Anchor-Launching Considerations
In the old days, traditional Admiralty-pattern
or fisherman anchors were launched over the
side from a low, fixed protrusion or arm that
projected out over the bulwark—a cathead.
To begin, the anchor was lashed to the bul-
wark (Figure 24-3) or inboard with the stock
over the edge of the bulwark and an arm
lashed around a samson post. To launch the
anchor, the lashing was undone and the an-
chor hoisted from its balance band or balance
ring to clear the bulwark. Then it was freed
from the tackle to the cathead, whereupon
the anchor continued to be lowered to the
water where the chain from the hawsepipe
finally was engaged. Retrieving the anchor
reversed the process, and catching or fishing
for the anchor ring to reattach the cathead
tackle was always a challenge. More recent
boats using Admiralty-pattern or fisherman
anchors have often replaced the cathead with
a davit or a Spanish-burton tackle from a
spreader (Figures 24-3 and 24-4).Today, modern anchors almost all set
from anchor rollers (unless they’re small
enough to deploy easily by hand). The
alternative—particularly for larger craft—is
hawsepipes through the side of the boat
forward, with the anchors (when stowed) left
snugged up in the hawsepipes. We’ll examine
these two options.Anchor Rollers
We can look at anchor rollers for our exam-
ple boat Hold Fast. Having squared away the
specs for Hold Fast’s anchor, rode, and
windlass, we have to spec the anchor roller.
It should be strong with a large-diameter
roller that neatly snugs into the anchor.
Most anchors are not balanced such that
they’ll self-launch off the roller. Even if you
have a remote control in the wheelhouse,
you still have to go forward and push the
anchor uphill and forward enough for it to
tip off the roller and then descend. Another
alternative is to install the roller at a pro-
nounced down angle so the anchor will be
sure to launch off it.
One of the nice things about Delta-
pattern anchors is that they’ve been specifi-
cally engineered to self-launch: their center
of gravity is farther forward. You really can
set and retrieve a Delta without leaving the
helm. The other option is to find a pivoting-
arm anchor roller. These are more expensive
and hard to come by. More often than not,
they’re custom made. The pivoting-arm
action, though, allows any anchor to self-
launch.
Larger cruising boat should really have
two anchors. This means twin rollers and
chain lockers. Horizontal windlasses are
available with gypsies on both sides to
handle this arrangement. I have a slight pref-
erence for installing a pair of vertical wind-
lasses instead. This is more compact on
deck, provides two warping winch drums on
top, and if one windlass fails, you still have
the other.
There are a few common problems with
anchor rollers. One of the most frequent is
that they are almost never made strong
enough. The photo of the failed mooring
chock (Figure 23-10)shows a pivoting-arm
anchor roller that bent out the aft portion of
the articulated roller at the roller pin andPART SEVEN: ANCHORING SYSTEMS
Figure 24-4.
Hoisting a yachts-
man anchor from
a spreader (From
Yacht Cruising,by
Claud Worth)