Fairlead for Halibut anchor system.

[Newf]

A few days ago I was looking for input on something to help protect the sides of my boat from damage when dropping or retrieving the anchor chain on my halibut system. "fshnfnatic" noted that he uses a roller set-up for his boat. A roller set-up was what I had in mind, to make it easier to drop and lift and protect the boat at the same time. I checked with Scotty to see if they already had something but they only had a small fairlead for rope.

I also wanted a quick installation and removal so, using a bit of left over scrap steel here's a contraption that I came up with. I will be adding a couple of "post" at the front to keep the rope on the roller especially when pulling it in.. Would have perferred to use aluminum but can't weld it with my machine so this will do for now. After a few uses I'm sure a modification or two may be required.

Thoughts for improvements would be welcomed and appreciated.

New to posting photos so hopefully they load OK.



It fits snug over the Scotty downrigger attachment on the swivel base and just pins through the same hole as the downrigger.



Swivel out when needed.

Drop the chain and anchor over and feed it out or pull it in..

 

[fshnfnatic]

That's an even better set up than mine.Good job there Newf.The only thing I would change is putting the same size roller on the front.You'll find that when your in rougher seas the rope or chain can pop out of the groove on the roller.This is what happened to me and i just went with a bigger deeper roller and that solved the problem.The back roller looks to be the same size as what i ended up using.Thats a great design and much quicker to deploy or remove than the one I use which is bolted to the gunnel.

 

[Newf]

That's an even better set up than mine.Good job there Newf.The only thing I would change is putting the same size roller on the front.You'll find that when your in rougher seas the rope or chain can pop out of the groove on the roller.This is what happened to me and i just went with a bigger deeper roller and that solved the problem.The back roller looks to be the same size as what i ended up using.Thats a great design and much quicker to deploy or remove than the one I use which is bolted to the gunnel.

Thanks fshnhnatic. Actually, both rollers are the same size but the back one is raised a little higher so the chain wouldn't rub on the back crossbar. It does look larger than the front roller in the photo. I was going to add a couple of guide post about 4" high at the front roller so the chain or rope wouldn't jump out but as you noted, a deeper grooved roller might accomplish that.. I think the best feature that I like is that it just mounts to the existing downrigger base. Pull the hairpin, remove the bolt and it's off.

 

[bigdogeh]

Quick!, patent it before Scotty gets ahold of your idea...hehe

 

[Newf]

Quick!, patent it before Scotty gets ahold of your idea...hehe

HaHa. Good one bigdogeh. If I thought they would make something similar I would send them a picture. I love their products and unlike mine, their's would be corrosion resistant and a lot lighter. Maybe they would give me a freebie..

 

[Newf]

Tried it out a couple of times now and it works great..Added a couple of guide rods at the front to keep the rope on the roller. Not required for the chain but definitely helps with the rope.. Having my daughter pull in the 600ft of rope also helps..LOL

 

[spring fever]

Great idea!! Love it when guys come up with unique solutions. I would approach Scotty and see what you come up with. Patent might be an idea but that will cut into fishing time. LOL

 

[Wild Bill]

Lol figures!
https://www.amazon.ca/Shoreline-Mar...UTF8&qid=1496418199&sr=1-293&keywords=Boating

 

[Newf]

Thanks SP. I like tinkering so if I need something and can't buy it, I usually try to come up with something myself. I have a shoulder issue so was having a problem lowering or lifting the chain and anchor without rattling it off the sides of the boat and damaging the coating. This little contraption allows me to sit on the engine cover and with very little effort lower or pull everything over the rollers and drop it in the box with very little strain on the shoulder or back. Not interested in any patent but wanted to share the idea as other members may be interested to copy or modify to suit their own purposes. I did send photos to Scotty. Maybe their design folks would be interested in making a nice fancy one.

 

[Newf]

Lol figures!
https://www.amazon.ca/Shoreline-Mar...UTF8&qid=1496418199&sr=1-293&keywords=Boating

Hi Wild Bill, I checked with Scotty after I saw this product to see it they had one with a wider roller that would handle the chain. They did not so I made my own to mount on the Scotty downrigger base. They could easily modify their bracket to accommodate a wider roller.