[Rhodes22-list] Docking and anchor lines

[The Rhodes 22 Email List]

Of course an anchor is part of a boat's safety equipment. As I said, 
I have never seen anchor stowage appear on any Coast Guard safety 
checklist. Not denying that you almost got nailed for it, just saying 
that I've never seen it on any list and until now never heard of 
anyone having a problem with the CG over it.

I do believe thirty feet of chain is overkill for most anchors on a 
3000 lb 22 foot boat and indeed could become a safety hazard in and 
of itself without proper stowage. Glad you've figured out a way to 
handle it. No way I would want to try. I will readily admit that our 
anchoring conditions on the Chesapeake are very different than yours 
on Lake Erie. We have mostly good mud bottoms and lots of harbors of 
refuge, most of which are quite close together. We rarely anchor in 
open water and then only under the most benign conditions. Five foot 
waves would have us scurrying for cover before or as they developed. 
We get a lot of 20 knot winds but it takes hours for them to build 
waves that big. Most of our stressful anchoring comes with wind 
shifts where a protected anchorage suddenly becomes exposed or when 
we get 60 knot winds through an anchorage with a thunderstorm. Our 
anchoring set-up has worked for those situations, for the emergency 
we had in the Narrows and I believe it will work for any emergency we 
are likely to face. We do watch weather carefully.

Your narrative does remind that I had difficulty with the deck plate 
over the anchor rode bin. There were times that my small hands 
couldn't budge it.  We tried just threading it down the cowl vent but 
that wasn't a good solution as wind driven rain could find it's way 
below - not to mention the mosquitos in the anchorage. That along 
with the wet muddy rode in the v-berth issue contributed to our 
decision to find another solution.

Best,
Mary Lou
1991 R22  Fretless
Rock Hall, MD




At 04:49 PM 4/21/2015, you wrote:
>Hi Mary Lou,
>
>Your anchor is part of your safety equipment.  The CG inspects that your
>safety equipment (anchor, flares, throwable flotation, radio, etc) is
>stowed so it is available for immediate use in an emergency.
>
>On the open water of Lake Erie where I was inspected, not even Spiderman
>could carry your bag forward in rock 'n roll emergency conditions of 5 foot
>waves and 20 knot winds.  And for an R22, that bag should contain at least
>a 15 lb anchor with 30 feet of chain.
>
>I agree the tackle box is not ideal.  In fact, the Coasty almost sent me to
>school because it took me only half your 45 seconds to fish out my anchor
>rode bitter end and tie it to the bow cleat.  So now I have a leader line
>attaching the rode to an eye bolt through the tackle box lid.  The line is
>also tied to the end of the chain.  By opening the lid, the leader line
>pulls everything out so I can quckly cleat the rode and shackle the chain
>to the anchor.  All within 45 seconds, plus throw the anchor while safely
>seated in the bow pulpit.
>
>Regards,
>
>Rick
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