Bow Protection From Anchor Chain

[harry_h01]

I am after some advice or some ideas on how to protect the bow of my boat.

I was doing some touch up flowcoating on the weekend, and noticed the bow, either side of the roller, was scratched and worn from running the anchor chain up and down the glass.

I am looking for something that will protect the bow. I have sanded and regelcoated the bow area where I saw the damage, but I want something that will protect the bow from the chain in future.

The damage occurs when I release the anchor / throw it over the side, and let the chain run against the hull.

I have tried a piece of carpet before, with limited success. I was looking at a type of fender or a piece of plastic moulding etc to place on the bow and for the anchor rope and chain to run against.

Thoughts and suggestions please.

Harry.

[The-easyrider]

Do you have a bow spirt or is the anchor stored in an anchor well

[harry_h01]

Anchor is in the well at the front, and I let it out over the edge of the bow.

[bustaonenut]

put a rubber bike tube over the chain

[sharkymark2]

I use a soft plastic hose over the chain. Doesn't spook the fish when I pull it up or drop it over the side.

[Shagga]

Harry,

Try putting your chain inside a bike tube. I did this with one of my tinnies and it works well.

Regards

Gary.

[harry_h01]

Thanks all, sounds like the best plan of attack. I'll fit some bike tube this weekend.

I'm also looking at a bumper or the likes on the bow itself.

Harry

[Alex9797]

try a piece of white chopping board material . Easy to form and screw or sika to the area.


cheers


Alex

[Chimo]

Hi Harry

If you go with the bicycle tube get the biggest dia stuff you can get. I tried bike tube on a chain yrs ago and boy do they rust well inside the tube!

The teflon board sikaed with a few dots might be a better way to go in the long term.

Also often wondered if you could get a a short length of large dia black poly tube / pipe and slice it in half lengthwise and use the poly "tray" this would create from the anchor well to the bow sprit?

No noise, chain is contained and you can use it or remove it at will. Cut a hole and drop it over the bow sprit at the front and then drop (the other hole you have made in it) onto the bow bollard which would hold the other end.

Can you take a pic when you've done it and I'll take the other half off your hands !

Cheers
Chimo

PS By the way I just use carpet from the well to the bow sprit and just change it every five or so years whether it needs it or not

[kingtin]

Here ya go!



This is the expensive "puncture resistant" inner tube (about 12 bucks).

Is it worth it?..................I ask myself First trip out and I lost the lot. It's on the remains of the old Tweed bridge pylons

I reckon the best bet is to simply glue a piece of marine carpet offcut up at the bow as I have in the past...........stops the feet slipping when the deckie's pulling the anchor in too. I do like the inner tube method though, as I'm a strong believer that the chain must make a hell of a racket when anchored on reef in anything other than a flat sea.

Thread a piece of rope through the tube and then tie one end off at the chain and the other end to something immovable then work the tube along the chain pulling as hard as you can............the fattest tube is exactly the same diameter as the chain so it isn't easy going. A bit of warmth and a dusting inside with chalk powder helps.

kev

[Chimo]

Hi Kev

At least you had the sense to take a picture so you would have something to remember the anchor etc by.

I had the same set up and used chalk to pull the chain thru but as mentioned earlier if used in saltwater the chain rusted while one watched........ thats why I went back to carpet too.

Also given that one is supposed to lay and anchor rather than chuck it; with a bit of care, and carpet, there is no great amount of noise anyhoo.

Cheers
Chimo

[kingtin]

Yeah Chimo, as one who has slipped (wet feet) whilst pulling anchor and nearly lost me manhood on the bowsprit, the carpet seems the best bet.

The noise I was thinking of though, is not the noise as the anchor goes into the water but the noise of the chain underwater whilst the boat is rocking at anchor. I was in 8ft of water over a scarby reef and I could hear a strange noise all the time I was waiting for a bite....................it was a good hour before I realised that I could actually hear the chain rattling below me. In shallow water now, I never use chain.

kev

[Chimo]

Hey Kev

I know what you mean re nut cracker waltzs

Maybe you could let a bit more warp out so the chain lays on the sand where I thought a good chain should be if it knows its place!

Having another think about the tube..........maybe we should have cut the tube so the tit was in the middle and we could have pumped some fresh water thru to flush it after use? Then again its one more job and you would have to hang it out to dry too....................... Its all getting too hard.......

Cheers
Chimo

[Dean1]

Here ya go!



This is the expensive "puncture resistant" inner tube (about 12 bucks).

Is it worth it?..................I ask myself First trip out and I lost the lot. It's on the remains of the old Tweed bridge pylons

I reckon the best bet is to simply glue a piece of marine carpet offcut up at the bow as I have in the past...........stops the feet slipping when the deckie's pulling the anchor in too. I do like the inner tube method though, as I'm a strong believer that the chain must make a hell of a racket when anchored on reef in anything other than a flat sea.

Thread a piece of rope through the tube and then tie one end off at the chain and the other end to something immovable then work the tube along the chain pulling as hard as you can............the fattest tube is exactly the same diameter as the chain so it isn't easy going. A bit of warmth and a dusting inside with chalk powder helps.

kev

I see that plough anchor is not tripped?! Your a game man if using it on reef?!

[kingtin]

Hey Kev

Its all getting too hard.......

Cheers
Chimo

yeah!.......................bugger it!.....................carpet it is

kev