Chain Locker on Typhoon Senior

[Typhoon4Fun]

We currently stow our anchor (a Rocna 6 with ~20' of chain and nylon rode) below the companionway steps in the cabin. It would be much safer and easier to deploy if we had a chain locker and the anchor lived on the bow. I've outlined my current thinking below and would very much appreciate some input (particularly from CD22 owners as I think they came with a chain locker, no?)

Pros

• no more schlepping the anchor to the bow - always nervous one of us is going to take a tumble
  anchor is ready to go in an emergency

Cons

• more moisture in the cabin?
  smells?
  new hole in the deck

Chain Locker
The forwardmost bulkhead creates a little compartment. I would fashion a curtain or louvered door of some sort. In my search of the forum I came across John Stone's method of creating a liner for the chain locker, which I think I would try to emulate (should be on this page:http://www.capedory.org/board/viewtopic ... er#p215162). That compartment drains to the bilge already but I might try to bond a little thru-hull fitting in thickened epoxy at the bottom so I could run a hose straight to the bilge to prevent water and scuzz from dribbling through other storage areas. Of course I'd paint the compartment and forward side of the bulkhead.


Deck Pipe
This Spartan one would look nice:
https://www.spartanmarine.com/all-produ ... 4qrjeme0n7
Do these leak much if you're taking a little water over the bow? A quick search yielded some interesting solutions, ranging from stuffing in a nerf football to casting a little silicon plug that fits over the chain.

Anchor Stowage
In some ways this feels like the most challenging part. I'd like to find a way to just affix the anchor to the bow pulpit. Seems like it might work to hang the anchor on itself over the rail:


OR hang it under the rail:


In the latter case I think I'd want to find a way to clamp something like this to the vertical part of the bow pulpit to prevent the anchor from swinging back and forth: https://www.spartanmarine.com/all-produ ... ft-bracket

OR I could maybe try to craft a little pulpit off to the side with a roller.

Has anybody come up with a good system for hanging a Rocna or similar anchor on the puplit?

Hoping to figure something out. If I do I will post photos along the way here.


More photos of the different options:

[wikakaru]

My CD22 has the factory-built "chain locker". The original chain pipe deck opening is quite small and it takes a lot of time to put the anchor rode back in the locker after use, so it isn't super practical.

When daysailing my CD22, I leave my anchor detached from the chain, with the rode stowed in the chain locker and the anchor stowed in a locker aft. Although the CD22's stem fitting has a built-in anchor roller, it isn't practical to use when tied to a mooring as my boat is, because the mooring pendant could easily become snagged by the anchor. When I go on mini-cruises, I move the anchor from the locker to the bow roller for the duration of the cruise.

On my Typhoon, which like your Typhoon Sr. has no accommodation for an anchor forward, I keep the anchor rode flaked in a canvas bag and stored in a cockpit locker. It is a simple matter to carry the canvas bag to the foredeck for anchoring. If you tend to cruise the boat a lot as opposed to daysailing, then keeping the anchor on the bow is a good solution; otherwise, the canvas bag is cheap, simple, and effective. The anchor I use on my CD22 is a 5 kg (11 lb) Lewmar Claw, which is similar in size to your 6kg Rocna. It is small enough and light enough that I find it easy to handle.

If you really want to move forward with stowing an anchor on the bow, it might be worth keeping a lookout for a stem fitting from a CD22. I don't know if it would fit your Typhoon Sr. or not, but if it does it would be a good-looking, in-character anchor stowage solution for your boat. I didn't find them on Spartan's web page, but you could contact them and see if they still have the casting. Or you may be able to find one from a CD22 that is being (God forbid) scrapped.

If you want to fashion a door for your locker, think about building one with two L-shaped pieces of wood attached to the forward side that grab the two sides of the V-shaped opening in the bulkhead. Slide the door upwards to remove it and downwards lock it in place. I'm not sure if that is a clear description or not, but if you understand what I am talking about is a super-simple build, with no hinges or latches needed.

The smell issue depends upon where you anchor and how diligent you are at cleaning and drying the rode before stowing it. In my travels I have been to places with such thick, slimy, smelly mud that I would be loath to invite it into my V-berth or bilge. If you live in one of those areas, woe to you. I seem to recall that parts of coastal North Carolina are like that. On the Gulf Coast, anchorages are often nice, clean sand and it isn't a big deal. After retrieving the anchor and rinsing the anchor and rode you can leave the rode flaked in a figure 8 on the side deck with the ends of the "8" tied to lifeline stanchions to keep it secure. Once it is dry you can stow it. That should help keep the smell down.

