Twist anchor swivelling connector

[nigel1]

The suggestions to motor astern or lift the chain off the gypsy and induce a turn are all well and good until you find yourself single handed and trying to leave an anchorage in less than ideal conditions.


I single hand my boat 99% of the time over the last 12 years and during that time have learned that its best to get the anchor retrieved quickly rather than dick around on the foredeck trying to get the anchor turned to the right orientation.


For the OP, if you do go for the Osculati option, its best to insert 3 or 5 links of chain between the swivel and the anchor, this allows the anchor to turn in a much gentler way. My set up is:
13mm Galvanised Anchor chain
Osculati swivel
Crosby Bow Shackle
5 x links of Duplex stainless steel 13mm chain
Crosby Bow shackle
Manson Boss Anchor


Its all a trade off between having no swivel and avoiding stressful situations when recovering the anchor.


The attached picture shows the bow roller arrangement. The roller has been machined to match 13mm chain, and by the way, this does not prevent the chain from twisting although it does reduce the chances of this happening.



Cheers
Nigel

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

If the anchor is coming up consistently in the wrong orientation cut 1 link of chain from the end.

To help align modern concave anchors motor backwards instead of forwards. The other trick is as the anchor is spinning, time the retrieve so that the anchor is in the correct orientation as it hits the bow roller (unfortunately this last tip does not work if you have a swivel).

One, or a combination of these solutions will work.

If not, I would not recommend any of the anchor straighteners with perhaps the exception of the Ultra flip swivel. Many are poorly constructed, reducing strength. The bulk inhibits the anchor performing as it should do and there is lot to hang up and create an unfair lead.

There are some flat plate flip links. These are a simple kinked flat plate of steel with a couple of slots. (These are simple enough you can make your own can make with minimal tools). These models don’t have the strength limitations, but the other drawbacks remain. Unfortunately if they turn sideways they will stop the anchor setting correctly and they are even more likely to bind and hang up than the more streamlined round models. There is no swivel function with these flat plate models.

Try and avoid extra hardware in your anchor system if possible. The KISS approach is is often the best solution.

Indeed.

Another way to get an advantage in this situation - use a lead ballasted hoopless anchor like a Vulcan, Ultra, or Spade (is the Sarca Excel ballasted? It resembles the Delta, which is). These have better balance and center of gravity and tend to come up right side up.

Motoring slowly in reverse can help, but not if it positions the anchor with a twist in the chain. The anchor will come out of the water right side up, but then it will just spin. If the anchor is well balanced, it will work out any twist and come to rest in the proper position, after it's out of the water.

Lastly, if the chain is on wrong, why would you cut a link out? Just undo the shackle and put it back on 180 degrees around. If you cut the chain, you'll still have to undo and redo the shackle, so isn't cutting the chain a completely superfluous step? What am I missing?

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by nigel1

The suggestions to motor astern or lift the chain off the gypsy and induce a turn are all well and good until you find yourself single handed and trying to leave an anchorage in less than ideal conditions.
]

I often weigh anchor and essentially single hand our 60fter in adverse conditions whilst my partner stows stuff away.

If the anchor doesn't come up straight it can stay in any orientation it likes until I'm in a position to engage auto pilot and sort it out.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Lastly, if the chain is on wrong, why would you cut a link out? Just undo the shackle and put it back on 180 degrees around. If you cut the chain, you'll still have to undo and redo the shackle, so isn't cutting the chain a completely superfluous step? What am I missing?

Why?

As has been mentioned, lift chain off chainwheel,
Rotate 90, 180 or 270 degrees
No need to cut chain or undo shackles.

[nigel1]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

I often weigh anchor and essentially single hand our 60fter in adverse conditions whilst my partner stows stuff away.

If the anchor doesn't come up straight it can stay in any orientation it likes until I'm in a position to engage auto pilot and sort it out.

I could do the same, but with a good chance of doing some serious damage to the gelcoat, which is something I would like to avoid.


Cheers
Nigel

[team karst]

Cutting a link, or adding a shackle gets u 90 deg change. Flipping on the wildcat gets u 180 deg.
Right??

[Breaking Waves]

Originally Posted by Medved

Has anyone used this product?

https://www.osculati.com/en/11004-m-...ling-connector

I have used the Osculati. It works as advertised and I never had any trouble with it. It was well made.

The swivel in the Osculati is not really needed and as the bend does the work of flipping the anchor right side up. We have seen people with homemade ones with just thick pieces of bent rod or angle cut plate doing the job.

Some anchors will come up backwards if you are motoring forward thru the water when you lift them out of the water but will come up right side up if you are reversing thru the water when they lift out. It is worth just testing that out, see if it solves the issue sufficiently, before adding the bent link.

[RobertL]

I use an Ultra Marine swivel with patented nub design. Works great 100% of the time. Comes in different sizes depending on chain gauge.

[Medved]

Originally Posted by ItDepends

This "problem" seems to keep coming up, and I do not understand it.

I have now a Mantus anchor, and a Rocna before that. And a Mantus before that And a CQR before that.... Multiple boats, multiple anchors.

In EVERY case they come up facing the "wrong" way sometimes. In EVERY case, I just keep pulling. The anchor will flip over by itself, with a "thunk," gravity does the work. An anchor upside down, is not stable and can not stay that way.

For those people who can't seem to get anchors to come up correctly, what happens if you just keep pulling? Does it get stuck? Stay upside down? What?

I guess it is POSSIBLE you could design a bow roller that did not allow the anchor to "flip" itself over, but I have never seen one, but that would be dumb...

Windlass is not able to pull the anchor up until I flip it the right way

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

Why?



As has been mentioned, lift chain off chainwheel,

Rotate 90, 180 or 270 degrees

No need to cut chain or undo shackles.

[Shrew]

We had this issue. We also had an issue where multiple days of swinging with opposing tides and shifting winds would cause the chain to hockle at the windlass while being retrieved.

We ended up installing a Mantus swivel and this alleviated both problems. The Mantus swivel seems more robust than others.

[team karst]

Originally Posted by Shrew

We had this issue. We also had an issue where multiple days of swinging with opposing tides and shifting winds would cause the chain to hockle at the windlass while being retrieved.

We ended up installing a Mantus swivel and this alleviated both problems. The Mantus swivel seems more robust than others.

We have a cat. We just spin the vessel above the anchor until twists r gone. [emoji847]

[Muaddib1116]

Originally Posted by team karst

Cutting a link, or adding a shackle gets u 90 deg change. Flipping on the wildcat gets u 180 deg.
Right??

You can adjust the chain 90 degrees in the wildcat/gypsy without cutting anything, since the wildcat/gypsy turns and adjusts for the length change.

[team karst]

My last geometry class was in 1970. At this point I just need to know if a wildcat is the proper term. 🤯

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by team karst

My last geometry class was in 1970. At this point I just need to know if a wildcat is the proper term. ��

Yes, no, maybe, depends where you are.

Chainwheel, wildcat, gypsy are the same.
But one name is actually descriptive and leaves no doubt.