Temporary catamaran anchoring system ideas?

[Chotu]

After seeing Jim's brilliant solution to trying to mount Hydraulic steering rams to a narrow kick up rudder, I figured the smartest thing I can do to come up with a good idea for a temporary anchoring system is to seek forum wisdom.


I have my catamaran I'm working on. I am trying to get it up north and out of the high southern heat so it's easier to work on this summer.

It's got no rig, no front crossbeam.

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The "X" above is where my manual windlass is located. The entire crude picture represents the bows of the catamaran.

The windlass is actually just aft of "X" above so if you were to drop the anchor between the bows, the chain would tear into the fiberglass right at X.

I have a cleat on each bow.

I need to come up with a reliable temporary anchoring system given the above situation and the fact that I have an 80lbs Rocna.

Previously, I used some Dyneema between the 2 bow cleats and tied a piece of PVC pipe into the center. I've broken a few pieces of Dyneema either with the windlass or if my snubber let go and the rode pulled on the PVC hard, snapping the Dyneema. In those conditions, the rode tears up the bows as the cat sails at anchor. May need to put the boards down at anchor to stop the sailing. It's VERY lightweight.

Any creative ideas?

One thought is I need a better chain hook for my snubber. One that doesn't fall off when slack. Due to the surging from sailing at anchor, a normal chain hook drops off a lot.

Thanks for any ideas.

[Sparx]

First: Tie your bridle to the anchor chain using a rolling hitch. Set aside the chain hook which falls off. Nothing wrong with a chain hook that stays put, but until then use a rolling hitch. I am presuming your snubber is a bridle run from each bow. A bridle tying the anchor rode to each bow greatly reduces sailing about the anchor on most cats. Start with a bridle consisting of two mooring lines each as long as the beam of the boat, so the total bridle length is 2x the beam. Tie each to the anchor chain separately. Other ends get cleated at your bow cleats.


Second: is the problem that the missing cross beam prevents mounting the anchor roller? If it is just not time to just jump in and build the cross beam how about building a temporary one with multiple parralel runs of 2 by 8 lumber screwed together similar to the manner in which a beam is built in house framing. Build in a dolphin striker strung with dynema for additional strength if you like. It won't be pretty but could solve the problem temporarily while you sort out the future cross beam. Let the bridle above take the anchor load when the anchor is set, using the wood beam only for raising and lowering the anchor.


Another option is to build a temporary crossbeam from thick wall t606 aluminium tubing. This stuff is relatively easy to find and easy to work. One would want to run the bending moment calculations in order to select a combination of wall thickness and tube diameter that works.

[Chotu]

Yes, I can never quite lose the terminology of snubber from all my years on monohulls. LOL

It is truly a bridle. It’s also the size that you suggested. At least the beam of the boat long. Maybe even a little longer.

I am trying to avoid constructing anything. Because if I’m going to construct something, I’m just going to construct the forward beam. Or at least use a used mast for that.

I’m more looking for a creative Jerry rig. Like I did before with the dyneema stretched across. Although, maybe if I made some sort of Upside down U shape On the ends Of some long pole across, that could sit on the bows and take the weight of the anchor. I don’t know. Trying to think of something that I can use temporarily. Without having to do any work really, and that will be usable like a normal anchoring system would be.

And yes. And I cannot have an anchor roller because I don’t have a forward beam yet. I tried using an anchor roller back where the X is in the diagram above. That didn’t work because the anchor rode would chew up the bows on its way back up. This boat weighs almost nothing so it flies around a lot at anchor. I think I need to start putting the boards down. For sure.