Best rope for anchor rode

[zboss]

Hi Folks,

We want to replace our 150 feet of anchor rode line with something that has a lot more flexibility but the same strength. We have 150 feet of 3/8" BBB.

Our anchor locker is not very large and when the few opportunities came up to use more than just the chain, stuffing the rope back into the locker is a real pain in the rear. We would like something that lays a lot better in the locker.

Suggestions?

- z

[daddle]

Nylon double (or triple?) braid is the best material. Long life and flexible. But it does not grip well in a chain/rode gypsy.

Three-strand nylon grips in the gypsy but is not so nice to handle. It can get very stiff.

With either, they are greatly improved by not letting them dry out in the anchor locker. I pull my triple braid out regularly for a scrubbing and rainfall rinse. If you lay it out neatly on the deck you can clean it quick with a stiff brush. I suppose if you are a landlubber you could rinse it with the dock hose, but I wouldn't know

[zboss]

Yes, we currently have three strand nylon and find it very hard to stuff back in the locker.

[estarzinger]

8 plait . . . Brait

High energy absorption and flakes down really well and does not get(so) stiff with age.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

8 plait . . . Brait

High energy absorption and flakes down really well and does not get(so) stiff with age.

+1 We switched from 3-strand to 8 plait.....it's nice.
as a bonus the old rhode made great new docklines.

[roetter]

Just switched from 3-strand to 8-plait. What a difference. It uses up about 1/3 of the space in the locker that the 3-strand of same length took. The rope-to-chain splice also feeds much better through the windlass.

[ranger58sb]

We have 300' of 8-plait, mostly because we needed new and that's what was recommended by the windlass maker. Works like a champ in the rope/chain wheel, as expected, but turns out it does indeed lay nicely in the locker, much more compactly than 3-strand would have done.


-Chris

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

We have 300' of 8-plait, mostly because we needed new and that's what was recommended by the windlass maker. Works like a champ in the rope/chain wheel, as expected, but turns out it does indeed lay nicely in the locker, much more compactly than 3-strand would have done.


-Chris

With 8-plait ability to "squash" to a flatter, oval shape, did anyone step-up a size in diameter ? My S/L windlass has a deep rope groove, and I am wondering if the soft lay of the plait could tend to fill down into the groove, more than the 3-lay does.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Blue Stocking

With 8-plait ability to "squash" to a flatter, oval shape, did anyone step-up a size in diameter ? My S/L windlass has a deep rope groove, and I am wondering if the soft lay of the plait could tend to fill down into the groove, more than the 3-lay does.

Sorry, can't speak to that. I just used the recommended size. 5/8" in our case, spliced to 5/16" HT chain. Our chainwheel lugs are sort of "wavey" (snake-like?) and I think that's one factor that improves the way rope works on it.

-Chris

[Bulawayo]

We use 20mm 8 plait nylon. It stays flexible better than three strand. However, we have been known to place our old three strand in a commercial washing machine with some softner. Our 8 plait is too long for that (we have 100 meters) and the supplier advised that softner might damage the ultimate strength.

[barnakiel]

Octo-plait polyester rope.

b.

[zboss]

Is this 8 plait?

Yale Cordage Nylon Brait 8-Strand Rope

[Bulawayo]

Yes!!

[UNCIVILIZED]

8 strand isn't the only option in single braids. There's 12-strand, Mega Braid, Mega Braid II, & a host of others. And if you don't want to put up with the 15% loss which nylon suffers from when it gets wet, you can go to Regatta Braid. It's a single braid Dacron, & looks pretty much like the nylon versions. Plus it has decent stretch.

If you start a search at Defender & West Marine, & then the major rope manufacturers, you'll find a host of choices.

There's a catch to a lot of these lines, they're more complicated to splice. AKA you may require the services of a rigger to splice them, especially if you want to put thimbles into the line.

[barnakiel]

Yep.

8-plait, or one of the other plaits. Why not.

Get dacron, not nylon, if polyester can be had where you live.

b.