noticed the mooring line round the tiller.... not so proud of that! I think it was a temporary arrangement while we secured the anchor to the starboard dolly.

 

It is difficult to see from the photo but have you any arrangement to allow you to deploy the anchor under some degree of control, or is the bitter end attached to the dolly and deployment consists of chuck it and pray? I presume you have also thought about anchor recovery or do you intend to cut it loose when the emergency is over and sacrifice the anchor and chain/rode? Because of the starboard seat being sited in front of the dolly I think it would be difficult to handle the rode, especially under tension.

 

Howard

[NickF]

3 hours ago, howardang said:

 

It is difficult to see from the photo but have you any arrangement to allow you to deploy the anchor under some degree of control, or is the bitter end attached to the dolly and deployment consists of chuck it and pray? I presume you have also thought about anchor recovery or do you intend to cut it loose when the emergency is over and sacrifice the anchor and chain/rode? Because of the starboard seat being sited in front of the dolly I think it would be difficult to handle the rode, especially under tension.

 

Howard

I am afraid the plan was chuck it and pray! The idea being the more chain you get on the bottom the stronger the hold i suppose. (but the further you go before you stop!)

 

We had not planned on recovery ..... probably not our biggest concern if we had had to use it in anger.

7 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Very nicely flaked (but at the wrong end)

Tricky decision as to which end .... choice of do you want to swing a full length narrow boat through 180 degrees on the tidal Thames before stopping .... or do you want to stop sooner but have the tide pushing at the stern of the boat....neither of them sound much fun to me!

[NickF]

6 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

The NB I was with that broke down above the weir at Cromwell was fortunate that he had a 'strong point' welded on his bow, so we didn't find out if his T-Stud would have taken the load.

 

 

That would be a scary place to loose power! 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, NickF said:

That would be a scary place to loose power! 

It was.

Anchor deployed but it wasn't until less than 100 yards from the weir before it set.

We had a 'heck of a job' getting a line on board as he was swinging about so much, but eventually managed, anchor recovered, and towed him back into Newark

Edited September 28, 2018 by Alan de Enfield

[Drayke]

Don’t know if this helps, as it’s on widebeam.

[howardang]

25 minutes ago, F DRAYKE said:

Don’t know if this helps, as it’s on widebeam.

Most narrow boats have much less space to play with so it might be difficult to get good leads from a bow roller/fairlead to the windlass if this layout is copied. The vast majority of narrow boats, in my opinion, will only contemplate anchoring very, very infrequently and the cost of the windlass and its associated power supply would not be justified.

 

Much better to spend money on a good strong attachment pointseperate fron the T stud, with ideally a means of making a controlled deployment, and something to make the rode fast, with a strong and well designed fairlead ideally incorporating a roller. The fairlead shown in the photo looks lightweight to me and I suspect that it would be easily damaged if the boat actually uses its anchor for real.

 

Howard