Ground tackle and windlass

Ground tackle is the anchor, rode connecting it to the boat, bow roller, windlass, chain stopper and attachment point. Rode may be all chain or chain plus nylon rope. Scope is deployed rode length divided by vertical distance from bow roller to seabed—not water depth alone. A nylon snubber transfers load from chain to a cleat and adds elasticity. The windlass gypsy must match the exact chain diameter and pitch. A swivel is optional and must be correctly rated/aligned.

The bitter end is the inboard end of the rode. It should be secured strongly enough for normal handling but releasable/cuttable in emergency. The windlass retrieves the anchor; it should not be the sole device holding storm load. A chain stopper or snubber carries that load.

On the Coconut Milk Run, the boat may anchor for months, sometimes in deep coral-fringed anchorages and squalls. Dragging can put the boat on a reef. A worn chain link, weak shackle, failed bow roller or unserviceable windlass can make recovery impossible. Oversized anchor alone does not fix undersized chain, weak cleats, poor technique or inadequate scope.

Service the windlass gearbox, seals, motor connections, solenoid, foot switches and clutch to its manual. Remove chain from the locker, clean it and measure representative links plus the first high-wear section. End-for-ending can move wear but is not valid if the whole chain is corroded. Replace shackles/snubber more often than the anchor.

Upgrade anchor only after checking fit on roller, retrieval, locker fall and entire load path. Replace chain with the exact windlass-compatible specification and proof/grade. Repair weak cleats/backing and add a stopper before increasing loads. Carry a secondary anchor/rode appropriate to stern, kedge or backup use rather than duplicating the primary blindly.

• Covered by a standard survey — anchor/rode inventory, visible corrosion/wear, windlass operation, bow roller, cleats/backing and locker/bitter-end access. A surveyor may not lay out and measure 300ft of chain.
• Not covered — calibrated link measurement along the full rode, windlass gearbox teardown, motor current testing under retrieval load and proof certification. A rigger/yard check ($300–$1,000) is worth doing pre-purchase when the system is a major advertised asset, visibly wasted, mismatched or cannot retrieve under load; otherwise measure it immediately after purchase.

• The broker or owner — “Send anchor, chain and windlass invoices showing date, model, weight, chain diameter/grade/pitch and length.” “How many nights per year was this chain used, and was it ever end-for-ended or regalvanized?” “Show the bitter-end attachment, snubber attachment and windlass service records.”
• The surveyor — “Confirm anchor sizing against loaded boat data, verify chain/gypsy match, inspect high-wear links and the complete load path, and retrieve/deploy enough rode to test windlass, brake, switches and locker fall.”

Deploy the entire rode on a clean dock if allowed. Measure links with calipers at the anchor end, middle and bitter end; look for waist, deep rust, weld cracks and flaking galvanizing. Inspect shackle pins/mousing. Run the windlass down and up while listening for slipping or grinding and watching cable/solenoid heating. Pour chain into the locker and see whether it piles up under the windlass. Pull hard on the roller and cleats while watching backing plates.