Rookie Anchoring: How to tie off nylon rode?

[Tigidal]

Hi All... Rookie question here that I'd like advice on... I have a 37ft Jeanneau with 50' chain and 100' nylon rode. My question is, when anchoring what is the best way to take the tension off of the windlass? There are two bow cleats to port and strbd... Should I tie off the rode to them? Is there a better solution when not using all chain? Thanks for any help.

[Sailmonkey]

Tie the nylon to the cleat with a cleat hitch.

If you don't get all of the chain in the water you'll need to take the strain off of the windlass too, preferably with a snubber attached to the same cleat that you'd otherwise tie the nylon to.


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[Tigidal]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

Tie the nylon to the cleat with a cleat hitch.

If you don't get all of the chain in the water you'll need to take the strain off of the windlass too, preferably with a snubber attached to the same cleat that you'd otherwise tie the nylon to.


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Thanks. After the nylon is tied off, should I worry about routing the line leading back to the anchor thru the anchor roller path and thus centering it... Or just allow the line to feed out directly from the cleat?

[cabo_sailor]

Sailmonkey has the right of it. I always use a chain snubber. You might also consider a chain stopper. It will take any shock loading without damaging your windlass.

Rich


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[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Tigidal

Thanks. After the nylon is tied off, should I worry about routing the line leading back to the anchor thru the anchor roller path and thus centering it... Or just allow the line to feed out directly from the cleat?

Use the roller or else your boat will sail more at anchor. You should feed the rode out over the roller anyway, then hold it and cleat it off.

[cabo_sailor]

Chafe is your enemy. Not much of a problem with chain but your nylon rode can disintegrate very fast.

If it is coming off the windlass you have little choice. It will be led off the bow roller. So long as it remains in that channel you should be alright

On my boat it is possible for the rode to jump out of that channel. If so I use some line or webbing to make sure it stays in the channel and frequently check for chafe.


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[Tigidal]

Great info... The chafe was my concern about routing it through the bow roller/sprit as the angle from the cleat is acute. Good suggestion on the webbing to keep it in the channel, will look at that option as well at the snubber/stopper when using only chain.

[FastCruiser]

Get yourself a dedicated line about 5/8 inch about 15 feet long and use it as a snubber line, connecting it to the chain or the anchor rode with a Rolling hitch.
If you chafe the snubber line for any reason, toss it and make a new one.
Rolling Hitch | How to tie the Rolling Hitch and Midshipman's Hitch | Boating Knots

The only thing I dont like about using a snubber on the rode or the chain is that it "muffels" the sound of the chain on the bottom. gives you a good nights sleep but sometimes you want to hear what the chain is doing as if the wind changes in an anchorage, the sound of the chain will be heard through the anchor roller and into the boat as it drags around. with the snubber the noise is muffeled.
If the anchor breaks lose and resets itself, I want to be wide awake for the change..

[cabo_sailor]

I agree with almost all you posted with one exception. The snubber does make for a more comfortable night, it's really nothing more than a shock absorber. But besides being more comfortable it also helps keep the anchor from being jerked out of the bottom.


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[Paul Elliott]

The OP has 50' of chain, and then 100' of nylon rode. In most cases they won't be using a chain snubber, and the nylon rode will be a reasonable shock-absorber (assuming 25 ft of line is out).

So the trick is to lead the line to a cleat without chafing. Or, use a short length of line from the cleat and tie it to the rode with a rolling hitch, as you would a snubber. As long as there's enough nylon between the bow and the chain, this would be a good place to use a low-stretch line from the cleat. Low-stretch reduces the chafe problem.

[cabo_sailor]

Thank you Paul,

I apparently missed part of the OP post.

Rich


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[sailray]

switch to all chain with a snubber. Use present rode for 2nd anchor. You will sleep much better. Chain provides a much better catanary.

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by sailray

switch to all chain with a snubber. Use present rode for 2nd anchor. You will sleep much better. Chain provides a much better catanary.

Only four posts, but this reply reveals sailray has lots of experience.

Take heed!

[bailsout]

Catenary: curve of suspends line between two points. I had to look it up.

[foothillsailor]

Fast cruiser has it right--biggest concern is with chafe that will occur on y our rope rode as it gets tugged back and forth sideways as it comes over your bow roller.

Solution is to use a separate nylon line as a snubber by putting a rolling hitch on the rode and then remove the rode from the bow roller and cleat the rode off on one side and the snubber on the opposite bow cleat making sure that there is no tension on your windlass and that the snubber and length of the rode from the rolling hitch to the cleat fall over the bow in equal lengths.

A chain hook won't work on the rope rode.

If you start to see chafe on the rode and/or nylon snubber then adjust their lengths or apply chafing protection

Just my 2 cents worth