Mantus: Which size for our boat?

[Jim Cate]

Richard, glad to get the progress report! And it sounds like real progress has been ahappenin'. Also glad you broke down and got a windlass. When you have experienced heaving up the hook in lousy conditions and a certain degree of fear, that solid attachment to the rode all the way to breakout will be very comforting... experience tells me so!

The one item that caught my eye was the plan to use a thimble and shackle to connect the rope to the chain in your rode. Getting that union past the windlass is difficult, and I'd really suggest that you consider splicing the line directly to the chain. There are several candidate splices, ranging from easy to not so easy, and in reality, they all work pretty well, and all will pass the gypsy without issues.

And I applaud the decision to use a longer bit of chain. We've seen too many parted rope rodes over the years to even consider such for routine anchoring (and several of those incidents were in the SOC, not the infamous coral areas that folks worry about).

Sounds like you are doing very well; we await further reports!

Jim

[Jarel Design]

Hi Jim,
Thanks for the input.

Something I learned after buying the windlass is that It specifically says do NOT use braided line in the chain capstan (ONLY 3 strand!). The model of windlass we found just happened to have separate rope/winch spool atop the chain capstan. After researching a lot, I REALLY wanted braid.

I can imagine that it may be a pain to switch from rope to chain sections on the windlass as we pull up, but maybe not depending on depth... Not going to know until we actually try it out a few times... Plan to use it on the hard just to see how this pans out before being out there. Anyway, that's why I went with a metal thimble on the rope/rode.

Amazing how happy I was with this boat BEFORE reading more about serious cruising... My Modifications focus went from comforts to safety! LOL! Very few comfort mods happening before our first trip! LOL!

Richard

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Jarel Design

Hi Jim,
Thanks for the input.

Something I learned after buying the windlass is that It specifically says do NOT use braided line in the chain capstan (ONLY 3 strand!). The model of windlass we found just happened to have separate rope/winch spool atop the chain capstan. After researching a lot, I REALLY wanted braid.

I can imagine that it may be a pain to switch from rope to chain sections on the windlass as we pull up, but maybe not depending on depth... Not going to know until we actually try it out a few times... Plan to use it on the hard just to see how this pans out before being out there. Anyway, that's why I went with a metal thimble on the rope/rode.

Amazing how happy I was with this boat BEFORE reading more about serious cruising... My Modifications focus went from comforts to safety! LOL! Very few comfort mods happening before our first trip! LOL!

Richard

Richard, I'm not familiar with that windlass, but it sounds like it is a vertical axis design. Normally with such, the rode feeds directly down into a chain locker below the windlass. Is that how you envision using yours? Or will you be wrapping a few turns around the capstan drum for pulling the rope section and then switching to the gypsy with only a 180 degree wrap? that can be pretty tricky... I've only done it with a horizontal axis windlass, and it was a PITA if there waas much load on the rode.

So, give it some thought...

Jim

[Jarel Design]

yes,
It's a vertical windlass (S-L Anchorman)... Rope drum on top/chain capstan below.
Planning on mounting it just behind our anchor locker. No pipe to feed into. With the anchor locker hatch open, it will just feed into the open locker... (The real trick is setting up the anchor on the roller without blocking opening up the locker. Consideering modifying the anchor locker hatch from singe piece/side hinge to dual hatch, twin hinges with the anchor extending aft at the seam... Again, I have to figure it out which is why I'm starting with a 1/4" ply mock up (both for the anchor and the roller.)

Yes, I am imagining it's possibly going to be a pain, but not as bad as the pain we would be feeling (both 62 years old), if we had to pull up a Mantus 25# with S-2 swivel and 50' of 5/16" G4 chain by hand! lol!

I'm not really going to know how it's going to work out until I try it in our driveway... I'm guessing/hoping that at the time we switch from rope to chain, the anchor will still be on the bottom (Cannot imagine anchoring in 50'!...) At least not where we're cruising and how shallow we can choose to anchor in with our swing keel... Want to keep some of the keel down (if not all), just for stability and comfort at anchor), and there "should" be minimal pull on the chain until the chain gets taught and we start pulling up the anchor off the bottom.

At this point, all I can do is imagine it in my head (and that's what I do for a living! until I get the anchor roller built and at least temporarily mounted before committing to a permanent installation.

Richard

[Jim Cate]

Sounds like you are giving it your best shot... hope it works well for you. And yes, not being able to open the locker with the anchor catted would be a problem!

Jim

[Jarel Design]

LMHO!!! =O =D

Yes, I have visions of the anchor in place and not being able to access the locker!

We've been watching a sailing/cruising vlog "Sailing Nervous"... We love watching, but I'm ALWAYS scanning the surroundings and saw an great solution... They have a Moody 34... The forward part of the anchor locker hatch has a small raised opening (facing forward)... Somehow, the anchor is stowed so as it crosses the forward part of the hatch, it's tilted downward... The small raised section of the locker hatch covers the end of the anchor that is actually partially inside the locker...

I have a complete shop: machining, plastics (cast and thermoformed) and just about everything else you could name. I've been doing composites for decades and could VERY EASILY modify the locker hatch IF the geometry works out regarding the anchor and bow roller. (I'll be fabricating my own bow roller as well, so LOTS of flexibility.)

Even though we created a 10' tent over the entire boat, it's 28 degrees outside! (didn't think about temperatures... I was "planning" on getting a lot of work done over the winter... LOL!)

Richard