Another option to keep smell out of the cabin and main bilge is to make your chain locker watertight and then either drain it overboard (assuming the bottom of the locker is above the waterline, which I'm not sure about on the Ty Sr.) or give the locker its own bilge pump and put the bilge pump outlet up near the boat's sheer line. The first method is fairly common on lots of modern mass-produced boats (though you will want a really watertight door between the locker and V-berth so waves filling the locker from the bottom don't come back into your V-berth); I had an anchor locker bilge pump on a 35-foot boat I owned and it was satisfactory. You have to build a cover over the pump so the anchor rode doesn't snag or trip the bilge pump switch, and there may not be room for that arrangement in a locker as small as yours, but it's something to consider.

Best of luck on your modifications.

Smooth sailing,

Jim

[Typhoon4Fun]

Very helpful insight, Jim. Thank you!

There's a CD22 or two in a boatyard near my office. I will have to go check out that stem fitting. I have the same issue w/r/t to mooring pendants, though. I wonder if the deck pipe is the same small one that I linked to from Spartan?

I have considered just stowing the anchor separately so that's helpful to know it works well enough for you.

Plenty of mud here in Casco Bay.. I don't know where it ranks on the smelliness scale as it's about the only mud I know, but I will say the rode is usually pretty clean. The chain and anchor always need some rinsing. I do like the idea of flaking the rode on deck before stowing it.

I think I get the basic idea of your clever door idea. The V is narrower towards the bottom, of course, so sliding the door downward locks it into place. But I can't quite picture the L shape, or why two pieces of wood. I'd think the section would have to have more of a U shape, or a notch that fits the thickness of the bulkhead? I'd appreciate it if you could elaborate!

[wikakaru]

Here's 1,000 words for you:

--Jim

CCI10262021.jpg (233.93 KiB) Viewed 2008 times

[Typhoon4Fun]

Here's 1,000 words for you[/attachment]

THANK YOU!

[wikakaru]

I wonder if the deck pipe is the same small one that I linked to from Spartan?

No, mine isn't that one. Mine is round and smaller. I think that one would be a little easier to get the rode into. Here's mine:

hawsepipe4-121520.jpg (16.25 KiB) Viewed 1986 times

--Jim

[John Stone]

Typhoon For Fun
I can share a few thoughts. These are just my views. Lots of ways to do it and people have all kinds of reasons for what they choose. This or that. I make no judgments. Your boat, your money, your way.

I would leave the locker open. It makes the boat feel bigger, makes getting into the locker easier. Allows more air to flow through the locker which dries the chain and rode so boat interior smell better.

The bag I used is stamoid. A rubber truck tarp could work too. I put one 3/8 grommet in the bottom at the lowest point without additional plumbing as recommended to me by Larry Pardey.

in six years of sailing and almost 10,000 miles of offshore work I would not change a thing. I have never seen a drop of water make its way from the bag into the bilge. It dries there because of the air flow. The bag protects the hull. Once a year you can pull the rode out and remove and wash out the bag.

We have serious mud here in NC. And while I work diligently to scrub and wash down the chain as it comes aboard we do get a tiny bit of mud in the bag. Very minor. Hardly noticeable.

I recommend you keep it simple. Keep it open. Keep it clean. Etc.

[Typhoon4Fun]

Thank you for weighing in, John. You've convinced me to start with the locker open. Can always add a louvered cover later and one less step for now! Thinking I will also forgo the added plumbing and see how it works, add later if I feel it's needed.

[Typhoon4Fun]

Put this one down for a while, thinking about trying to make it happen before I launch this spring.

I'm curious if others think I'd be making a big mistake to affix my anchor to the foredeck. I think I have devised a pretty simple system to secure it in place (will share if I end up doing it and it works). The fear is that I'm asking for trouble: sheets snagging, anchor in the way during mooring pick-ups, next owner thinking WTF did the PO think this was a good idea, etc...

The foot of the jib when close-hauled is just over the lifeline but I can see it having to sweep over the anchor with every tack. Every now and then a jib sheet does get fetched up on the foredeck cleat, but I think that could be avoided if I was more attentive to the windward sheet..

This is a personal decision, of course, but since I can't make up my mind I figured I'd see if others think I'm crazy or it's worth trying.

