<![CDATA[Cruisers & Sailing Forums - Anchoring & Mooring]]> https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/ en Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:55:32 GMT vBulletin 60 https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg <![CDATA[Cruisers & Sailing Forums - Anchoring & Mooring]]> https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/ Simpson Lawrence Proprietary Chain https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/simpson-lawrence-proprietary-chain-300494.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:29:54 GMT I have a 40' Morgan Cruising Ketch with a Simpson Lawrence windlass and 100' of Simpson Lawrence 7/16" (11.12mm) chain. This is not enough chain for my purposes. A second length of 100' SL chain came with the boat. I would love to connect the two with a hammer link, but have to be concerned about a splice going through the wildcat/gypsy. A generic 7/16" hammer link is much too long; a 3/8" hammer link is closer to the needed proportion, but smaller in diameter. I obviously do not want this to be the "weakest link". It appears to me welding would be difficult at best, and still suspect even if accomplished.

Simpson Lawrence wildcat and chain are proprietary, so I can't just go buy 200' of any anchor chain. The windlass is in good condition, so I would like to keep it.

Any feedback appreciated! ]]> JoshDad https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/simpson-lawrence-proprietary-chain-300494.html After 50 years, I reset my anchor https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/after-50-years-i-reset-my-anchor-300491.html Sun, 31 May 2026 22:17:22 GMT Image: https://photos.smugmug.com/Misc/i-dsNGjB7/0/MSq6KQPZP677r6hnRcRBJ5WrXQMW5wVHtTbrjGJLn/L/20260531_161733-L.jpg ...

My dad & I set this in place in 1976. I'm glad I didn't have to move it by hand. ]]> kayakerChuck https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/after-50-years-i-reset-my-anchor-300491.html Updating anchors again - secondary suggestions? https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/updating-anchors-again-secondary-suggestions-300447.html Thu, 28 May 2026 16:49:06 GMT I've finally grabbed a new mantus m1 for my monohull.
Now I'm looking at a new secondary. I'm honestly thinking of grabbing another bruce style claw - The lewmar's are very reasonable. (Also I've got 5x points coming from the mantus and I'm not risking letting those sit while west marine works on their reorg)


So yeah, I'm open to backup anchor ideas. I had a bruce 35 that actually worked surprisingly well AND I was able to set that one with my dinghy when I had engine issues. ]]> WilloCo https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/updating-anchors-again-secondary-suggestions-300447.html More Chain or Less - given same chain weight ? https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/more-chain-or-less-given-same-chain-weight-300429.html Wed, 27 May 2026 19:45:19 GMT In theory : The boat is well served with either 8 mm or 10 mm chain. But weight of the package counts. There is only so and so buoyancy ahead of... In theory :


The boat is well served with either 8 mm or 10 mm chain. But weight of the package counts. There is only so and so buoyancy ahead of the mast and her skipper refuses to sail her bow down.


Given to chose between same weight in 10 mm OR in 8 mm chain - the 8 mm chain will be about 1.7 x longer.


100 ft of 10 mm chain
OR
170 ft of 8 mm chain


Which is the better choice ?


Assume the typical anchorage is pretty shallow - 15 ft of water. Excellent holding and a very good anchor.


Assume at times a blow comes over the area. Nothing serious, say sustained 40, gusting higher.


???

I wonder what your thoughts are.


barnakiel ]]> barnakiel https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/more-chain-or-less-given-same-chain-weight-300429.html Anchor Chain Length https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/anchor-chain-length-300408.html Tue, 26 May 2026 01:51:04 GMT I plan to cruise in the Pacific. Reviews indicate a 300-foot anchor chain would be advisable. The problem is that as currently configured I don’t... I plan to cruise in the Pacific. Reviews indicate a 300-foot anchor chain would be advisable. The problem is that as currently configured I don’t have enough room.

