Patent ID: 7299759

Claim:
A bowsprit assembly for raising and lowering an anchor from a vessel surface, the anchor having a main shank coupled to a rope, said assembly comprising: a first substantially U-shaped section having a base adapted to be mounted directly to the vessel surface, the first U-shaped section arranged to receive and releasably retain the main shank of the anchor when the anchor is not deployed; a second substantially U-shaped section depending downwardly at an acute angle from said first section and rigidly connected to said first section, said second section having a free end arranged to extend from the vessel surface; and primary and secondary rollers both disposed within said second section and spanning the U-shaped of said second section, said primary and secondary rollers being spaced apart from one another both longitudinally and in the height direction of said second section; wherein both rollers are arranged to support the weight of the rope and guide the rope as the anchor is raised and lowered; wherein each U-shaped section comprises opposed spaced-apart elongate wall members and a base member disposed therebetween, said base member extending along at least part of the length dimension of each of said sections.