[John Stone]

Some thinking out loud. It's hard to store a rocna on deck. And even if it works it will detract from the boats I hereby beauty. That may not be a consideration for you and I respect that.

Were it me, and I was determined to use that specific anchor then I might build a rack for it in a cockpit locker or some place easy to access. Keep all that weight off the bow. Then, I might use something like 3M 4000 or better yet a couple epoxy plugs installed in the deck and tapped for a FH bronze screw to hold down a couple small blocks of bare teak. The blocks allow you to set the anchor on them vice the fiberglass while you slush down the deck with water to clean off the mud or prep the anchor for its rode etc.

I'm sure others will have methods they use. The Ty sailors are a clever lot. I'm sure someone has a workable solution.

[Typhoon4Fun]

The Ty sailors are a clever lot.

It takes a special character.

Beauty is not not a consideration. Just tired of lugging my anchor crate up to the foredeck, especially if anchoring singlehanded. And it would free up storage space aft.

I've thought about stowing the anchor separately from the rode but the idea of futzing with a shackle on the foredeck at the last minute seems less than ideal. Maybe a screw link but even that doesn't really seem safe enough for an overnight.

The system I've been puzzling over resembles what you describe with the teak blocks. There are a few existing holes in the Rocna that I could take advantage of to secure it the the blocks with a wingnut or something. Maybe instead of permanent storage I could think of them as a place to temporarily 'park' the anchor; heave-to outside the anchorage, set up the anchor and park it on deck, then approach the anchorage.. still seems like a hassle.

This forum user devised a way to hang a similar anchor from the pulpit but I haven't yet thought through a way that feels secure enough to leave it there unattended:

[John Stone]

The Ty sailors are a clever lot.

It takes a special character.

Beauty is not not a consideration. Just tired of lugging my anchor crate up to the foredeck, especially if anchoring singlehanded. And it would free up storage space aft.

I've thought about stowing the anchor separately from the rode but the idea of futzing with a shackle on the foredeck at the last minute seems less than ideal. Maybe a screw link but even that doesn't really seem safe enough for an overnight.

The system I've been puzzling over resembles what you describe with the teak blocks. There are a few existing holes in the Rocna that I could take advantage of to secure it the the blocks with a wingnut or something. Maybe instead of permanent storage I could think of them as a place to temporarily 'park' the anchor; heave-to outside the anchorage, set up the anchor and park it on deck, then approach the anchorage.. still seems like a hassle.

This forum user devised a way to hang a similar anchor from the pulpit but I haven't yet thought through a way that feels secure enough to leave it there unattended:

Hanging it from the pulpit might be ok. I've seen it done that way. Don't know how secure it is. Anything can be made to work. Some might think it a little lazy. But, everyone has to figure out if the juice is worth the squeeze. And if it delivers the goods and your happy about then right on.

But here is an idea...maybe a small bare teak plank/chock that is more or less parallel to the centerline but off set say to starboard and which allows the fluke to hang over the gunwale. It would be out of the way, ready to deploy, but rely on the existing bronze chocks to secure the rode.

[Typhoon4Fun]

But here is an idea...maybe a small bare teak plank/chock that is more or less parallel to the centerline but off set say to starboard and which allows the fluke to hang over the gunwale. It would be out of the way, ready to deploy, but rely on the existing bronze chocks to secure the rode.

Oo I like it! I had sorta written off hanging it over the rail because what I had in mind was more like trying to build a little plank bowsprit which felt clunky. but it could be kinda elegant to keep it aligned fore-aft and just hang the flukes over. I'll see how that lays out when I get home.

[John Stone]

You might have to fuss with the exact layout. By that I mean it might workout better angled a little off centerline. If so it will be evident and you just adapt. Might look just as nice too.

[Typhoon4Fun]

Only had a few minutes this afternoon but some interesting options arose from puzzling over your suggestion to think outside the rail. Going to think about it more this weekend but might have to punt until I can lay the anchor on the deck with the boat rigged.

Flukes tucked aft of the pulpit. Flipped 180 would be nice but it seemed more likely that the flukes could interfere with the sail at the drum). Subtle difference but seems to free up a good bit of real estate and seems less likely to interfere with the jib.


I need to think more about this configuration. I think it would look more natural. Trouble is that in order to clear the roll bar, the shank has to be ~6" off the deck at the forward end. Seems a little harder to secure.


This WIP is one option I'm considering for securing it to the deck. The anchor is pretty stable in that orientation on a flat surface; a force applied directly downward at that existing hole locks it in place pretty good.