Tying off anchor rope - 2 cleats - and windlass

[Roughrider]

So my rib (Brig E10) has a chain 10m + rope 30m line, an electric windlass (under the bow - difficult / impossible to reach when at sea) and mooring cleats at the front to either side.

I have a lot of tide where I fish/picnic (including Beachy Head) so I formed the habit on my old boat (all chain anchor, over the bow) of attaching a chain hook from the chain on one end back to the two mooring cleats at the other (i.e. a bridle). I could then let out a bit more anchor chain and take all the strain on the cleats, not the windlass. This looked like what all the yachts do if you google anchor bridle.

Now I don't know how to achieve this with my new setup. I can't find anything about tying off an anchor rope to cleats that doesn't involve accessing the end of the rope to pass the bridle through it.

Has anyone got a good solution that they are perhaps already using?

I do have a recovery rope attached to the front of the anchor, coming over the bow (like a "painter"?) so between that and a boathook I could potentially grab the rope and pull it up over the side before anchoring - if I am quick - but then what? Tie a loop in the rope to pass a bridle through - all very well before I am anchored but how to recover? Plus this would wear the rope?

Is there a way to put an anchor line over two cleats in a way that spreads the pressure, when you don't have a free end?

I can access the rope from inside the boat too but anything I do to it needs to fit through the relatively modest hole where the anchor itself sits, not sure a loop would safely do this both ways

Quite the mental puzzle, defeats me

look forwards to any suggestions

[harborview]

Roughrider,

Congrats on the E10! Really Nice Rib!

I recently just bought a E780. They had an E10 there and I love them but to much $ for me. The E780 has the same set up/config you have and I agree that the anchor under the bow is not user freindly at all. I am having a bow tow post installed on my E780 to tie my lines to because those bow cleats simply aren't designed to carrying that kind of load, primarily used while docked and thats about it. I'm thinking that I should be able feed a recover rope though (cafefully) and tie that to the post as well. I'm in the states and I just sent my Brig to Sirocco Marine in Annapolis MD to have them do the tow post install. Brig should of offered it as a factory optional installed equipment like Fluid, Protector or Ribcraft ribs does.

Don't know if this helps you but it's what I am doing to try and correct this problem.

If you come up with a better solution, please send it my way.

[Roughrider]

harborview - congrats on your 780 - nice boat too!

I didn't consider feeding the recover rope through the hole but I don't think it will work on mine the anchor is totally flush against its seat. It is not so pretty running over the bow which brings me to remember my plan B below

Honestly I think in the hot countries with no tides where Brig probably sell lots of boats you anchor in about 3 metres and the strain on the windlass is a non-issue. And perhaps it isn't anyway - my old one did break once but it was 10 years old and a strip and rebuild sorted it, it wasn't actually damaged despite an awful lot of pressure I subjected it to before I figured out the bridle thing

I forgot to mention I do have another solution. Plan B - I can use my spare anchor as my main one, it's on 50m of leaded rope which I have already spliced to go over the cleats and works a treat. Just makes a mess when it comes up covered in muddy clay stuff and a bit of effort to haul in when there's a perfectly good windlass under me. E10 cleats are pretty huge I have no concerns about two of them holding the boat at anchor, rope is a bit stretchy too which helps