After finding the proper position for the windlass I first cut the big hole for the 2 PVC and glassed that in. The windlass had to line up with the bow roller and also allow a full throw of the manual lever.

Then I glassed in a 3/8 pad to get the chain hole almost one inch higher than the locker bottom. With the slope of the locker I am hoping that rain and wave water will not go down the hole in any large quantities.

Glassed-in pad.

Here is the windlass ready for action. Four 5/16 s/s bolts and large fender washers. Shortly after this picture I winched in 100 of chain. Lots of throws of that handle, less than 12 each direction.

I will add a strain relieve on the back of the locker so that the windlass is not holding the anchor on the bow.

Bolted in.

I put a 3 PVC adapter on the bottom. I hope this will keep the chain from jamming as it is payed out. Kind of like a funnel. I am embarrassed to tell you why there is a connector. I glued this up at home and then cut it to length before the 90 mile drive to the boat. I figured it cant be that far between the bottom of the anchor locker and. . . ..

That wiring is for the bow light. There is a plug there and guess who knocked it loose? A couple weeks later I am on the bow, after sunset and a couple miles out, trying to figure out why I have no light!

You can see that ridge that I have asked about. Indeed it looks like the seam of the inner liner.

The pipe.

I had taken the bulkhead and cabinetry home for a coat of varnish. Then I remembered that I had some old birch cabinet doors. So I cut that oval hole much larger and added a door. I also reinforced the other side with glued and screwed vertical 1x2x24 strips. Gives me much easier access to a fairly large area, even with the pipe in there. I even remembered to cut the hole high enough so the door will clear the mattress!

Bulkhead.