New to Cigerette
 

Hello All,

Just picked up my first Cigerette and after my second ride I'm seeing what all the chant is about. Boat runs great with a pair of 496's and just had the Raylar 525 upgrades just completed. My wife and I enjoy overnighter's and do a lot of anchoring, but the boat did not come with an anchor as I thought. I found that the anchor is stored under the rear seat and I seem to have a bracket hold down in place. Does anyone know the anchor that works with this bracket or should I abandon this thought and just get something new and retro fit a new hold down. ?? I am also wondering the best way to actually anchor this boat. Do you toss the anchor just outside the cockpit and then run the line to the bow cleat. ? and if so do you just run the leftover line run back and place it back under the seat. ? Seems strange to have the leftover line run back to the seat. My last boat was a Magnum Sedan and they had a anchor box on the deck and just seamed to make it a bit easier.

I appreciate any feedback I can get so I can get this off my laundry list.
Thanks
Joe T

welcome to the family I bought my café and planned to keep it 3-5 years its been 17 still love it

One Cig owner to another: this sounds like a serious PITA if you like to anchor a fair amount. I would actually consider springing for some glasswork to put an anchor hatch and locker up on the bow.

Failing that, you could (some will squirm and cry blasphemy, but a boat has to be usable) mount a roller on the bow with a plow anchor, with hardware to dog it down and a hawse-hole to run the anchor rode belowdecks. I think that would be more usable and better looking than putting anchor chocks on the bow and mounting a Danforth-style anchor flat on the bow. Years back, I bought a Nova Marine with a roller and a plow anchor on the bow--worked great and very convenient. Looked fine. On a Cafe Racer, not as good but you'd get away with it. Lots of folks are figuring out it's a good way to go.

Failing all of that, if you're stuck with an anchor living under the stern seat, I'd buy an aluminum Fortress that at least takes the curse out of schlepping it around all the time.. Which you'll be doing if you have to keep it way back there. Honestly, there's no GOOD way to deal with it unless it lives in or on the bow. If there's room to do a proper locker up there, I'd spend the $$ and do the project in the Winter.

My Cig 24 is MUCH smaller than your Cafe Racer, and it'd STILL be a horrible PITA without the anchor locker up front. You can see the SS lid of mine in the pic below. (For a custom modified Danforth that they used in a few Cigs and Magnum 27s.)

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/r...psulphv3ek.jpg

i have a box anchor, but i keep it folded in its bag. i store it down below in the cabin. when time to anchor, i first place it on the cockpit dash, then climb up on the deck, grab the anchor & stumble to the bow to toss out. tie it up, bring the bag back & toss in the cabin. its a slight pita, so i try to raft up next to cruisers where i dont have the potential to lose anchor.

Buy and keep a Box Anchor, under the back seat. www.slideanchor.com

Keep it, along with your anchor line, in a sized appropriate duffel bag. Almost always, I'll take it out, and deploy it from the cockpit or swim platform. Then walk the line up to the bow and tie it off. Doing it this way gives you a nice rode as a byproduct (which you can always adjust). The Box Anchor requires no chain, and usually no more rode than the length of your boat.

I use a fluke anchor and keep it under the back seat. I have 100' of rope that I wrap with a spool I found at West marine. When I anchor, I toss it off the side then work my way up the bow. It doesn't bother me. The extra line stays neat around the spool and I just let the spool sit between the 2 bow cleats.

LOCK-ER, LOCK-ER... :)

You will be SOOO happy.

Good luck with whatever you decide. Sounds like some folks are living with the schlep-around approach okay. If you do that, definitely look at a Fortress aluminum anchor. Will be effective with far less chance of beating up the boat.

I know it's an add for someone else's anchor but what's this guy doing wrong with the box anchor?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBB6TFSZepI All the talk about box anchors has me interested, my danforth is a bit of a nuisance.

RR

Box anchor does not respond well to linear pull, which is why the front of the anchor dug in, and the rear didn't set. Add pull from an angle (as you would experience in water) and the rear flukes will set along with the front. In the advertisement, the gent tugging the Danforth type anchor is applying a more linear pull, which actually helped the anchor to plow in. In water, the pull will not be coming from the same linear direction, so the result will not likely be the same. Summarize it as "a prejudiced method of testing" if you like...

Offshore is correct . The test did not reflect true working conditions for the box anchor . I have had Danforth and other styles and nothing compares to how easy the box sets even in extremely rocky conditions like on our lake . The only draw back is it is on the heavy side .
RG.

