REALLY dumb question

[buckaroo]

Where do y'all tie off the anchor rode?  Inside the cabin, after it passes through the hawse pipe?  Or somewhere on deck?

[Billy]

I assume you are talking about the END of the anchor rode.
I've seen it tied to the compression post.

But there should be a cleat on the bow to tie off the rode at the desired length for when you anchor.

[buckaroo]

But there should be a cleat on the bow to tie off the rode at the desired length for when you anchor.

DOH!  Of course.  Thanks!

[MacGyver]

The very end of the anchor line is tied through a wooden disc that wont go through the hawse pipe.

This allows you to pay out the line you  need and not pay out so much as it slips through your hands and into the deep blue sea.....



oh, and the cleat is good to tie off to stop the pay out of line.

Mac

[skip1930]

Tied to the compression post with a double half hitch.
Fed between the two Vee birth cushions and into the rope locker.
Out the locker and up the pipe to the anchor's vinyl coated chain and to the clevis in the shank of the anchor pinned to the bow sprit roller.
In the event I loose the pin holding the anchor, and the anchor drops into the water I will not suffer the loss of line or anchor.

Expect the unexpected. In heavy weather, two anchors can be set out in a Y formation with the boat tied at the bottom of the Y.

When anchoring I idle in reverse, drift down wind, pull the anchor pin and lower the anchor off the roller. I usually play out the anchor line to my 100 mark [taped], through a bow chalk and loop the anchor line around my Sampson Post, and wait for the anchor to stop the boat's aft drift. Once dug in I'm done for the night. I pick a 'mark on shore and check to make sure I'm not adrift. The extra 20 or so foot left on board is 'just in case' length. If necessary and the anchor is caught on something the line can be tied to a life jacket, freeing the boat, and the boat maneuvered around to free the line or come back later.

A smaller Danforth anchor/chain/50 foot of line can be used for 'lunch' hook and cleat-ed off the stern. It's only lunch. Stored under the port side settee.

skip.

[kickingbug1]

   i tie off at the cleat. its just plastic but mine hasnt broken yet. and mac is right have the disc on the end

[Pacman]

THIS IS NOT A DUMB QUESTION

There are several good approaches.

"Big Boat" approaches like hanging the anchor on the bow pulpit or on bow rollers have their place, (the anchor on my Contessa 26 lives in a dedicated storage compartment on the foredeck) but not on my little boat.

I hate going onto the foredeck on little boats so I keep the anchor rode in a boat bag in my cockpit.

The anchor end is led forward to the bow and then back to the cockpit on the outside of the bow pulpit.  The end is cleated on a stern cleat to keep things neat until an anchor is needed.

Then I can attach an anchor and to the chain end and deploy it from my seat in the cockpit.

When the anchor is in the water I control its length from the cockpit and cleat it to a stern cleat that is easily within reach.

Also, before deploying the anchor I put the loop of a dockline (retrieval line) on the anchor rode.

The retrieval line lets me pull the anchor rode back to the cockpit so I can pull up the anchor without ever leaving my seat in the cockpit.  

Easy.  Simple.  Effective. Cheap. Good for old lazy guys like me who don't want to leave the helm to crawl out onto the foredeck to screw around with the anchor.

Besides, it makes you look so in control to your guests.

[buckaroo]

Thanks, everyone!