My anchor locker has two compartments. The first locker is for my main anchor and has 240 feet of chain. While there is some additional space there does not appear to be enough room to store 300 feet of chain. The second compartment has a chain/rope combination for a second bow anchor.

I’ve been thinking about removing the divider and removing the 2nd anchor rode (chain/rope) so as to create one large compartment for the primary anchor chain.

Discussions on this forum suggest while there are merits to having a stern anchor, the advantage of two bow anchors is minimal.

By merging the anchor lockers, I would gain enough space for 300 feet of anchor chain; however, I would lose the means to deploy two bow anchors. Is the loss of using two bow anchors simultaneously a serious consideration?

I have a small secondary anchor (Danforth) and I could keep the extra chain/rope in a bag somewhere; thereby, retaining the capability to have a spare if I should lose the primary.

In summary, is merging the anchor lockers a good plan so as to gain space for a single 300+ feet of anchor chain? ]]> Casablanca1942 https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/anchor-chain-length-300408.html Day 3 of a passage — what does your vision stop being able to do first? https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/day-3-of-a-passage-what-does-your-vision-stop-being-able-to-do-first-300399.html Mon, 25 May 2026 14:43:23 GMT Continuing the thread of thought from last week's red-screen mode discussion (and thanks especially to noelex 77 for the Purkinje shift correction and to wholybee for getting the dark-adaptation timing right — both points are still sitting with me).

Here's where I keep ending up.

Even with perfect dark adaptation preserved — every screen dimmed, every white light killed, fully rested cones and rods — by day three of a passage my eyes start doing different things than they do at the dock.

For me the first to go is the scan. I'll be locked on the AIS screen for 30-40 seconds without lifting my eyes to the horizon. The radar shows a target and there's a 15-20 second lag before my brain does anything with it. Reading depth or COG off the instruments takes longer than it should and I'll misread numbers.

For sailors I've crewed with it's been different. Some lose the peripheral first — they miss nav lights at the edge of vision they'd normally catch. Some find their screen-reading speed collapses. A few have reported sound cues registering before visual cues — a change in the autopilot whine or a halyard slap recognised before they see the cause.

The literature on multi-day partial sleep (Belenky 2003 walking sentries, Van Dongen 2003 chronic restriction) suggests sustained visual attention degrades faster than reaction time under fatigue, but the *specific* visual sub-function that fails first seems to be individual.

So the question to the offshore-passage crowd:

**What does your vision stop being able to do first when you're three days in? Scan, peripheral, screen-reading, recognition delay, or something else I'm missing?**

Asking because I'd like to know whether this is one of those areas where there's a common failure mode most people share, or whether everyone's first-to-go is different.

Natalie ]]> GalvanicWorks https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/day-3-of-a-passage-what-does-your-vision-stop-being-able-to-do-first-300399.html <![CDATA[New slip; help me dock SOLO, since I'm mostly SOLO.]]> https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/new-slip-help-me-dock-solo-since-im-mostly-solo-300326.html Thu, 21 May 2026 09:50:30 GMT Hi all,

Just got a new slip and without a dock. I'm moving my Jeanneau SO409 (39 feet) monohull to the new marina.

Now, how the heck do I dock my baby in this slip? I've had the vessel for 9 years, so I know the ins and outs of prop walk/wash, but I always had a concrete dock. I always had the lines ready and did everything myself.

But, this??? This is new to me... please help me with suggestions and recommendations on how to dock solo. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated!!

My thinking... have loops ready on aft stbd and bow stdb (since I'm always on the stbd helm). Reverse, get close to dock, throw the loop over the dock cleat, put in lowest forward gear, run forward, and loop the bow stbd on the piling. Would it work? I'm talking about 5-10 kts wind. 15 kts wind max.

Thank you so much!!!

