100 feet of stern anchor line... to keep or toss?

[GILow]

Hi all,

I have a line on the boat for the stern anchor. It is 100 feet long, pretty decent thickness, but getting a bit stiff with age and hard to handle. I have a further 20 feet of chain and a decent sized danforth to complete the setup.

I am wondering whether to keep it. Our plan is to sail around Oz, and maybe across to Vanuatu. Are we ever likely to want to add a stern anchor, and if so, is 100 feet likely to be too short?

Thoughts?

Matt

[El Pinguino]

I would replace it with about 50 metres of 12mm multiplait or 3 strand nylon... you never know when it will come in handy. How big is the anchor?

Last time I used mine was in Tonga when lying to anchor and two lines ashore aft to the seawall. Wind was on the beam so ran it out from the starboard bow to hold the head up.

First time I used it was in the Gordon River.... nose in to the bank and laid as a 'proper fashion' kedge.

[GILow]

So, gut feel is 100 feet is a bit short?

P.S. love that Tassie photo.

P.P.S. Anchor is about 30% bigger than the one shown in your photo of the stern.

[El Pinguino]

better too long than too short... esp if its your only spare bit of string.

[GILow]

Hmmm.

Practical to join it with one of the other lines on the boat perhaps?

I must admit I was surprised at the length. The boat had such a long cruising history that I figured all this stuff had been worked out for me, but when I laid the line out on the street it sort of looked a bit short.

[El Pinguino]

Well, what I would have as a minimum is 50 metres for the kedge and maybe another 100 metres of 12mm polyprop for use as a shore line .. aside from your 4 shore lines for standard tie ups.

That is just my thoughts... others may disagree.

Apart from a warp for the kedge and a couple of long warps for drogues ( never used ) I have 2 x 240 metre polyprops and 2 x 120 metre polyprops.

You can't see it in this piccy but this is an anchor and two shore lines..... do they tie up like this in the Kimberley? I dunno....

Ping... king of string...

[Snowpetrel]

Is it nylon, and what sort of thickness? Always worth having a few lengths of strong line onboard. You can join them without to much trouble.

They make a good tow rope, stern line, drogue line, mooring brest line or spare anchor line. But I guess at some stage you also have to say enough is enough. I'd want about 100 meters or so but I'd be happy to cut it back to 50 at a pinch. Old nylon gets mighty stubborn. I've come to prefer the stronger polyolefins as they float and don't get so stiff with age.

[JPA Cate]

If the line's too stiff to handle, then you need new line. In a pinch, though, it will be usable if you wet it, it will temporarily become a little more flexible. We have 200 ft. of nylon 3 strand on our stern hook/kedge. Sometimes you have to double it back to the boat. It will really depend on how far off the beaten path you guys decide to go how much more line you want to carry ready to go.

Many people prefer 8 plait for its nice "hand." We're using nylon double braid for our snubber. It is still pretty flexible, about 10 yrs. old. It can be ordered for you here in Oz.

El Ping, why are you partial to floating line? I've always sort of regarded it as the work of the debbil, waiting to tangle props and whatnot.

Ann

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

El Ping, why are you partial to floating line? I've always sort of regarded it as the work of the debbil, waiting to tangle props and whatnot.

Ann

Ann, I'm not suggesting it be used as an anchor warp although it can be used as such at a pinch when deploying your kedge as part of a multi line 4 point sort of a deal when it is under load... and under water

The last thing you want when running shore lines is a rope that sinks.... heavy as all get out to get ashore... prone to fouling on kelp and rocks and stuff.

(Stretch is not an issue as the catenary on the lengths we are dealing with is plenty nuff to sort that out.)

A nice bit of polyprop scoots across the surface and you only need to about 10 metres or so in the boat for the crew to scamper up a cliff face with...

Not sure who is going to feed it into their prop...

[Snowpetrel]

Love the photo's Ping. Makes me want to get back over there!

I find joining ropes is often preferable to having one really long one. That way tangles and twists are easier to sort out plus the coil weighs less and is easily managed and stowed. Soft shackles would be ideal for joining the lengths.

Floating is good for shore lines as well since it doesn't sink and snag rocks and chafe. I have heard some of the french yachts use floating anchor line deliberately in coral to reduce the chafe danger. Makes sense to me, and it can always be sunk with weights if need be to keep it away from keels, rudders and props.

[GILow]

Hmmm. Ok. The consensus I am deriving from all this is that 100 feet is too short for the anchor line on its own.

Also it is pretty stiff and heavy so I think, perhaps, it can go.

We are well sorted for shore lines, the boat came with an extraordinary set of lines that were used to secure her in cyclone season. Some weird plaited stuff (maybe the 8 plait JPA mentioned?) super springy and very nice to handle. There must be a couple of hundred meters of the stuff. Plus a good selection of dock lines of various sizes.

Plus, having seen that neat storage bag on the stern of the pingmobile I am kinda drooling.

Damn, I'm gonna have to get a job now.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by GILow

......


Plus, having seen that neat storage bag on the stern of the pingmobile I am kinda drooling.

My big rope bags are 'bolsas para verduras'.. they cost 40 cents and are good for about 1 or 2 years in the sun. A bit of garden hose to firm up the neck and a bit of string to support 'em under the boom.... shore lines run easy.. stow easy..
They hold a full 220 metre coil of 12mm and are easy enough to handle.

[GILow]

Errr. Hang on a minute. Those things look like dinosaur intestines. What happened to the blue bag?

[GILow]

Does bolsas para whatever translate to big lizzard guts?

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by GILow

Does bolsas para whatever translate to big lizzard guts?

No.. it means 'big red condom'..

Those are my shore line bags.. the blue bag is the anchor warp bag... ex West Marine many years ago