derbyrm wrote:

You can check out the bottom most pictures at
http://home.insightbb.com/~derbyrm/Chebacco.html

Thanks, I have looked. I've always liked the Chebacco design
and yours looks like it's turning out beautifully.

FWIW another of my favorites is Black Skimmer. I used to
know a Lightning sailor who had one of these as his cruising
boat.



... I guess I could put a collar on the rudder shaft below the cross
piece, but it adds complexity while my solution is simpler.

It's not simpler if it doesn't work as well under varying
circumstances.



Even a short (20 to 30 foot) length of chain adds a lot of weight.

True. That doesn't mean you need to carry it right at the bow.

.... It's
there to increase holding power at limited scope and to limit the ground
debris' damage to the rode.

True.

... The real cruisers, manly and womanly, favor all
chain rode.


That depends on whom you consider a "real cruiser." There
are places where more chain is certainly desirable but many
others where it's just a heavy PITA. In a small boat like a
Chebacco you would do well to avoid heavy macho "solutions"
and try to keep things light & practical.

I have used all-chain rode in places like the Bahamas and
some parts of New England, but for most of the U.S. east
coast, it's overkill. Many a "real cruiser" seems to like
all-chain for bragging rights about the hairy-assedness of
his or her ground tackle (shrug). Improperly set, or using
the wrong anchor, will drag just as readily with all-chain
as with short heavy chain & line. OTOH I've anchored
securely many a night (including some pretty heavy weather)
with rodes of mostly rope.


Stowage amidships has been done, but it's a really difficult thing to do
well.

True.

.... Put it amidships and you've diced the cabin with the hawse tube. Put
it to one side and, over time, one of your legs gets shorter.


In small boats, I've had pretty good luck storing the anchor
either under the well deck or at the forward end of one of
the cockpit lockers, and leading the rode around the outside
to the bow chock. When you want to anchor, just pull up a
little further to windward of your spot to allow for the
extra 20 or so feet of rode you just dropped. That also
eliminates the ugly marks from dragging the chain across the
boat.

This also makes it much easier to anchor by the stern, which
can be very nice (we used to do it all the time when
pulling up a beach, which you can easily do with a boat like
this). Of course many a "real cruiser" would never consider
either option above. Oh well, their loss IMHO. And I don't
like crowds anyway!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King