[C320-list] Long anchor roller bolts

[Ade Bateman]

I'm looking for advice on whether I need to add a fifth bolt for the longer anchor roller. Details below.

Yesterday I replaced my short, original anchor roller with the longer version from Catalina Direct. I tried putting a Rocna 15 on the short roller but, just like others on the list before me, I couldn't make this work (I know some people have but I couldn't find a way to secure it and not strike the hull).

It was tricky to reach the bolts in front of the anchor locker, but I managed it and eventually removed the old roller. The backing plate for the original roller was securely attached underneath including being partly embedded in some sealant that appeared to be part of the deck/hull joint and I didn't want to remove it. Fortunately, the new roller had the holes in the same place, so it was a drop-in replacement. I reused the backing plate and the original bolts with a liberal amount of 5200.

Now to the question: how many bolts do the OEM longer rollers use? My shorter roller had four in an offset staggered pattern every 3", two on each side 6" apart. The new roller also includes a fifth hole, in line with the fourth. You can see this on the product page [1].

Having pondered this a little, I'm now wondering whether I need to add this fifth bolt? Any thoughts? On the one hand, it was securely fastened previously with four (and even with the bolts removed it was hard to remove the original 5200). On the other, there is more of a lifting moment now that the roller extends much further forward. I'm not sure if adding another bolt will make a significant difference. If I need to add another bolt, I will have to drill down through the deck and original backing plate.

Thanks for your thoughts,

Ade.
Sound Thinking, #257 1995.

[1] Long Anchor Roller https://www.catalinadirect.com/shop-by-boat/catalina-36/hull-deck/forward/anchor-roller-long-c-28-c-30-c-310-c-320-c-34-c-36/