bitter end of anchor line

[John Fogelgren]

I've unsuccessfully searched the website for the best location in the anchor locker to attach the bitter end.  We do not have a windlass.  What do you suggest?  I noticed Mike Smith said he attached his to the fixture in the locker, but where? 

[Stu Jackson]

John

There are many points of view on this topic.

1.  Don't do anything - if you anchor in "thin" water normally and have adequate rode (regardless of its makeup) then no attachment is needed.  We anchor in 12 to 15 feet of water normally and rarely have ever had to anchor in deeper water simply because of our cruising grounds.  Our normal anchor rode is 150 feet of chain and line, so we usually set out about 90 feet.  That leaves lots in the anchor well.

2.  Use the cleats on deck.  We've added a second bow cleat on our older boat.  The Projects section of the Original Homepage (www.c34.org) [or click on C34 Projects at the upper right of this screen] has an article about adding bow cleats by Ron Hill.  If you have more than one cleat, use one for the anchor rode and one for the bitter end.

3.  Add a cleat inside the anchor well.

4.  Add a "garden hose holder" inside the anchor well - that's what out PO did, and we drape the anchor rode over it - the bitter end is tied to that.

In any event it's important to note that the bitter end should always be prepared to be let go in quick fashion, just in case, even with all chain rode.  Lin and Larry Pardey's [and other's] recommended solution to an all chain rode is to have a light line tying the last link of chain to the boat.

[Ron Hill]

John : Good Question!!
The 1989 and later C34s have a cleat in the anchor well that they can run the bitter end thru the center and tie a loose figure 8 stopper knot.
In the earlier models it's that much more important that you install a chain pin to secure the rode when it's stowed.  The anchor well walls (except the aft wall) aren't really strong enough for a cleat.  Just make sure that an adequate amount of rode is cleated before you ever deploy the anchor.  I usually cleat at where the rode meets the chain (36').   

[tstrand]

We typically anchor bow-and-stern in 20-25 feet of water, so we frequently let out all of our bow line (300') in order to set the stern. That puts us at increased risk of losing the bow anchor line.

In order to both (a) secure the bitter end so we don't lose the rode and (b) have the rode ready to let go if needed, we put a large loop in the bitter end, which we loop over the bow cleat before starting to let out rode. On departure, after raising anchor and piling all of the rode back in the locker, we flop the bitter end on top. So the rule is: the loop is first out, last in.

Tim

[Tom Soko]

John,
Not sure what your hull number is or what your anchor locker configuration is, but if you have access to any of the bolts holding any of the bow cleats, you can put a tang under one of the nuts, and put a shackle thru the other end of the tang.  Bitter end can be attached to that.  That's what I did.

[Ron Hill]

Tom : FYI, John's anchor well is the same double door configuration and size as your's and mine.
Guess that you need to tell us where you drilled a hole in the anchor well so the bitter end can get to that tang attached to the underside of a deck cleat.      

[John Fogelgren]

Thanks Tom and Ron,
         Attaching the rode to the bottom of the Large cleat will work to give it strength and although it will require a hole through the locker it still seems better than any else I have thought of so far.  By the way Ron--I put on a CR-1 anchor roller last week, using your tech note, and it went on well.  Thanks for doing the note and the follow-up about its continuing success. 

John


   

[Tom Soko]

Ron,
The earlier C34's must be different from the earlier C36's.  I have the double doors, but the nuts of all of my bow cleats are fully exposed inside the anchor locker.  I seem to remember you have to have a Beckson port or similar to access the nuts?  The tang on Julandra is attached to a centerline cleat that I installed.

[Ron Hill]

All C34 anchor wells are completely enclosed and the Beckson port gives access to the bottom nuts of the cleats and the bow light wiring. 
I guess that you could drill a 1/2" hole in the center of the Beckson cap and run the line thru it to a tang on the button of a cleat.  Then screw the cap in place.
Personally, I cleat the line at some length before I deploy the anchor.  Otherwise there's a retaining pin thur the chain just aft of the swivel connection to the anchor.