Anchor Storage Suggestions?

[SV_Delphinia]

Hello,
I recently purchased a '91 Mac 26 that had been dry docked for a couple years, and am currently refitting her.

I have a 9 lb (I think) Danforth anchor and am at a loss as to where to keep it.
The easiest solution seems to be stowing it under the V-berth. This idea would be easy as long as I don't use the anchor; hauling it up without marring the gelcoat, and then back down when wet, sounds like a pain.

Since I plan on actually using the anchor, my second thought was to clamp it to the bow rail with hose clamps mounted to the railing, and to flake the chain and lash it to the rail. I'm worried about the mess this might create though, and how it could tangle the foresail.

I am curious what solutions others have found - what works, what doesn't?

Thanks for reading!

[Inquisitor]

Hello,
I recently purchased a '91 Mac 26 that had been dry docked for a couple years, and am currently refitting her.

I have a 9 lb (I think) Danforth anchor and am at a loss as to where to keep it.
The easiest solution seems to be stowing it under the V-berth. This idea would be easy as long as I don't use the anchor; hauling it up without marring the gelcoat, and then back down when wet, sounds like a pain.

Since I plan on actually using the anchor, my second thought was to clamp it to the bow rail with hose clamps mounted to the railing, and to flake the chain and lash it to the rail. I'm worried about the mess this might create though, and how it could tangle the foresail.

I am curious what solutions others have found - what works, what doesn't?

Thanks for reading!

Another insomniac.

I don't see in any of your posts how experienced you are. So I'll assume you're new to boating. No slight is intended, if you're well seasoned.

I'm not familiar with your boat and I'm sure someone will chime in with a knowledgably answer. Does it have an anchor locker and the anchor just doesn't fit inside? On and there is a anchor locker in the bow that will hold some of the flat anchors, with rode (rope and/or chain) completely inside. For the bigger or more 3D shaped anchors, there's typically an anchor roller that can hold down the anchor while sailing, yet releases to drop the anchor. It also keeps the rope/chain off the hull when pulling it back up. Some people also hang them on the pulpit... typically a rack of some sort.

[Tomfoolery]

Without an anchor locker, there aren’t a lot of choices. Bow rail mounting, an anchor roller, below decks, in a locker in the cockpit if it has one, or on a stern mount.

You can always launch an anchor from the stern, then cleat it to a stern cleat. Then when comfortable with the set, run the rest of the rode around the outside of the rails and stays and cleat it to the bow cleat. Then go back and undo the cleat hitch on the stern cleat.

Or store it below, and pop out the forward hatch if it has one, and launch it from there.

Just don’t forget to secure the bitter end before launching it so you don’t do a Captain Ron.

[SV_Delphinia]

Thanks for the replies!
Yes, pretty new to sailing - I grew up in LA surfing, and hanging out on friends' boats, I worked as cook on the Lady Washington for 4 mo...but this is the first boat I've been responsible for.

It is the "26S" with no anchor locker, so there is not even a place to stow the rode if I mount the anchor on the bow railing, or install an anchor roller...It seems that the place forward of the fore hatch, where there would usually be an anchor locker, is occupied by flotation foam which I'm not willing to remove. This lack of rode stowage areas is what makes me hesitant about mounting the anchor on the bow; I can't imagine it not getting in the way of the foresail.

The only cockpit locker is where the fuel is, so I'm not too eager to put metal down there (sparks), plus it is a very deep locker - I have to "dumpster dive" to open the gas tank vent; maneuvering as such with 50 lb. of anchor and chain seems undesirable.

I like the idea of anchoring off the stern, then moving the line to the bow - Now I'm thinking maybe I stow the anchor in a crate in the cabin, then haul it into the cockpit and anchor as described...What I want to avoid is spending a bunch of time and money on a system I regret upon first use, keeping it in a crate is at least low-commitment.

Thanks for the ideas! If anyone has any other suggestions I'd be glad to hear.

[Chinook]

Check out Sumner Patterson's system. Should be able to find him by searching. He used to post a lot, and he was great with posting pictures. He has a Mac 25 classic. He uses bow roller to stow the anchor, and has mounted one of those soft coolers on the bow of the boat, which holds his chain and rode. Works well for him, and he's done a ton of anchoring.

[Maraquita]

I pretty much use Sumners system on my 26D (same as yours, except it has a dagger board instead of a swing keel). Generally I just have a large Danforth out front since I use it for swimming and lunch. Sometimes I use a plow for overnight depending on the bottom in our mountain lakes. Regardless, the anchor hangs in a piece of PVC tube clamped to the pulpit with radiator hose clamps. The tube is large enough for the anchor shaft and cain to sit in it side-by-side. The chain comes out of the top of the tube and it and the rest of the rhode are coiled into a soft sided cooler on the deck. I get the cheapest I can find that will hold it all, because it seems that the sun rots it after a year or two anyway. I put grommets in the bottom of the cooler that allow me to run loops of rope to one of the cleats on the foredeck and from the other end to the rear of the pulpit. The grommets are large enough to feed the bitter end of the rope rhode through and tie it off at the other cleat. That way if I'm really stupid some time and toss the anchor out without thinking, at least I don't lose everything overboard. When you are off the water for the day, you just toss the anchor on top of the rhode, zip the top closed and take it all to the nearby fish cleaning station where you can hose it all down and the water will run out of the grommets in the bottom. It's cheap and easy enough that you can have a separate bag for each anchor that you carry. I leave the whole kit in that huge aft lazarette until I launch the boat next time then just tie everything off at the front of the boat and drop the anchor into the PVC pipe. It's not as stylish as some methods, but then either am I.

[PhysicsTeacher]

Here is a link to Sumner's Mac modifications at mentioned in previous replies:
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... index.html

There is some terrific stuff here: he really took his S to another level.

Kelvin