Anchor cable storage-which hatch

[Don Case]

I thought I read somewhere that the anchor cable went down the main hatch but looking at the deck of the Discovery1789 I'm staring to wonder. In the picture the bow is to the left and it looks to me as if the cable should go down the fore(left and smaller) hatch. The one on the left, just aft of the riding bitts. Before I go cutting the corners of the grate I thought I should make sure that I'm doing the right one. Is my hunch right or should it go down the main (right and bigger) hatch?

 

[Uwek]

I would say it was like this





Because you need some length on the deck to fix the anchor cable after the bits - if the cable would go down in the first hatch you would not have the possibility



also you have more length to connect the anchor cable with the messenger via the nippers

 

[AllanKP69]

I believe it was normally stowed on a platform or the orlop so it could be spread out to drain and dry rather than being down in the hold around the ballast, barrels and other provisions. The drainage is one of the reasons the orlop and platform planking was set into rabbets in the beams or between battens anchored to the beams rather than being nailed down like the planks on other decks. Stanchions and sometimes bulkheads were set up to keep it within certain limits and coming in contact with the sail room. The area occupied was about two fifths the length of the ship. (Lavery. The Arming and Fitting page 45) By the same token as Discovery was a research vessel perhaps they did things differently.
Allan

From Goodwin's The Construction and Fitting of the English Man of War, page 59

 

[paul ron]

it amazes me how such heavy chain n anchors were used and stowed on ships. what i cant realize is how the wood the chains and anchor runs over arent eatten to splinters by dragging n digging time after time.... taking the same path over n over should eventually destroy the ship.

i found this thread in the forums facinating...

Thread 'Bring Up the Anchor on a Ship of the Line'

Jul 9, 2020

Interesting nice video with detailed explanations:

A coloured schematic diagram on two joined sheets showing the inboard operations involved in hoisting anchor and stowing the cable on a British warship. It probably dates to the 1790s based on the dress of the Marines being used, as they were, to man the main waist capstan, shown in plan view for the upper deck and in elevation on the gun deck immediately below though the number involved suggests the ship is larger than a frigate: i.e. a deck may have been omitted above the orlop here...

• Uwek
• Replies: 12
• Forum: Construction Details of Ships

• 

 

[Don Case]

I would say it was like this

View attachment 467637

View attachment 467638

Because you need some length on the deck to fix the anchor cable after the bits - if the cable would go down in the first hatch you would not have the possibility

View attachment 467639

also you have more length to connect the anchor cable with the messenger via the nippers

I've been studying this for a while. Initially I agreed with you about needing room for the nippers but then I thought that there is room for the nippers to do their work under the forecastle. Then I started thinking about how they actually did this. When they started lifting the anchor the cable would be wrapped around the bitts, most likely under a lot of strain. If the nippers were between the bitts and the capstan and they pulled on the messenger they would just be tightening the cable around the bitts. If the nippers were between the hawse holes and the bitts however, when they pulled on the messenger it would throw slack into the cable at the bitts and allow the cable to be taken off the bitts. Once it was off the bitts it could just drop down the fore hatch. Does this make any kind of sense? It could still be dropped down the main hatch but my idea does mean that it could go down the fore hatch. Just spitballin' here.

 

[Don Case]

I believe it was normally stowed on a platform or the orlop so it could be spread out to drain and dry rather than being down in the hold around the ballast, barrels and other provisions. The drainage is one of the reasons the orlop and platform planking was set into rabbets in the beams or between battens anchored to the beams rather than being nailed down like the planks on other decks. Stanchions and sometimes bulkheads were set up to keep it within certain limits and coming in contact with the sail room. The area occupied was about two fifths the length of the ship. (Lavery. The Arming and Fitting page 45) By the same token as Discovery was a research vessel perhaps they did things differently.
Allan

From Goodwin's The Construction and Fitting of the English Man of War, page 59
View attachment 467660

I'm wondering if this(blue arrow) would be the cable tier?


I think that if I was the captain I would want something as heavy as the cable to be stowed a little lower(as Uwe posted) but I can see the drainage thing. Then again this drawing is a "proposed" drawing and all this was removed when she was converted to a bomb. If indeed this was the platform for the cable it would be easier to get the cable to it from the fore hatch. I can't remember whether I put this platform in where the drawing shows and I went back and looked at my build log both here and on MSW but unfortunately I did this part between forums. Another reason for keeping a good build log. I need a borescope or at least a camera on a stick.