-Lukas
s/v Anywhere
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]]> Cool Hand Luke https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/new-slip-help-me-dock-solo-since-im-mostly-solo-300326.html Red-screen mode on overnight watches — do you inisist? https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/red-screen-mode-on-overnight-watches-do-you-inisist-300285.html Mon, 18 May 2026 12:06:24 GMT On a 0300 watch last week I caught myself opening the weather app — full white screen — and instantly lost about 20 minutes of night vision. By the... On a 0300 watch last week I caught myself opening the weather app — full white screen — and instantly lost about 20 minutes of night vision. By the time my eyes recalibrated I'd missed two ships' nav lights closer than I was comfortable with.

Both iOS and Android have red-screen overlays (iPhone: Accessibility → Display Accommodations → Colour Filters → Red Tint.) Across years of passage-making I've almost never seen another crew actually use them.

Curious how the offshore crowd really handles this:

- Red-screen mandatory on watch?
- Brightness floored and just accept the hit?
- Phones banned in the cockpit, plotter only?
- Or have you accepted that someone checking the weather at 0300 wipes night vision for the next half hour?

Is anyone using a dedicated red-light headtorch for chart or cockpit use, and is it helpful when looking at devices ?

Natalie ]]> GalvanicWorks https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/red-screen-mode-on-overnight-watches-do-you-inisist-300285.html Anchors https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/anchors-300262.html Sat, 16 May 2026 16:10:22 GMT Hello everyone. I am new to this Forum. I have a Gimini 105 and I have anchors but want a Rocna. I was thinking about getting a 33lb. I also want to... Hello everyone. I am new to this Forum. I have a Gimini 105 and I have anchors but want a Rocna. I was thinking about getting a 33lb. I also want to install a windlass. Anyone that can give me reccomendations on the size anchor, if not a 33lb and windlass and how best to mount the windlass would be appreciated. ]]> James Slug https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/anchors-300262.html anchor chain catenary calc https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/anchor-chain-catenary-calc-300226.html Thu, 14 May 2026 09:45:27 GMT might be of interest to one or 2. All copilot written, for a personal website but seemed a bit selfish not to get copilot to write an offline... might be of interest to one or 2.

All copilot written, for a personal website but seemed a bit selfish not to get copilot to write an offline version. Numbers not checked at all, but looks about right. Not my fault if it's wrong :biggrin:

Remove the .pdf & double click, works on brave on win11

Attachment 310513

Top graph/table - put in horizontal load and chain size it returns how much chain & scope needed so last link just lifts.
Attachment 310514

Bottom graph you can play around with water depth, chain size, chain length & chain size. Couldn't get it to work with chain lifted off the seabed so it just draws a straight line, angle will be a bit more than the real world.
Attachment 310515

Equations copilot used >
Attachment 310516

Couple of thoughts, no great surprise but chain size makes a big difference to the force required to lift all the chain. And can't remember any of anchor tests, online discussions breaking down the force on the chain into vertical & horizontal components, deeper water makes quite a difference.

Ai and anchor in the same thread :eek: This will kick off in no time :biggrin::biggrin::whistling::flowers:
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File Type: doc catenary_math_report.md.doc (2.8 KB)
]]> barcoMeCasa https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/anchor-chain-catenary-calc-300226.html KEEFE WINDLASS MOTOR https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/keefe-windlass-motor-300189.html Tue, 12 May 2026 14:38:15 GMT Ahoy,

I have a Keefe vertical windlass that need a new motor. Does anyone know of the specs or model numbers for this windlass? I'm looking for both the 110VAC motor or the 12VDC motor. ]]> BEthere https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/keefe-windlass-motor-300189.html Best anchor alarm for Android? https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/best-anchor-alarm-for-android-300182.html Tue, 12 May 2026 03:14:07 GMT Hi, I have been using anchor watch app (by idea boys) for about 1.5 years but the bearing doesn't work as it should on the lastest version. Is shows 110-108 bearing when I point 360 degrees. Is there any good anchor watch apps out there with bearing by pointing the phone in the anchor's direction?
For Android phone ]]> Sailingbluew https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/best-anchor-alarm-for-android-300182.html