Boatnerd Discussion Forum

If you see water running out of an anchor pocket, you are likely seeing the operation of the anchor wash system. This is used to wash off sediment from the anchor cables and anchor when picking up the anchor, to reduce sediment build up in the chain lockers.

For the most part, The water doesn't make it all the way up the hawse pipe unless the seas are fairly big. If it does make it up the pipe to the windlass room, hopefully someone remembered to stuff the hawse pipes and secure the storm plates on them. Any water that would enter that space would run to the floor drains and off the vessel.

I noticed in the news photo of the Manitowoc that a lot of water was filling the anchor pockets. How much water comes on board and where does it go?