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KOnOcTi bAy 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 or 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 fingers, 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:
10’
Red Yellow Red
200’
Red
50’
Yellow
250’
Yellow
100’ Red
290’
Red Yellow Red
150’ Yellow
300’
Total anchor chain length
4A4: Anchoring & Stern/Shore Line: See Section 3B.
