CD27 Anchor Rode

[tjr818]

On our CD27 there seems to be no method for securing the bitter end of anchor rode. There is no securing point in the bow rode storage compartment. What are other CD27 owners doing. Does anyone have some ideas?

[John Martin]

Maybe you can lead the bitter-end thru an open base cleat, and stop it with a figure-8 knot?

Do you have a deck-pipe? Aboard Carina, and previous CD's, we use a 6" round of 1/4" Lexan/Plexiglas. Use a length of line, about 15', of slightly smaller diameter of the anchor rode. Lead the inboard end of the line, thru the deck pipe, and thru the center of the Lexan round, and stop it with a figure-8 knot. The other end is attached to the anchor rode with a double sheet bend. On the anchor-rode, about 10'-15' from the end, attach plastic flags, about 5 flags in about 5", to indicate the end-of-the-line. Now you can see/feel the end of the anchor rode and get it cleated-off before the end. The small line will give you a secure second chance. Also it is easy to detach from the anchor rode for inspection and maintenance.

John

[Klem]

There are a few ways to go. As already stated, attaching something that won't fit through the chain pipe works fine. I have done this with a big steel ring before. Also, you can try to set up a piece of hardware to attach to. On the CD's with bowsprits, screwing an eye onto the end of one of the bowsprit bolts works really well. On the smaller CD's you can screw an eye onto the end of a stanchion bolt. If you drill a new hole for an eye, just be careful where you put it as it needs to be somewhere strong and you don't want to add holes in hull if you can help it.

[Neil Gordon]

A chunk of 2x4 with a hole drilled through it would be sufficient. It's 100% hidden at the bottom of the locker and not worth anything fancy.

[Steve Laume]

Raven has a hawse pipe so the bitter end gets secured below deck. From what you post it seems like everything stays in a locker on the CD-27.

On Raven I drilled a hole in the aluminum support structure for the bow sprit and added a shackle. I then tyed a lighter piece of line to the shackle that is long enough to come up onto the deck. The purpose of using a lighter line instead of tying you rode directly to a strong point is that it would part before doing any damage if excessive loads were applied. More important is that you could easily cut it away if you had to. We also untied it once and left the entire rode in place with a float when we knew we would be coming back to the same anchorage in a difficult anchoring situation. That might not have been the best idea but it worked out okay.

If you only have a deck locker I would add a well backed pad eye and still use the light line at the end of the rode. I never consider the bitter end connection to be a last resort in holding the boat. It is there as insurance against seeing the last of your rode go slithering over the side, never to be seen again.

I like the idea of marking the last 10 or 15 feet of rode as a warning. I just hope I don't get to that point as it would mean I had already deployed 90' of chain and 200' of line. Maybe I can craw into the chain locker and dig out the last 20' without pulling it all up on deck, Steve.

[gvanbell]

On Peponi (CD 27) I drilled a hole in an old baseball (thanks kids), ran the bitter end of the rode through it, tied a stopper not in it, and left it there. If we accidentally the the rode run free, the baseball would hit the underside of the deck pipe but there is no way it could make it through. Why a baseball, you ask? One, my son left it onboard after a short cruise. Two, it's "soft" enough to not cause damage if it is ever called into service. Seemed logical to me, anyway, and better than attacking new hardware in the locker.

-g

[Oswego John]

g

.... not waiting for a month for delivery,and best of all, the price was right.