I havent a clue whether Im uploading this and the pictures correctly but in the unlikely event I did it correctly, this article is the tale of how I got my anchor chain down into the locker without it bunching under the windless resulting in my having to hand feed the chain down the hawse hole.

Those of you with a mid-90s vintage 376 have probably had issues with the rode or chain feeding off the windless down into the anchor locker below the v-berth.

My fix was suggested by Hunter and also I know this project had been done by others on the forum. Essentially the issue was to angle forward the way the rode or chain decended so it didnt build a pile as it was retrieved.

The first issue address was that more access was needed over and above that little velcrod access panel under the windless. The fix was cutting another access panel at the foot of the v-berth. If I did this correctly, the photo of the newly cut access panel should be the first picture attached. The finished panel is covered by a varnished teak cover.

At this point, I should explain that while Ive installed my own electronics and trouble shoot and repair electric issues, I knew that a project like this was out of my league so all this work was done by my yard, Oyster Bay Marine Center, in Oyster Bay, Long Island, NY.

As explained earlier, the solution to the retrieval issue was to get the rode and/or chain to angle forward before downward, and then rearward to get the chain as far into (deep) the locker as possible. To accomplish this, we needed to get a pipe fixed to the underside of the deck. The first step was to cut the short hawse pipe under the deck and give it an angle to accept the mating collar. That should be the second picture.

Then the pipe was fabricated in sections and joined with collars. I know several folks have done this as a DIY project but used PVC pipe. The yard insisted on going with stainless pipe since that wouldnt wear like the PVC pipe. As they pointed out, constant up and down of the rode/chain could wear a groove and ultimatle grab a link of the chain and jam it at the absolutely wrong time! So stainless pipe was used. The next picture shows that pipe and mating collar fixed to the underside of the deck.

As the pipe decends forward and then down and aft into the locker, the yard fabricated a stand-off to brace the pipe. The 4th picture shows that bracing arrangement.

And the last shows the exit end of the pipe down into the locker itself.

Not an easy DIY project at all. But worth it since I can now deploy and retrieve the anchor using the remote in the cockpit without leaving the cockpit. The way the new system works, I can retrieve the anchor right back onto its normal resting place on the bow roller without having to run forward to knock a pile down.