Ground Tackle Options and Handling - Cape Dory 27

[Atcowboy]

Per request, I snapped some pictures while working on her this weekend.

The bronze peak is an integral forestay and fairlead. It just looks like it would be difficult to create a robust, well-attached, and user friendly management system on the foredeck without chucking the whole thing.

The cape dory 25D in front of me has an integral roller. Cheaters.

[Captn_Black]

Gotta say mate, I don't see how you could easily haul the anchor over that without a bowroller.
If you were chain and rode, then the rode would pass through the fairleads without too much issue, but the chain would be a problem.
With some work you could perhaps install a bow roller in place of one of the fairleads, offset from centre ofc, but would work fine.

[Atcowboy]

Originally Posted by thomm225

If you are not planning to sail the world at the moment, a CQR might work fine in the area you are in now or a Bruce.

You are still figuring things out and after a day or so at anchor you might start considering what life would be like on a 30' sailboat or better yet a 34' sailboat.

Point is you may not want to over load your preset little boat with high priced equipment until you know it's the boat for you.

A 27' boat is quite small to be living on full time especially stuck at anchor.

Btw, have you sailed it yet?

Not yet Thomm, she is still on the hard. I just put in a huge order for hoses last night - everything attached to a thru-hull is being pitched and replaced, including new hose clamps. That is, except the sanitation system, which I'm leaning towards just pitching and replacing with a composting head.

I'm glad I didn't try to put off hose replacement - I was able to rip apart the galley drain hose and push a blunt-tipped flat blade screwdriver through the side of the cockpit drain....

- AT

[Atcowboy]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

Find a French girl and build a Heberdian windvane. Both Problemas muy facil.

Sage life advice. I need to figure out which wind vane will work well for the boat, as alas I have no crew (French girl or no) to help me sail her.

- AT

[Atcowboy]

Originally Posted by Captn_Black

Gotta say mate, I don't see how you could easily haul the anchor over that without a bowroller.
If you were chain and rode, then the rode would pass through the fairleads without too much issue, but the chain would be a problem.
With some work you could perhaps install a bow roller in place of one of the fairleads, offset from centre ofc, but would work fine.

I've gotten a lot of advice (and opinions) in this thread. With a little more forethought; I might have asked people to refrain from discussing the hook and keeping the discussion about the tackle lol.

I've seen some pictures of people who slapped a roller over that piece of hardware and it looks terrible, and weak. I don't mind it looking terrible if I felt it was safe and would work when I need it, but the weak part really gets me.

This one actually looks pretty good, it is supposedly a Cape Dory 27 (I think a later model with an on-deck chain locker). The roller looks like it is bolted on bronze, I would like to see more pictures of it!


- AT

[Captn_Black]

Fair enough, I didn't mention your anchor, most of my comments have been about the practical nature of anchoring for your boat. Though that set-up does look in risk of damaging your gelcoat. A roller would keep it away from the bow. Aesthetics aside, it doesn't need to be weak if you use adequate backing plates.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Atcowboy

Not yet Thomm, she is still on the hard. I just put in a huge order for hoses last night - everything attached to a thru-hull is being pitched and replaced, including new hose clamps. That is, except the sanitation system, which I'm leaning towards just pitching and replacing with a composting head.

I'm glad I didn't try to put off hose replacement - I was able to rip apart the galley drain hose and push a blunt-tipped flat blade screwdriver through the side of the cockpit drain....

- AT

How are the seacocks? There's a test you can do to check to see if they are still good. (metal check) You scrap off some metal and check the color. I plan to do mine next pull out in 3 years

I have removed most all the hoses from my seacocks and they are closed.

The head (a glorified Thetford portapotty with 6 gallon holding tank) used to stink up the whole boat after just a couple "drops." The problem was old hoses and an old manual pump bladder. I cut all that out and capped every thing.

Now I empty by hand at the facility and use it as sparingly as possible. If I'm far enough offhshore (3 mile out in the ocean) I use the bucket method or direct deposit

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Captn_Black

Gotta say mate, I don't see how you could easily haul the anchor over that without a bowroller.
If you were chain and rode, then the rode would pass through the fairleads without too much issue, but the chain would be a problem.
With some work you could perhaps install a bow roller in place of one of the fairleads, offset from centre ofc, but would work fine.

I stand all the way forward and just pull up my 20 lb CQR but I only have maybe 35' -40' of chain and the rest is rope rode. It's not really a problem then I bring it in under the bow rail and drop it on deck and secure it quickly to the cleat then get back to the cockpit if I'm in a congested area

I used to remount the anchor back on the bow platform, but now I leave it on deck tied to the cleat or the side board.

Also I don't worry about a scratch here and there that can be sanded and painted over next haul out if need be

[Atcowboy]

Originally Posted by Captn_Black

Fair enough, I didn't mention your anchor, most of my comments have been about the practical nature of anchoring for your boat. Though that set-up does look in risk of damaging your gelcoat. A roller would keep it away from the bow. Aesthetics aside, it doesn't need to be weak if you use adequate backing plates.

