Swivels and twist.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by sailormed

Find some deep water, lower anchor and ALL the chain. Anchor should still be free hanging. Pull everything in, no more twist. Voilà!

I agree but 110m is to much chain to do that. It mat not all be twisted.

[double u]

...one of the mysteries 14 years cruising & +100.000 miles didn't solve...
(untwisted chain-anchoring-after one week without windshift - chain coming up twisted)

[daletournier]

I think it was Jim that mentioned something like "you first get the experience then the wisdom ", I'm a little wiser now than I was several days back.

I saw the twist developing in the locker after the windlass sometime back, it was no problem as I haven't been using more than 40m since being in the Seychelles and I've been meaning to get around to untwisting the rest, no big deal.

Well, I certainly underestimated the labor involved in getting the twist out of the remaining 60m of chain.

Tie the chain off prior to the windlass, undo the bitter end and then work the twist through to the end, easy right?
Every single twist needs to be worked through, this took me 3 hrs in the sun, lifting the chain over my head which is twisted into a clump and then attempt to swing it around a little to get it to work it's way down and out. I would of done this at leat ten times, that's over 500m of lifting then doing some stupid hula exercise until it's works it self through and then start again.... I'm obviously not very bright.

I will not be letting it get to that stage again.

As I said earlier, all my previous boats had swivels, I've never experienced this before.

Some of you older blokes that have been sailing for years must be very wise by now...... assuming you get your wisdom from the same place I do.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by daletournier

I think it was Jim that mentioned something like "you first get the experience then the wisdom ", I'm a little wiser now than I was several days back.

........
Some of you older blokes that have been sailing for years must be very wise by now...... assuming you get your wisdom from the same place I do.

As an aside, since joing CF I'm way better informed but I dunno about wiser.
Never mistake good data for wisdom

[Sailing Drummer]

Here's a possibility. The chain is not twisting (other than when you circle for shift in current) when it is out. There are possibly a few twists from when it was put in the locker. If it was not put in using the windlass then that's how it happened.

Let's suppose you have 1 twist every 10' and you have 200' of chain. No big deal. But then you let out 125' to anchor and now those same twists - 20 of them - are on 75' of chain. It would start to look like that picture. The chain won't go through the windlass, in either direction, without untwisting, unless it jumps.

Just a thought on how it might have happened. If this is the case, remove the chain and put it back in using the windlass.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by daletournier

Hi, chain dosent jump of windlass, it's a good fit and gypsy is in good condition. It's a vertical windlass, I don't think you'd get the twist with a horizontal one.

Probably just the opposite. A vertical windlass has a greater contact arc and less tendency to jump.

Perhaps it has to do with how the chain is slumping in the locker. But I seriously doubt the windlass is causing it directly. There is no mechanism.

[RaymondR]

I have experienced the same problem but cannot recall whether it occurred when I had a vertical shaft winch or after I changed to a horizontal shaft replacement.

Since the vertical shaft has 180 degrees of wrap versus 90 for the horizontal it might be possible for a twist to ride out of the wildcat and be re-engaged with the vertical shaft whereas this may not occur on the horizontal shaft which has about half the engagement.

I have motored around the anchor to remove the twists, a solution if you don't mind appearing a bit eccentric??

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by Sailing Drummer

Here's a possibility. The chain is not twisting (other than when you circle for shift in current) when it is out. There are possibly a few twists from when it was put in the locker. If it was not put in using the windlass then that's how it happened.

Let's suppose you have 1 twist every 10' and you have 200' of chain. No big deal. But then you let out 125' to anchor and now those same twists - 20 of them - are on 75' of chain. It would start to look like that picture. The chain won't go through the windlass, in either direction, without untwisting, unless it jumps.

Just a thought on how it might have happened. If this is the case, remove the chain and put it back in using the windlass.

I think this is probably the issue. As mentioned, if the chain is fed into the locker with the windlass, it *can't* be twisted as the gypsy feeds it straight. if you get it in by hand there's a very good chance that twist was introduced in the process, which is bunched up towards the bitter end as you let it out the windlass.

[double u]

the only logical explanation I could ever come up with: the anchor not being 100% symmetrical & not hanging 100% straight spirals down as one drops it fast & is not turning in the other direction when coming up as this is much slower...