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AnAmCArA OperAtinG mAnuAl
NW Explorations
4A2: Anchor Chain Locker & Anchor Jams
Anchor Handling:
The anchor, forward on the bow pulpit, is raised and lowered by the
electric windlass. The chain goes from the windlass into the chain
locker through the chain pipe behind the chain wheel (“wildcat”). From
here, it goes into the bow locker.
• Be careful when dealing with the chain! If a crew member is
operating the windlass be especially careful to keep fingers,
hands, arms, etc. away from the chain!
• Do not raise or lower the anchor without either the engines and genset running.
• Use the foredeck footswitches, not the helm switch, so you can see where the chain is going and be sure it is
clear of the boat properly when raising or lowering the anchor!
Lowering anchor:
If the chain jams while lowering anchor, it is because one loop of the chain on top of the pile has fallen inside another
loop of chain when the chain pile may have fallen over or shifted. There is no way the chain can be tangled so that
you will ever need to disconnect it! One easy way to disentangle the chain is, while wearing gloves, grasp the chain on
the forward side of the windlass, and, while lifting it above the wildcat manually, rapidly yank it up and down. This will
usually free it.
If, on the other hand, this “yanking” technique fails, look into the chain locker to un-overlap the layers of chain in the
pile.
Hauling anchor:
Be careful when dealing with the chain! If a crew member is operating the windlass while a person is accessing
the chain locker, be especially careful to keep that person’s fin- gers, hands, arms, etc. away from the chain! Use a
windlass handle or broomstick to deal with the chain.
4A3: Anchor Chain Measurement
The anchor chain is measured by marks on the chain as follows:
25’
White
125’
Blue and White
50’
Red
150’
Red and Blue
75’
Red and White
200’
Green
100’’ Blue
250’
Green and Red and Zip Tie
(End of chain about 10’ from 250’ mark
4A4: Anchoring & Stern/Shore Line: See Section 3B.
