Brad: Weight at the bow, or stern, is bad. Increases the amount of hobby horsing. It is safer to launch and retrieve the anchor from the cockpit. I have done this in every Jerry boat I've owned and sailed: M15, M17, Sage 15, SageCat and Sage 17. Storing the anchor as close to amidships as possible is best for boat balance. My M15 had the cockpit locker pans removed so I had LOADS of locker space. See this slideshow and you will see pictures - https://m15namedscred.wordpress.com/slideshow-tour-of-scred/ More details on anchoring see - https://m17-375.com/2018/12/22/anchoring/ A hawse pipe will also leak. In addition to correctly sealing the foredeck core so it doesn't rot, the opening is never ever ever watertight. Bluewater boats go so far as to remove the chain from the anchor and duct tape the opening cover closed to just reduce, not eliminate, the amount of water coming aboard/inside. It is also normal for slow leaking around the chain when the ground tackle is ready to deploy or is deployed in rain. :: Dave Scobie :: M6'8" #650 :: Baba 30 #233 DEJA VU :: SV SWALLOW - sv-swallow.com :: former owner M17 #375 SWEET PEA - m17-375.com :: former owner M15 #288 SCRED - m15namedscred.wordpress.com <<-- new site! On Sat, Oct 23, 2021, 7:22 AM brad kurlancheek <bkurlancheek@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello everyone, Just finished an 8 day outing on my M15 and it occurred to me, during the voyage, how convenient it'd be to just stow the anchor line and rode directly into a hatch located on the bowdeck. I surely don't use that space below, in the cabin, up by the bow, to store anything important, and how useful it'd be to just stuff most of the anchor line and rode there, into a large plastic tub I suppose, with some kind of bulwark in place separating the area from the rest of the cabin, so as to keep out the not so pleasant odor which accompanies anchor line/rode.
When I returned to the ramp, and after pullout, I chatted up a fellow who was in the process, then and there of transferring ownership of his West Wight Potter to another fellow, also there. On the bow deck of the Potter I noticed a small L shaped pipe extruding out of the bow deck with a foot long length of chain coming out of it. He explained that someone had actually stolen the anchor! Anyway, with some internet research, I eventually learned that that pipe is called a "Hawse Pipe". Works for me. Less complicated than a hatch.
So was curious if anyone in the group has bothered to install one on their M15 or M17 (or other boat), and has any input on how it's worked out.
Thanks in advance, and apologies if this topic has been discussed previously in this forum.
- Brad