Difficult anchor lockers?

[OldFrog75]

I seem to recall a recent post where someone complained about the anchor locker being accessed through the V-berth rather than an anchor locker at the bow pulpit. If true, which manufactures of boats under 32' don't have a "standard" easily accessible anchor locker on the bow of the boat?

[OldFrog75]

Maybe it was a deck spill pipe and a below deck chain and rode he was complaining about. Maybe my question should have been, "which boats less than 32' utilize a below deck chain and rode rather than an on-deck anchor locker?"

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by OldFrog75

Maybe it was a deck spill pipe and a below deck chain and rode he was complaining about. Maybe my question should have been: which boats less than 32' utilize a below deck chain and rode rather than an on-deck anchor locker?

Prior to the early 1980's a chain locker accessed from the foredeck was very unusual. The first I recall seeing was around 1982 and I remember thinking what a dumb arrangement it was in the event of a knock-down as nothing but two small pins were provided to lock the lid in place. And, by not having the deck sealed, the drive assembly for a vertical windlass, which I feel is superior to horizontal windlass's which can only grip a chain for 90º, would be very problematic. Since the early '80's chain lockers accessed from the foredeck have evolved and become very commonplace although the problems, including the difficulty of adequately securing the covers and the relative shallowness which disallows adequate fall as the chain is stripped off the gypsy so that the chain is self-stowing persists.

FWIW...

[SlugmasterP]

I built one in my Tartan 30. Cut a hole on the foredeck for a spill pipe and made a compartment in the very forward section of the boat. Wasn't too hard. I don't have a windlass so I pull the anchor up by hand. The only negative is it has to drain into the bilge but so far not much water or mud gets in. I usually disconnect the chain from the anchor for longer trips and store it all down below.

[zeehag]

chain lockers are accessed thru the forepeak/vee berth.

anchor lockers are accessed on deck.

not all boats have anchor lockers.

not all boats have chain lockers.

some have neither.

my formosa has a chain locker and on the sprit i have anchor rollers, one on each side of the sprit, placement for 2 anchors.
chain passes thru a hawse in the deck just for that particular job,one for each windlass, and chain is held in the chain locker.
my chain locker is divided into halves -one side for each windlass to deliver its chain to the locker.

my ericson has a chain locker, no windlass, and only accesses thru the v-berth. anchor is held to bow on a roller.

[sartorst]

My last boat had an anchor locker that was shallow and every thing had to be arranged just so are it would not fit ! the area under it in the v-berth was not much good for storage because when the bow started going under in rough weather what ever was there got wet because there were so many places to leak,chain plate, stanchions, cleats, lights, etc. The solution was to cut the locker out and glass the entire area into an anchor locker that drained overboard now it was huge and useful and if I smashed into something it had a watertight bulkhead!!