Max spurling pipe (chain) angle?

[jorxster]

Hi sailors,

So I've taken ownership of a steel yacht -- it looks like the previous owner moved the spurling pipe to the front of the anchor bay below the vberth, but it's a nightmare to raise up chain as it constantly piles up and jams in the anchor bay.
(he did this to turn the vberth into a large bed but I will install a bunk on each side)

I'd like to move the spurling pipe back to where I think it was -- a plate welded on the bulkhead and into the cabin.

However, all the advice I see online (and Nigel Calder) recommends not exceeding 30 degrees for the chain to fall. However in my bow locker beneath the windlass, I really need a 45 degree angle, for about .3 meters, and then it can fall at 30 degrees or less.

So-- is 45 degrees too steep for the spurling pipe? Even if for a short bit and then afterwards tilted downwards?

[jorxster]

See attached illustration.
The old (current) spurling pipe placement is very poor, chain constantly piles up.

Blue lines and degrees is my current proposal. Any problems with a short 45d bit in there?

(Stainless 316 pipe, quite strong looking)

[GordMay]

Ideally, you should have at least 12” of vertical [90°] fall [underside of deck to top of chain pile] for the rode below deck, in the case of a horizontal windlass, and closer to 18” for a vertical windlass.
More ‘fall’ is always better.
Any angle, off vertical, may induce chain/rope jamming, especially when using a spurling pipe. IMO, 45° is too much. YMMV.

[jorxster]

Thanks Gord.

The current system, it feeds the chain into the front of the chain locker without any drop.
By introducing the 45d, it will have a good drop at the end of the pipe at the top of the locker. The drawing proportions aren't quite perfect, but the chain locker is somewhat deep I'd say

[GordMay]

The angle of incline, on the spurling pipe, needs to be steep enough to keep the chain moving [under gravity, alone], without kinking and/or jamming, once the windlass feeds it down to the spill point. A vertical drop, into the center of the chain locker, would be the best; but [if unable] a more vertical drop, into the front edge of a deep locker, might be preferable, to a shallower angle into the centre.
Only experience will tell.

Unfortunately, this is the nature of the 'school of hard knocks'. The exam, typically, precedes the lesson.

[ggray]

Assuming the transitions are smooth bends and not welder angles, my gut says what you propose would be a big improvement. The ultimate drop should pull the chain down.

But critical would be the final drop into the locker...how deep the locker is. I would hope deeper than your drawing suggests. And make sure the tube is plenty big.

I had to deal with the shallow locker on our catamaran. Improved it quite a bit by locating the windlass back and up 9 inches.

[jorxster]

thanks ggray,

I've attached an actual phot in the vberth so you can see what I'm talking about.

That pipe you see through the bulkhead is the old one.
The chain locker is deep about the distance from my tip-toe to my knee, so just short of 2ft.

I just realized even the current spurling pipe has a short 2 inch horizontal section at the bottom

[jorxster]

Hey all, an update. It's done! And looking great.

The chain still piles up a couple times when hauling up 80m but this is far more manageable than the two-man job it was before.

Will post photo if folks are curious.

[jorxster]

Photo attached. I'm not entirely happy with the weld, as it was a tricky location (previously welded overlapping panel) but the design seems to work.
The chain only piles up to the pipe (which I can cut a little higher) about once every 30m which is very manageable. I just duck down and kick over the pile.