Anchors hooked/stowed on bobstays

[marujo.sortudo]

I see this a lot, and it just strikes me as wrong. I imagine the anchor nicking bobstay wire, etc. Of course, some bobstays are chain or have some kind of chafe protection shielding the wire. What is the opinion in the rigging community?

[Ian McColgin]

Since I've never seen an anchor deliberatly hooked on a bobstay, I wonder if there's a terminology issue. Up here, the bobstay is the one that goes from a chainplate on the stem near the waterline up to the end of the bow sprit. Whisker stays or sprit shrouds go from some nice place on the gunnel abaft the stem out to the end of the bow sprit. We do see anchors slung from the latter now and then.

Maybe a picture or a more coherant description will help me understand whatever you are seeing so much of down there, that's so very uncommon up here.

Edited to add - On rereading your post and seeing chain mentioned, I take it you mean a real bobstay. I'm deeply prejudiced against chain bobstays but that aside, I can't even imagine how one would hang an anchor on the bobstay or why it would stay in place.

[marujo.sortudo]

Unfortunately, this is a high-res pic, but you can see an anchor hooked on a bobstay. On second thought, saying that I've seen this a lot is an overstatement, and, for the record, I haven't seen it at all in Maine. It feels like a lot because it just jumps out and grabs me. I presume some tension on the rode would keep it on the bobstay, but I have visions of it sliding up and down the bobstay as the boat pitches.

http://logofthe.files.wordpress.com/...5/img_0082.jpg

[Ian McColgin]

Ah ha. It's clear that at least for short runs this sailor does not want to squiggle the hook through the netting and is using the bob stay to keep the anchor from swinging. Not a practice for me. But then, I'm not a fan of that sort of netting either.

[Stumble]

Looks like a bunch of lazy too me. That much metal swinging around, improperly tied down looks like a repair bill in the making.

I have never seen anyone do something like that on purpose, so I doubt it's that common.

[benz]

Since my Manson anchor doesn't stow on the roller because of the roll bar, when going short distances in quiet water I'll hook it on the bobstay and snug it up so it can't swing around. It beats pulling it over the spritsherd and onto the deck, as long as there's no waves or wakes. However, if there's a good chance of waves catching on it I stow it properly, not because it flogs around (did I mention snugging it tight?) but because it slows the boat down. My bobstay is sheathed in PVC to protect it and other objects that contact it.
It's a good tactic when shifting to another close anchorage, or for close work in quiet water among coral or rocks, when putting the anchor down quick might be highly desirable.

[Ian McColgin]

I suppose the reinforced plastic hose on the bobstay mitigates chafe. I've wondered whether a loose covering like that - so unlike vinal-clad wire such as used on lifelines or served (and slushed) wire that preserves gavli and does not harm to stainless - gives exchange sites for unnoticed corrosion, or whether it's infact a good idea. I hope Brion will mention that.

I'm also wondering about the netting. It might be meant to contain the jib when dropped. The sprit looks smaller than I'd use the netting for actual travel out on the sprit, especially since there appears to be a platform out there.