October 2011 Issue No. 197 - Navigator Publishing

power voyagingBenefits of a bow eyeMany, if not most,long-range powervoyaging yachts utilize allchainanchor rodes, or at aminimum a long length ofchain backed up by nylonso that the majority of theknowledgeable boaters haveindicated that an all-chainrode can become nearly bartaught in as little as 30 knotsof wind, and when thathappens tremendous shockloads can be delivered toJohn KettlewellBy John J. Kettlewellleading over a roller downto the water and eventuallythe anchor. Many people usea single snubber line, oftenmade of three-strand nylonfor maximum stretchinessand good strength, led froma bow cleat, sometimes overthe roller or not. Others usetwo snubber lines, one fromeither side of the bow, tocreate a small-based bridle,which may provide someassistance in keeping thebow into the wind. Thissystem generally works wellin many situations, but thereis an alternative that canAbove, payingout enoughscope canleave youclose to otheranchored vessels.Right, abow eye canhelp in loweringthe rodeangle.time the boat is secured bynothing but chain. Thismakes a lot of sense whenanchoring in areas withpossible chunks of coral orrock on the bottom (mostof us try to never anchoron live coral), and is alsouseful because of the reducedscope necessary due to theweight and drag of the rode.However, the use of chainnecessitates the use of asnubber line to add someelasticity to the system.Experiments byyour deck gear as theboat begins to surge onwaves or in gusts. Thisproblem is exacerbatedby the modern trendtowards using high-testchain, or chain thathas a higher breakingstrength at a smaller wiresize, resulting in less weight,and even less of a catenaryeffect to be straightened out.The typical anchor set upincludes a bow-mountedwindlass some feet backfrom the bow, with the chainreduce the amount of chainneeded, and can reduce yourswinging circle.The answer is to introducea strong bow eye near or atthe boat’s waterline, wherethe anchor snubber canbe attached to provide a12 OCEAN NAVIGATOR OCTOBER 2011 www.oceannavigator.com