Windless anchor trouble, 28te.

[fuenstock]

Hello fellow owners,
I have an albin 28te, for some reason 9 times out of 10 when bringing up the anchor(delta anchor) it comes up backwards with the hook facing away from the boat. I need to lower and raise several times to get it straight. I've had this anchor, chain and rode through 3 boats and the albin is the only boat I've had trouble with. I'm stumped as to why this keeps happing. I have one of those italian chain to anchor swivels, can this be the problem, should I remove this swivel? How is the best way to rig my anchor rode and chain? I know its probably not a boat specific issue, has any one had these same issues and if so how did you fix it?

Thanks for any advice.

Horizon 800 windless
200' rode
50' chain
delta achor

[Russell]

If your boat is moving backwards through the water as you are hoisting the anchor its wings (flukes) may turn it in that direction. The swivel allows it to happen but eliminating the swivel may not solve the problem. A little forward motion may help but very slowly or you might hit the anchor on the hull.

[fuenstock]

Thanks for that tip, I've never tried moving forward. I would say that most times I am drifting backwards while trying to straighten the anchor. So I'll see how moving forward works..

[jcollins]

If your in reverse, isn't it digging in more? Or am I misunderstanding?

I am always creeping forward when raising the anchor. Seems to help break it loose and take strain off the windlass. As it breaks the top of the water, I stop. Of course I will admit I always have someone on the bow providing direction. I also think the swivel may be adding to your problem. Once the anchor is above the waterline it can spin.
Out of curiosity, what is the purpose of the swivel?

[fuenstock]

[quote="jcollins"]If your in reverse, isn't it digging in more? Or am I misunderstanding?quote]

I meant I'm moving backwards once anchor clears water, since I take the engine out of gear and try to get my anchor to come in to the rollers right side up. So I end up drfting backwards while doing so.
This is where Russel is saying I should move forward slowly to see if the anchor spins to correct position, once my anchor clears the water.

As for the swivel, Its just a way to connect the chain and anchor with out leaving any square edges to hang up on the rollers and the swivel action is supposed to prevent line and chain from twisting and kinking, but Im thinking thats part of my problem.
How are you guys connecting chain to anchor? Im thinking I might ditch the swivel if Russel tip dont work.

[jcollins]

If your in reverse, isn't it digging in more? Or am I misunderstanding?quote]

I meant I'm moving backwards once anchor clears water, since I take the engine out of gear and try to get my anchor to come in to the rollers right side up. So I end up drfting backwards while doing so.
This is where Russel is saying I should move forward slowly to see if the anchor spins to correct position, once my anchor clears the water.

As for the swivel, Its just a way to connect the chain and anchor with out leaving any square edges to hang up on the rollers and the swivel action is supposed to prevent line and chain from twisting and kinking, but Im thinking thats part of my problem.
How are you guys connecting chain to anchor? Im thinking I might ditch the swivel if Russel tip dont work.

I'll refresh my memory today with a couple of pics.

[Jack28]

I found without the swivel the rode can twist to the point that the chain can twist enough to lock up and then if the wind blows and the boat settles back on the anchor it can twist the anchor out of the bottom.

[Russell]

To clarify, I was thinking about the boat moving backward while the anchor was still in the water. We usually move forward to take the strain off the windlass but shift to neutral as the rode gets vertical and tight. As soon as the anchor breaks loose the bow usually blows off to one side or the other and we move backwards. I do not have any problem because my boat came with a Fortress anchor which like the Danforth has flukes that just fall to either side and end up below the roller. I also have the swivel but all of this was on the boat when I purchased it. I would think the swivel would prevent the anchor from spinning once it is above the water because it allows the line to unwind any twists while it is being hoisted. I really think it is the water that turns your anchor as it is being hauled through the water. It also makes these anchors land upside down when they hit the bottom. They are designed to right themselves and dig in as the rode pulls on them.

[fuenstock]

Here's an update,
This is a picture of the anchor swivel I was having problems with. I found that the swiveling part had a burr which was hanging up enough to stop the anchor from spinning freely. I filed it down and greased it, it now has no hang ups and my problem went away..

[Mariner]

We have a similar swivel on our anchor (a Bruce). DO NOT REMOVE IT. A swivel is a critical part of the anchor rode system that prvents it from breaking free when the wind or current changes.

Ours also often comes up upside down, but as soon as it hits the roller, it flips over and rights itself. Perhaps if you stop, just as the swivel is coming over the roller, and bring it in more slowly, it will do the same.

Also, I notice that your swivel is somewhat square in shape. Ours is round through it's entire length. Perhaps if you change out for a different swivel, it will work better.
http://www.fisheriessupply.com/online/l ... 01/Ntk/All

[jleonard]

I just read this thread. I also have this issue and have what appears to be the same swivel as mariner so I don't think that's the solution.
I'll have to give the reverse/forward theory a try and see if that helps.
Unfortunately that will have to wait until next season...this weekend is it for me this year.
Cheers!

[Mariner]

I don't mean to beat a dead horse here, but I want to reitteriate that you *should* be able to get it to flip back over by bringing it slowly over the roller. If it doesn't, it's likely that your swivel is seized or something. The next time you've got the boat at a dock, try lowering the anchor so that it is hanging from the roller, but still out of the water. Try to spin it with your hands. If it doesn't spin freely, your swivel probably needs to be replaced.

[fuenstock]

I've fixed the swivel, it comes apart into 4 pieces and I found a burr inside of it which I sanded down with a file. I also found sand in it which I'm sure added to my problem.
It spins like if it had ball bearings now! Problem solved..