How was the anchor stowed on a Revenue Cutter (i.e. Sherbourne)?

[tkay11]

I have just made the anchors for my Sherbourne, but am a little unclear as to how they would have been stowed.

 

The AOTS book on the Alert shows the following:

 

 

This is fairly similar to the plans with the kit which show the anchor stowed -- although the throats of the anchors on the Sherbourne plans are held by a rope. John Harland in his book on Seamanship in the Age of Sail also shows the anchor held by ropes.

 

My question relates to the use of a chain as shown for the Alert. How would the chain round the throat have been fixed to the bulkhead? Presumably it can't just have been wound round itself -- or would that have been the way it was done?

 

The question equally applies to rope fixing, because they'd need to be fixed very strongly to hold something that weighs 12cwt and is perched on the outside of the ship.

 

I am tempted to use chain just because I have some of the appropriate size, but realise it may be inauthentic for a cutter that was some decades earlier than the Alert.

 

Any comments on how the anchor may have been stowed, along with some details of how the ropes or chains were fixed to the bulwarks, would be very much appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Tony

[jbshan]

Secured to cleats or eyebolts, I suspect.  The chain could have been belayed using stoppers, looped and lashed around the chain, then to an eye or ring bolt.  The timberheads in the illus. seem to serve to locate the line and chain, but could have been used for one end of the line and a cleat for the other.

Harland, 'Seamanship in the Age of Sail' has a fair amount on anchoring.

[druxey]

I have issues with accuracy of the AOTS. This is an example. That chain would not stay in that position as taken around the 'wrong' sides of the timberheads! Assuming the ends were hooked and secured to ringbolts inboard, the chain should still be passed around the other sides of the timberheads. I would rely more on Harland and use a line or cablet hitched around the same timberheads.

[piratepete007]

Not quite on the topic but can anybody put me on to a source for 2.5 mm. anchor cable ? Searched high and low without success.

 

Pete

[tkay11]

Thanks, Joel and Druxey.

 

I am happy in following Harland as suggested by both of you. Interestingly there are a couple of ringbolts on the deck whose function was not given in the Sherbourne plans, but whose position is exactly right for the anchor tethering.

 

Pete: eBay in the UK has lots of chain of various types. You have to specify links per inch or per cm, as well as structure (e.g. oval, stud link) and dimension (e.g. 1.5 x 1mm). There are also a few modelling shops (especially railway modelling) selling fine chain.

 

Tony

[marktiedens]

Pete - Ages of Sail lists 2.5mm natural hemp rope on their web site.  It`s a bit pricey,but not a lot is needed. They sell it in 2 meter lengths.

 

Mark

[piratepete007]

Thanks for that  Mark

Pete