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--- Anchor Tubes - Rode Markings -Rode Bag ---
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On our first outing for 5 days we carried the anchor and rode in a bag that we had laying around the house tied to the bow pulpit along with a gas can and the jib bag. I would open the bag and get the anchor and throw it out to set the anchor. Then when I retrieved it I pulled the rode in and let it fall into the bag. The problem was that I didn't like keeping the anchor in the bag and when I would try and drop the rope into the bag the bag would sometimes fold shut as I only had two hands. This all worked, but we wanted something better. I'd seen other guys mount PVC tubes up there and keep the anchor in those and either have the line tied to the pulpit or in a bag. I decided to go that route until I can make an anchor locker at the unused very forward area of the enlarged v-berth.
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I thought most of the guys had used white 4 inch PVC. I had this black 3 inch ABS pipe left over from building the house and the anchor fit into it, so I thought I'd use it. I also like the contrast of the black against the white boat and stainless pulpit. I used an angle gauge to get the angle of the side upright stanchion on the bow pulpit and cut the bottom of the pipe to that angle (arrow).
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Then I took the pipe back out and held it against the pulpit where I wanted it and scribed a line (lower arrow) along the pulpit and on the pipe. I then put a second line above it parallel to it (top arrow and cut.......
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..........the pipe there with a hand saw and made a second one. Then I got to thinking I'm going to have 3 anchors, a 22 Lb. Lewmar Claw as the primary on the bow, a reserve Fortress FX-11 which could also be kept on the bow and my current Danforth S600 that I want to use as a stern anchor. I went and picked up another piece of ABS and used the same procedure to make a tube for the side on the stern pushpit to give me three tubes total.
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Another problem I had was the rode that came with the boat had these markings on it, but some were missing and others you couldn't read the length number on. I wanted a simpler method and one where I wouldn't have to read the numbers as I let the rode out.
I decide to put markers at every 25 feet. There would be one marker at 25 feet (above)......
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.... two at 50 feet.....
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......... 3 at 75 feet....
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........ and 4 at 100 feet. Now when the numbers wore off or I don't have time to stop and read them I could just let the rode go out and tell where I was by the number of markers each 25 feet. After 100 feet I started again with 1, then 2, then 3, then I was at the end of my rope as there was 200 feet of line. There is also 20 feet of 1/4 inch chain between the anchor and the line and that was not included in the numbering scheme, so at the 25 foot marker on the line it is 45 feet back to the anchor. I think this is going to work much better.
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I also wanted to improve the bag deal over the big bag I was using that would flop closed when putting the rode in it. I looked at different options/containers and settled on this "soft cooler" that is about 9 X 13 X 12 high. It has a zippered top. I punched a hole in the bottom side (arrow) and put the end of the rode out through it so it could be attached to a cleat just in case things got away from me dropping the anchor. the line coiled easily into it as the top folded over and stayed back out of the way. I would still shake the bag every 50 feet or so to get the rode to settle into it.
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Here it is with 200 feet of 7/16 line and 20 feet of 1/4 inch chain.
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One nice feature is the strap on the back. If you want to carry this whole mess put the bag over your shoulder and carry the anchor in one hand and that leaves a hand free. This would work well for those of you that store your rode and anchor in the lazarette and carry it forward when you anchor.
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Using the same punch (bottom arrow) that I had used to punched the hole in the side I punched some holes in the bottom for drainage. If I need more I'll punch more. I'm in a really dry climate, here in the west, and things dry rapidly and with the top open I don't see drying the rode as a problem as it will be better than what we were using before.
Then the day after I made this bag and also had bought a second, did I tell you that they were only $9.00 each at the dollar store, I found.....
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.... this cooler bag for $20 at the higher priced discount store here. I wanted 3 blue ones and I really liked this one......
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.......because of this thin plastic inner liner and the plastic top. It will even be easier to put the rode in I believe. I just got it a few hours before I'm writing this, so there are no drain holes in it yet, but there will be. I'll use this one for our stern anchor with one of the soft ones for the bow claw anchor and we will keep the rode for the reserve anchor in the other soft bag in the lazarette.
Now let's see all of this in place. I only have one anchor now as the other two are on order, so I'll move the one around for the pictures.
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Here is how the stern anchor will mount. This seemed to be a location that we didn't use on our first sailing trip so it should be out of the way there, but easy and fast to get to if needed.
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The bag will be secured to the tube and stanchion with the shoulder strap once we cut it and sew a buckle on it so that it can come apart. Right now the shoulder strap won't separate, but is adjustable in length.
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First I had the anchor tubes on the inside of the pulpit until Bill in Florida pointed out to me that the jib was going to rub on the tubes and suggested moving them to the outside. I thought, well that is the reason everyone has them on the outside, so......
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...... I moved them to the outside of the pulpit and also will attach the rode bag more out of way .....
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.......of the jib by moving it under the pulpit side when sailing. When I go to drop the anchor I can pull it in towards the middle of the bow where I can handle the rode easier..............
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....... a front view. Two hose clamps would of held these, but I like 3 that way in case one would let go the other two would still hold the tube just fine......and.........
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.......... here is a view of the starboard side.......... and ...........
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.. a view from a little overhead. We will have the 22 lb. Lewmar Claw on the left with it's 200 feet of 7/16 line and 30 feet of 1/4 inch chain. The Fortress FX-11 will be in the starboard tube with no rode attached. The rode, 200 feet of 7/16 line and 30 feet of 1/4 inch chain, for it will be stored probably in the lazarette in the other soft cooler bag. Then the Danforth S600 with the current 200 feet of 7/16 inch line and 20 feet of 1/4 inch chain will be the stern anchor with it's rode attached to it and in the bag with the harder liner as shown 4 pictures up.
We will be spending a lot of nights on the hook in unknown waters, so having good anchors and rode is important to us.
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Here the new Lewmar Claw and the Fortress FX-11 are mounted in the two tubes.
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Port view........and....
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......... front view. These look like nice anchors.
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There was some discussion about the anchors in tubes like this, mine and others, blocking the bow light. I feel there are a couple easy solutions to this if you find yourself running at night and we hope that we aren't, but if so.
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The Claw, which is the worst offender could be turned inside the pulpit or......
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...... turned around backwards. Also with our setup if you were really worried you could just put the rode bag over your shoulder and pick up the anchor and take it back to the cockpit or lazarette or tie the anchor down on the deck at the bow.
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