I've been running a Box Anchor since 2002 or so; all over the eastern part of the country. There is only 1 time I could not get it to set, and that was when there was a thick bed of hydrilla (sponge seaweed) all over the Potomac River. (It was really bad one year, about 3 feet thick.)

Of note: NO ONE was able to get their anchor of any type to set that aforementioned day.

Apologies if I'm wrong, and no offense to anyone...but I'm betting heavily against box anchors except in very light, favorable conditions. Especially given they are advertising 2:1 scope! The physics don't look right at all. In tests of anchor holding power I don't think I've ever seen anyone bother considering a box anchor.

I admit not using one before. But I'm betting they grab quickly, but with MUCH less holding power than a properly set Danforth/plow/Northhill.

I'd bet the people who love box anchors are using them where there's not much pull on the boat. Which is fine. Good for a lunch hook if so. But I'd also keep a storm anchor with 150+ feet of rode on board for safety.

I also bet that some folks who like box anchors never knew just how much scope you often need to properly set a traditional anchor. People go into tight, crowded anchorages and try to set a Danforth with 2-3-4:1 scope. Good luck. They simply don't know otherwise, and it's not intuitive how much scope you really need to set anchors sometimes. To them, the box probably seems like a Godsend. But if they knew to pay out some significant scope with a traditional style, set it, and reduce scope after, they might change their minds and use the lighter Danforth/plow/Northhill.

As someone who's gone to sleep aboard in a dead calm, only to wake up with 25+ knots of wind, I have no interest in the box anchor. Glad I had a Danforth 12H and 20 feet of chain, with maybe 9:1 scope paid out.

All that said, if it's really rocky or grassy, a Danforth can be a b#### to set.

FWIW. Don't mean to step on any toes, just offering the best info I can to try to help folks.

I tried the stainless box anchor, and went back to a 6' coated chain and a fortress fx-11, all in a west marine mesh bag, that I can set on the dock and wash when I get docked. I have two on the boat. Fortress FX-9s on the Skater, with holes drilled in them.

Wow. Wish I was home earlier to chime in on this anchor talk

I like the thought of the box anchor and will see if any of my friends have some more info.
On another note I've been boating for many years and do enjoy sleeping on the boat in many coves and harbors here on Long Island.
My magnum sedan had a stainless steel box mounted on the front deck. This is similar to what Ghost shows in a photo he posted. Attached I have a photo of mine for you to see.
I know this is nothing new but just giving some Insite to what might be best.
The thing I found most convenient with the sedan was my wife would have no problem hoping up on the deck and pulling the anchor as I set up where to drop it in. And better yet she would easily go and pull it up as I maneuvered the boat to make the pull out easier for her. Never have to rinse the anchor for she would just dip it in the water a few times and put it back in the box. And better yet have your woman do this and it's pretty hot to watch as well. Lol.

My Cig is the same setup as the Mag, they just installed the Mag anchor hatch/bracket turned 90 degrees, so it fan fore/aft instead of side to side. Same custom anchor hanging in it. Mine is 44 years old now, still in use. Might re-galvanize it in another decade or two...

"..........a prejudice method of testing............"
Yeah, I did manage to figure that out, it is an advertisement!
So the box anchor is designed to use with a lot less scope and little or no chain. My danforth holds very well but it is very heavy and has over 30' of chain on it, not user friendly. My boat is a cc but I still can't bring myself to add a bow roller/anchor chute (or even a winch) and hang it off the front so I have to heave it up manually.

I rarely anchor in more than 5' of water, sounds like a box anchor without chain would do nicely as long as I dont give it too much rope and "linear pull".

Thank-you for the explanation and the 'counter argument' to their ad. :)

RR

RR, FWIW, sounds like your challenge is all that chain. Which I know from experience is a real pain. I lived with 20' of 1/4 in and a 12lb and soon bought a smaller rig for everything but bad weather and overnighting.

I'll offer a friendly alternative, as the box anchors are heavy. Keep your Danforth rig as you have it, for a storm anchor, (assuming it's big enough).

