Section 5: “What to Do If” for Specific Concerns
5A: ANCHOR CHAIN WON’T COME OUT OF CHAIN LOCKER
The anchor chain is continuous, secured at both ends, and cannot tangle. But sometimes a
pile of chain will fall over, and one loop of chain will fall through another loop. Usually you can
clear this by grasping the chain where it exits the hawse pipe from the chain locker with your
hands, and pulling it up or down to “jiggle” the loop out of the chain; you may have to retrieve
some chain to do this, in order to have enough slack to jiggle it! It is rare when this will not
clear the jam. The other solution: Go below and clear the tangle in the chain locker. Caution:
Turn off the windlass breaker to protect your hands when manhandling chain!
5B: ANCHOR FOULED, CAN’T RAISE IT
This can happen if you “pull the boat to the anchor” with the windlass. You should move the
boat under power until it is over the anchor, or, even better, slightly ahead of it before hauling.
Usually this will clear it. Otherwise, take a line and form a fixed, loose loop around the chain.
Weight the loop, and lower it down the line until it reaches the bottom, sliding down the chain.
Then, using the dinghy, take the line forward past the anchor so that you can pull the anchor
out, opposite the direction its flukes are pointing. This should help you to pull the anchor free.
5C: ANCHOR WINDLASS WON’T TURN
If the motor isn’t running, is the circuit breaker by the lower helm on? If the motor is running, is
the clutch tight? Use the anchor windlass handle. Windlasses are equipped with a shear pin to
protect them: if you sheared the pin, you will have to haul the anchor by hand using the
emergency handle.
5D: BATTERIES (HOUSE) KEEP RUNNING DOWN
Have you run the engines or generator enough? Is something left on (like the engine room or
mast lights, too many electronics, etc.) that is too great a load for the time you were not
charging? Are you using the inverter for big jobs? Use the stove or shore power. Have you
had the inverter on whenever plugged in to shore power or running the generator? You must,
for the house batteries to charge!
5E: ENGINE OVERHEATS
Is the drive belt for the water pump intact? Spare belts are in the engine room spares kit. Is
the sea strainer clogged? See that section in this manual. Is the impeller shot? If sea strainer
is clear and belt is good, this is likely. Change (spare in spares kit) or call a mechanic. Do not
run engine if it overheats!
5F: ENGINE WON’T START
If starter does not turn, is transmission in neutral? Try jiggling shift lever while pushing start
button. Check battery, battery switches. Try starting after switching the “Batt Parallel” switch
on in the engine room. Or start generator, charge all the batteries. If starter turns, assume fuel
problem: did you bump a fuel valve on the manifold at back of engine room? Make sure all
Section 5: "What to Do If" 5.1
