Replace Anchor Rope

[HotDirk01]

When I replace the anchor line (5/8" rope - no chain), do I feed the new line from the topside, going from the anchor toward the chain locker or from the bottom, leaving the chain locker and going toward the anchor.

 

[dwna1a]

Do you have a windless? Also do you have a eye hook in the locker?

It was easier to feed the rode in and lock it into place with a SS D ring than to have all the rode in the locker and feed it out.

Another issue you will have is the twist in the rode. Feeding it in will control knotting. Also adding a swivel at the anchor will help control that issue as you use the rode and anchor.

I'd like to add this one thing. If you add a swivel to the end of the rode, maintain it. Check it, clean it, and be sure it is secure. I'd hate to hear you lost your anchor

 

[JVM225]

Easiest way is to feed it in from the outside.

 

[DWABoat]

I fed my 250 feet in via the hatch to the anchor locker then pushed the end out of the windless hole to connect to the anchor chain. I used a Kong swivel. Very well made device.

 

[fwebster]

It is very difficult to feed an anchor line out from inside the locker without kinking the heck out of the anchor line.

You should feed the anchor line off the bow, without the anchor attached, into the water from the outside of the spool as you back your boat away from the line in the water. This will unkink the line as it feeds off the reel. When there are just a few feet (10-12ft) of line left on the spool, un-roll the rest and tie the end off to a bow cleat. Next slowly back several boat lengths away from the line until it is laying out flat infant of your boat then continue backing until the line stops untwisting. The line manufacturer's handling and rolling methods introduce some twist into the rolled up line......it cannot be avoided. Once the anchor line is wet and all happy laying flat infant of your boat, untie the line from the cleat and slowly feed it into the windlass from the outside in, going slowly while making sure the anchor line coils neatly (as opposed to landing in a piled up mess) in the anchor locker. Doing it this way will help the new line take a set so as it is retrieved in the future it has sort of a memory to coil up as it is retrieved.