No worries mate, I knew this would be a hot-button topic but I think I have gotten some worthwhile information out of it! And why 27? It's what I could afford. Since it has been done (even smaller), that means I can do it. Hopefully I'll soon "lament" that I don't have a 34' boat costing 8x as much with a billion things to break, while I'm eating fresh fish in a warm anchorage.

I bet the point of that plow does damage the glass on that boat. A picture from the front showed no protective plate on the bow. However, I don't think I would try to cantilever the roller out much further (that's when they start looking janky to me). If I wanted a mini-sprit, I'd take the casting off and start fresh (not happening).

- AT

[Captn_Black]

Originally Posted by Atcowboy

No worries mate, I knew this would be a hot-button topic but I think I have gotten some worthwhile information out of it! And why 27? It's what I could afford. Since it has been done (even smaller), that means I can do it. Hopefully I'll soon "lament" that I don't have a 34' boat costing 8x as much with a billion things to break, while I'm eating fresh fish in a warm anchorage.

I bet the point of that plow does damage the glass on that boat. A picture from the front showed no protective plate on the bow. However, I don't think I would try to cantilever the roller out much further (that's when they start looking janky to me). If I wanted a mini-sprit, I'd take the casting off and start fresh (not happening).

- AT

My first ship was 27' too. Spent a few good years cruising the Caribbean. Many of the people on this forum will spend hours arguing the details, but rarely leave the marina. Sometimes what is practical isn't the same as what is best. Have fun

[thinwater]

Lots of good stuff. I would probably place a roller over the toerail using a spacer.


BTW, when you ask about ground tackle, you have asked about the anchor, rode, connectors, rollers and everything. Just a quirk of the language. If you want to ask specifically about the roller and windlass, that is "anchor handling equipment."



(Websters)
Definition of ground tackle



: the anchors, cables, and other tackle used to secure a ship at anchor



Definition of tackle

(Entry 1 of 2)


1 : a set of the equipment used in a particular activity : gear fishing tackle
[in the case of anchoring, the rope and anchor are all part of the tackle]

[thomm225]

It's good to keep in mind that these old boats are very tough and a scratch or two here and there is not a real concern.

This guy sailed his 27' most of the way around the world and didn't sweat the small stuff but did stay busy with his electronics, programming, fishing for squid etc rather than worry over cosmetics

I got a few ideas from this guy's boat and built a Chart Plotter/AIS Monitor using a Raspberry Pi/ SH GX2200/GPS Puck for my boat

https://towndock.net/shippingnews/se...-and-alexandra

https://svcrystalblues.blogspot.com/...ne-around.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbezaHPm_MU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TdXImMFTZk

[Captn_Black]

Originally Posted by thomm225

It's good to keep in mind that these old boats are very tough and a scratch or two here and there is not a real concern.

This guy sailed his 27' most of the way around the world and didn't sweat the small stuff but did stay busy with his electronics, programming, fishing for squid etc rather than worry over cosmetics

I got a few ideas from this guy's boat and built a Chart Plotter/AIS Monitor using a Raspberry Pi/ SH GX2200/GPS Puck for my boat

https://towndock.net/shippingnews/se...-and-alexandra

https://svcrystalblues.blogspot.com/...ne-around.html

Yea, my budget has forced me to come up with some creative solutions too, though my gf, daughter and chartering work force me to pay some attention to cosmetics. And ofc, a scratch on a steel boat is more than cosmetic. I looked into the raspberry PI thing, but I think I am just going to go for a tablet in a waterproof case as a chartplotter, though a phone with OpenCPN has worked fine so far.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Captn_Black

Yea, my budget has forced me to come up with some creative solutions too, though my gf, daughter and chartering work force me to pay some attention to cosmetics. And ofc, a scratch on a steel boat is more than cosmetic. I looked into the raspberry PI thing, but I think I am just going to go for a tablet in a waterproof case as a chartplotter, though a phone with OpenCPN has worked fine so far.

We all have our different situations and level of tolerate as to just how much we can deal with when it comes to cosmetics and cleanliness.

My boat's interior got so bad I totally redid it. I was all old dark dirty wood and 70's paneling. My son convinced me lighten it up down there by partially paining the interior white. Now it's white/offwhite with new settee, lamps, shades, etc.

Then I added the SH GX2200, the USB NMEA adapter, HDTV, and built the chart Ploitter/AIS Moniter

Video is before I redid the interior.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWwQ4iUfiyM

[Captn_Black]

Yea, I tried to keep all the teak-faced ply that I could, but much of it I now painted white but kept the teak trim. I like my solution for some of the areas, which is varnished sea grass matt. No readily available pics of that though, and to take one now would mean tidying up, and I'm still in the middle of working. I would like a NEMA multiplexer with wifi capability though.