Grab a Danforth 5H as your lunch hook, with maybe 4 feet of high-tensile 1/4" galvanized chain. Or even the vinyl-clad pre-cut chain, in 5/16, if you want to lay it down on the deck. With maybe 80 or 100 feet of 3/8" nylon 3-strand.

http://www.danforthanchors.com/hitensile.html
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?...76127&id=32561

Anchor and chain together will weigh 8 lbs and be super easy to handle. The equivalent box anchor weighs 19 lbs and I bet the 5H will have as much if not a good bit more holding power.

http://www.slideanchor.com/slide-anc...ations_137.htm

FWIW,

Mike

I think you're right Ghost. My current anchor is a 12lb, (I think) but add the chain, it's hard work to bring it up over the bow of the boat without belting anything on the rub rail or the deck. I like having loads of holding power if needed but for the nice days, I think I'll buy a 5lb with 10' of modest chain and 50' of rope. Splice a loop in the end, throw it off the side and drop the loop around one of the front cleats. I've got room to stow it under the bow seats.

I have never seen a box anchor in my part of the world and importing heavy objects is a nuisance, looks like I'll stick with the old fashioned pick! Thanks.

RR

Damn that deck is awesome Ghost!!!

I anchor out a lot and also wish it was an easier process. Just saw this flush mounted bow anchor on a Sonic concept, now thats pretty cool.

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...34.54%20PM.png

My experience is the same. The box only holds when its calm out. FX-11 is super light and holds like a champ. I have the wife throw it off the side while backing up and then she walks it to the bow.

Congrats on the purchase, where abouts on LI do you do your boating?

Thanks All for your thoughts with my anchor issue. I think I will see about fabricating a anchor box on the bow. Had this setup on my magnum sedan and it worked well. Not sure I have a space for the line and chain to round up but if not, I think I will go with the fortress anchor and call it a day.

Hello boatless, thanks for the congrats. I boat mostly in the Peconic but do a lot of weekend excursions. Essex, Guilford, Rhode Island, and Sea Cliff and Glen Cove areas.

Sea Cliff/Glen Cove are nice areas. I live upstate now, but I used to live a few minutes from Manhasset Bay- if you ever find yourself in there check out LaMotta's....great food and has a gas dock.

I grew up in Sea Cliff and know LaMottas well, spent a lot of time in Hempstead Harbor. Great area

Magnumboatsandparts makes one in stainless, basically the same dimensions as the ones the Magnums had.

Happy for your Cigarette purchase, or did you get a Cigerette?

Congrats on joining the Cig club!

I do the same as Zero Patience. Fortress FX-11 with 5' of coated chain...rope out of back seat, drop over side, walk the line up to the bow to tie off...have the wife feed the line. Good luck!

Thanks for everyone's reply's it has been very helpful.

Now I have some additional help from the Cigerette clan. Can I get some ideas for a GPS location on the Cafe Racer. Not having fun figuring a good spot.
Thanks Again for the Help
Joe T

I was wondering if a move to heads up style trim indicators like these: https://www.offshoreonly.com/classif...ce-o27796.html
...would free up enough room

Here is what i am working on...
I purchased some heads up trim indicators, they are being installed where the compass is.
I am now designing a new dash panel for the gauges & GPS that will extend all the way over. Problem is, i cant fit all my gauges on the main panel. So now i am thinking 1) i might move the GPS up to the left of the compass on top of console, & just have all gauges on panel or 2) some of the gauges like the oil temp were never hooked up originally so maybe i wont even bother with them on new dash.

http://i534.photobucket.com/albums/e...ps7rsmge7o.jpg

The card with "547" is the size of the GPS, right? Doesn't that fit where the original trim indicators were? Then you can keep the panel gauges stock (and looking a bit more balanced)

I didnt fit with the 2 tachs & speedo in line along top. i was also worried about the support over there because there isnt anything for the panel to mount to. I havent figured out what to do there yet. when looking at other cafe's with this type of new panel they didnt have any screws in that section. So i dont know if the carbon fiber panel could support the gps when its rough.

But i agree, i want it to look more symmetrical, so that's why i havent pulled the trigger yet. Compared to my current gauge layout mess though, this is progress.

I have done 5 this way

yes i have images of yours i have been using as my inspiration. :)
i think with my bezels & more gauges, im having hard time figuring out how to get them all squeezed in.

Did you put any support under the right side of the panel where the old indicators used to be?

That looks really smooth, i like it!

Off topic question: has anybody ever made a heads up indicator that lets you know how far your steering wheel is turned? That would be handy sometimes around the dock...

This looks quite nice. And the Feul gauges together on the lower left make it pretty easy to spot check the important gauges. Nice touch.