Grinding away galvanized Rocna

[Orion Jim]

Originally Posted by Jammer

On a boat that size a suitable Rocna is not expensive. One might just as well declare that someone is destroying the value of a foresail by having a window put in it. The boat has to work as a system.

Last I checked your life isn’t at risk with a compromised headsail. The integrity of your ground tackle is of paramount importance and can save your life, and others. That was the point, not the dollar value of a Rocna.

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Definitely agree.

Is there anything wrong with putting the anchor in your trunk? Your truck bed? The cabin of your boat?

it’s pretty doubtful you’ll need to deploy the anchor while you are going down the highway lol

LoL. He’d run out of scope pretty quick.

[Jim Cate]

What size boat?

What size anchor?

How much are you removing and what shape?

If you answer these questions we might eliminate some of the doom and gloom predictions. And guys, remember this is a trailer sailor, not a serious cruising boat. Not likely to be anchored on a lee shore in Patagonia!

Jim

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by massnspace

Fitting a small Rocna to a newly installed bow roller on my trailerable sailboat. Due to the way it mounts and the angled shank of the anchor, it doesn’t fit correctly. I want a good fit as the boat will be going 60 MPH on the highway.

My idea is to grind away a bit of the anchor shank. Obviously this will remove the galvanized coating.

Is this a good idea? Will it rust there and spill rust stains down the bow? Paint the ground away area?

I guess I could have the entire anchor re-galvanized, but it’s brand new and I also don’t want to throw that much money at it.

Ideas?

David
Seattle

Man I can not believe (well I can) the responses this question produced. I assume you aren't a total idiot far as how much you are going to grind. Spray some zinc primer on the grind spot to maintain it.

Have you considered just tying the anchor to the bow to keep it tight?

[SailingHarmonie]

Ah... come on everybody. It's a TRAILER SAILOR. He's not anchoring in hurricanes. Or living on the hook for months.

I'm a fanatic about being careful and not taking un-necessary risks, but let's be a BIT realistic here. On these tiny little anchors the issue really is not strength, but weight. Grinding off a bit of steel will not be a huge deal for the application. But that doesn't make it a great idea...

To the OP: There is nothing under the galvanizing except steel. It's not "mild" steel, but it is steel. It will rust. The larger a surface area of steel you expose the faster and more it will rust. You can throw some cold galvanizing spray on there and reduce the rust, but that's a patch job at best.

I am guessing having a proper hot-dip re-galvanizing done will cost far more then the anchor is worth. Most shops will have a minimum charge. The last galvanizing shop I worked with it was about $400.

I really think there are better solutions to your problem. For a trailer sailor, you are pulling the anchor up by hand, I assume. Get a fortress out of aluminum and just lift it over the rail and stow it. Storage on the bow is really something better suited to bigger boats.

[chris95040]

While you are at it, chainsaw 6 inches off the keel so it fits better in the garage.

[kayakerChuck]

Of course it's not a good idea. That doesn't mean I wouldn't do it.

Prime & paint the notch, use galvanizing spray, something- I doubt it's critical and it's easily renewed.

Try not to anchor in hurricanes ;-)

[GopherBaroque]

Originally Posted by kayakerChuck

Of course it's not a good idea. That doesn't mean I wouldn't do it.

Prime & paint the notch, use galvanizing spray, something- I doubt it's critical and it's easily renewed.

I like this reply best. If I thought a small, smoothly faired (no stress risers, please!) grind would be the best solution for smooth anchor stowage, this is what I would do, along with topcoating with white paint.


My boats are small week-ender types. I paint my anchors white to make them easier to see as they go down in relatively shallow water. The (alkyd enamel or Hobbypoxy) paint holds up surprisingly well in your use case of mostly being out of the water. Your de-galvanized spot might need extra touch-ups with rattle-can paint, assuming it is a touch-point when stowed.

[Yojimbo]

massnspace-

PM sent.

[wyb2]

Quite the variety of responses. I don’t think anyone has addressed this:

Originally Posted by massnspace

…. Due to the way it mounts and the angled shank of the anchor, it doesn’t fit correctly. I want a good fit as the boat will be going 60 MPH on the highway.
…

If it mounts well enough to beat upwind, it’s almost certainly fine for trailering. In normal driving, even on the highway, things just aren’t subject to many forces.

The biggest concern is emergency stops or turns, but anything secured in place good enough to sail will be fine right up until you are at risk of flipping the trailer.

The second biggest concern is vibration, either from the road or wind. This can be a concern for bolts that aren’t tight, but more likely for lines/straps that are allowed to flap or chafe.

If your anchor is on the roller, and the rode is secure and not chaffing (probably not an issue as it’s not a thin strap that will flap in the wind), it’s not going anywhere. In fact it will probably swing around less than when you are sailing.

Story time:
I remove my transom mounted rudder for trailering. The whole assembly lifts up and away after removing 2 large cotter pins. This summer I got home once to find out I had left the cotter pins sitting on top of the transom. One had fallen into the cockpit, and one had made the whole 2 hour drive just sitting up there. I guess the slight forward slant of the surface happened to balance the small amount of wind resistance pushing it backward.

[rossdv8]

It would have been interesting to see a photograph of how the anchor currently sits on the bow roller, and of the foredeck area of the TS. All of my Trailer Sailers over the years from 18 foot to a number of them from 24 foot to 26 foot, have had anchor wells up at the pointy end.


Actually, that's not quite true. One of the old timber 16 footers had a big copper bin shaped to fit on the fwd end of the vee berth, and the anchor, chain and rope were dropped into that when sailing or when the boat was towed.


I only ever towed one with the anchor on the bow roller, and after I repaired the fibreglass, made sure the anchor on every boat after that was stored in the anchor well for transport.


I've had to give up sailing now, but if I was still towing a TS, and did not have an anchor well, I would simply remove the short piece of Stainless seizing wire from the Shackle Pin, undo the shackle pin, and remove the Rocna. Stick it somewhere that it cannot possibly do any damage to the Bow Roller (usually there's a big bin in the cockpit, or failing that, a piece of floor inside the cabin).


It is a TS after all. During launching there are things to mount, a mast to raise, rigging to check, sails to bend on, a boom to vang, sometimes even an outboard and fuel tank to rig.


The time it takes to carry a Rocna back to the bow roller, undo a piece of seizing wire, undo a shackle pin, and shackle the chain back onto the anchor, doesn;t take much more time than it did to type this!


Compared to all the other stuff you have to do to rig a TS, it is almost a pointless thing to be concerned about.

[David Mathis]

Have you considered repositioning the anchor roller or buying a new one of different design. Grinding your anchor to fit the roller is somewhat like having foot surgery to make your shoes fit.

[rossdv8]

Originally Posted by David Mathis

Have you considered repositioning the anchor roller or buying a new one of different design. Grinding your anchor to fit the roller is somewhat like having foot surgery to make your shoes fit.

That's one thing I was going to suggest too, because I did that when I later moved my problem Sarca anchor on the Keel yacht.
I just angled the bow rolled a bit so the pointy bit of anchor sat beside the bow when I was sailing relatively short distances, or in rough breaking seas.


But I never had to tow that particular boat.
I can't get my head around towing a Trailable yacht with an anchor on the bow roller or an outboard on the transom. I know people do it, but I never understood it.