When I haul in the anchor line during a fishin trip, I flake it down to the port foredeck if it is relatively calm or to a milk crate on the port foredeck if it is snotty. When I haul in the anchor line in a strong current, I flake it down to the milk crate on the cockpit floor so that I can take up the rode while under power. Then before I break loose from the bottom I go to neutral and move to the front of my platform to continue hauling the rode with the milk crate at my feet or on the port foredeck. My fancy cushions are not kept on the boat. There is marine? carpeting on the cuddy floor. I try to keep this as clean and dry as possible, but hey it’s a fishin boat. I suppose I could and (probably should) flake the line down to a watertight tote and then transfer it to the milk crate for storage.
When I am finished for the day, I secure the anchor in the roller with the tensioner. Next, I wrap my 10 feet of 3/8 galvanized chain around the 2 - 8 inch cleats on the platform. The chain is held snug by making the line fast to the samson post. Then the line runs over the port windshield to the milk crate which sits on the copilot’s seat or the cockpit floor if I have a crew aboard. If I have to drop anchor in a hurry, I can do so in half a minute. This is the way it is on the way out or back in.
I do not want the line to be damaged by the sun in my driveway between trips. I untie the bowline knot that connects to the smooth grade 316 stainless steel shackle to the chain. Then I store the line in the crate on the seat, shielded from the sun with a towel. Before I leave the driveway, I retie the bowline knot to the shackle, and I am good to go.
I have a second, much longer, length of braided line for deep water anchoring, stored on a plastic garden hose reel. I am able to tie this to the ground tackle as needed. I also carry a second anchor and have wreck anchors as well, so I like to have some choice of lines and anchors. I really don’t like the idea of using a snap connection like MJ does. Anchoring can be a do or die situation, and I am not that brave, for strange things can happen down there.