March 10, 2005--Ground Tackle
by Scott and Wendy Bannerot

	This is the double bow anchor roller arrangement aboard ELAN, the Bruce rode to port and the CQR rode to starboard. That bull-nose affair is something we welded on for the purpose of being able to pry ourselves off seawalls and the like unassisted without damaging the anchor setup.

The ground tackle system on a cruising boat is certainly among the most critical aboard. More total losses occur while at anchor than while at sea, and a healthy proportion of these are due to ground tackle failures. On the positive side, it's very straightforward to get it right, and when you're set up properly, the sense of fun and security provided by a dependable system adds immeasurably to the cruising experience.

Our 41-foot Beaujolais aluminum centerboard sloop is 15 gross tons. We carry a 46-pound Bruce and a 42-pound CQR side by side on port and starboard bow anchor rollers, both ready to deploy. The rode for the CQR, our everyday favorite, is 3/8-inch chain. We keep a 200-foot length in the starboard anchor bow locker and the remaining 120 feet aft secured under the settee while at sea for load balance, and join the two lengths for island hopping within groups using two 3/8-inch shackles (these usually pass freely through the windlass, and on the odd occasion when they hop or catch a bit it's easy to reverse and clear). The Bruce rode consists of 40 feet of 3/8-inch chain attached to a 1,000-foot 3/4-inch three-strand nylon rode. In addition, we carry in reserve a 45-pound Brittany, a stout grapnel, and a light (22-pound) Flook anchor, designed to fly out and away from the vessel once dropped overboard (the thing actually works, although its holding power for a vessel our size is limited). We also carry another 700 or so feet of spare 7/8-inch rodes in the form of a series drogue and completely rigged sea anchor, and approximately 300 additional feet of heavy (7/8-inch) storm mooring lines.

The heart of the system is our Lofrans Falkon windlass. It's fitted for chain on the starboard side and rope on the port, and it is extremely strong and heavy-duty. Our boat was built in 1979, and I bought it in 1986 with this original windlass still in excellent condition. We have used the heck out of it since, and I have had it gone over only once in New Zealand in 1998, even though it was still working fine. At that time I did need to sandblast and weld the aluminum motor housing as salt had worked its way under the original vinyl paint, and we replaced a couple of minor seals and parts. It looked like new inside. I've simply left it bare and unpainted since, and no further significant pitting problems have occurred.

Here is Ryan at 14 months of age demonstrating something I never knew, and no sailor I've ever met has known-that you can actually steer your vessel with the brake wheel of your windlass. This photo was taken about half way between Samoa and the Marshall Islands, and we did indeed arrive, so he must be right.

When I purchased ELAN in 1986 I had a lot of commercial sea time but I knew little about sailboats. I was way over my head. Since that time I've done my best to come up to speed, and in many cases it was the boat and how the original owner had it set up that taught me right from wrong. The ground tackle system then consisted of the CQR, chain, and windlass, but that's still the heart of the setup. The further afield you go, the less you see anything but all-chain rodes and beefy windlasses...and those who weren't blessed with an originally-installed powerhouse of a windlass nearly all end up getting one if they can afford it. I regard it as critically important. I can pull the anchor myself no trouble, in adverse conditions. Once, while beginning to slowly drag towards the rocks in a 50- to 70-knot blow in New Zealand (despite a very protected position and deep mud) the Falkon gamely winched the boat up to the anchor while I stood there calmly with my foot on the push-button switch. Another time we broke out of the bottom in Pago Pago Harbor, American Samoa during the lead-up to a near-miss by Cyclone Waka, and the Falkon quickly winched in the chain and anchor as we flew across the anchorage, allowing us to re-position efficiently with room to spare. I can't overemphasize the value I place on having the most powerful possible windlass. Whatever the cost, it's a bargain.

It's very important, however, to protect yourself from such a brutally strong piece of gear. We have a heavy-duty electrical distribution switch which we turn on only when we need to use the windlass, and always promptly turn back off, particularly with a curious youngster that has been aboard much of his 5 1/2 years of life. Having a live foot switch could literally kill or maim even an adult. Despite these precautions, I did have an interesting little accident while anchored offshore of the leeward side of Christmas Island in the open ocean. I was just lying down to sleep when the windlass suddenly came to life and began dutifully cranking in the chain, stopping after maybe ten seconds. Somehow, both the foot switch and the inside distribution switch had corroded sufficiently to pass current. I disconnected the lead to the motor for the night and dismantled and cleaned both switches the next morning, all the while pondering the many potential consequences of an impromptu, unauthorized hauling of the hook! Ever since I've also disengaged the windlass and secured the chain on the Samson post upon anchoring.

	We're fortunate to have purchased a used vessel whose previous owner spent the money on the right ground tackle system because back then I surely didn't know any better…this has made anchoring easy and secure, and either one of us can do it without breaking a sweat. Here Wendy scopes out the area as we approach a new anchorage in the Marshall Islands.

Snubbers are absolutely essential for a chain rode. For eighteen years I've used a length of 3/4-inch nylon spliced to a 3/8-inch swivel with a standard chain hook, although to be honest I'm sick of that thing. It falls out often enough to be annoying, and I've broken the nylon on two occasions in severe conditions. I will be splicing up some heavier-duty snubbers armed with quick-release shackles prior to our next passage.

We could fill at least several articles with anchoring-related discussions, but that's the basics of our ground tackle system, for whatever it's worth. I'll leave you with one last anecdote regarding the importance of chain...frankly, the only sailboat prior to ELAN on which I had much experience didn't have it, and many boats in our home Bahamian and Florida waters seemed to be fine without it. It's heavy, a bear to handle without a big windlass, and it can really sink the bow of the boat...was it really necessary? Particularly for longer-distance island travel in the tropics, I would now feel unsafe without it--too much sharp coral, too much opportunity for chafe and severing. Friends of ours went to dinner at another boat in the Tuamotus one evening, only to return to where they'd been anchored and find their boat gone. A few tide changes, a few wind changes, and the anchor chain had wrapped around coral, finally drawing down their nylon rode into the coral and cutting it. The boat had drifted out the pass and been dashed onto the reef, a total loss. I still remember the way the varnish on that pretty ketch had glowed in a late Costa Rican sunset several months prior. I'll take all chain.