3 Strand or 8 Plait for Anchor Line

[Exile]

I've looked online on how to slice both 3-strand & 8-plait to chain and it doesn't look difficult. Even with 200' of chain, I like the idea of having a length of line attached, but also like the option of being able to use this mostly unused line for other things, incl. a 2nd anchor if need be. Hence a shackle vs. a splice. Thought I might splice/thimble the bitter end as well to secure inside the locker. I can always cut it an emergency, although I suppose a bowline would be safer.

I always use the snubber if I'm on chain, but never thought about using it on rope too for sacrificial purposes in the event of chafe -- thanks for that one!

I have claw hooks on both my snubbers that could be an easier way of using Boatman's trick of tying off the chain to a cleat to facilitate the transition on the drums. A rolling hitch would likely be safer I would think. Another good idea -- thanks.

Also glad to hear I'm not the only one single-handing big-ass boats!

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by sww914

1- I haven't found any easy way to transition from the rope to the chain with my windlass. Mine has a rope drum on one side and a gypsy on the other. I just hauled it up with my hands until I got to the chain. I think that Chapman's recommends grabbing the chain with a shackle and another piece of line on a winch to pull it past that point but I never tried it.

2- Splicing stranded line is really fun. We did it quite a few times on that crappy old 3 strand to the chain and again on our new chain. You can find directions online but I'll tell you the most important part that they never say. It is weaving. Over & under & over & under.

3- I don't really know but I think that you have it right.

1. two words: chain stopper. If that really really is not possible then a snubber to hold the chain while transferring.

2. 8-plait to chain is the easiest and less prone to chafing than 3-strand.

3. 5/8" Yale 8-plait is good on 3/8" BBB chain. I have 1.25" Yale 8-plait on to 3/8" G7 chain.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

1. two words: chain stopper. If that really really is not possible then a snubber to hold the chain while transferring.

2. 8-plait to chain is the easiest and less prone to chafing than 3-strand.

3. 5/8" Yale 8-plait is good on 3/8" BBB chain. I have 1.25" Yale 8-plait on to 3/8" G7 chain.

I have a thick piece of stainless mounted flush on the deck b'twn the windlass & the roller. Would be tough mounting & back-plating a chain stopper but I've thought about doing it anyway. On the upside, my bow cleats are pretty massive and ideally situated to position snubbers.

My biggest issue with 3-strand is trying to get it to lay down flat in the locker to avoid castling the chain. It sounds like 8-plait will fix that little annoyance nicely. I'm also thinking about making one locker out of the existing two and stowing the 2nd rode in a bag down below.

I know you mentioned it on another anchoring thread, but would you mind telling me again the length of your 2nd anchor rode? I think it may have been 10' of chain & either 200 or 300' of line but I don't recall.

Thanks!

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Exile

I have a thick piece of stainless mounted flush on the deck b'twn the windlass & the roller. Would be tough mounting & back-plating a chain stopper but I've thought about doing it anyway. On the upside, my bow cleats are pretty massive and ideally situated to position snubbers.

My biggest issue with 3-strand is trying to get it to lay down flat in the locker to avoid castling the chain. It sounds like 8-plait will fix that little annoyance nicely. I'm also thinking about making one locker out of the existing two and stowing the 2nd rode in a bag down below.

I know you mentioned it on another anchoring thread, but would you mind telling me again the length of your 2nd anchor rode? I think it may have been 10' of chain & either 200 or 300' of line but I don't recall.

Thanks!

Chain may be 20' but not more and 400' of 8-plait from Yale. My boat came with 1000' of the stuff... I use this for a line to shore more often than for the Fortress anchor.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Chain may be 20' but not more and 400' of 8-plait from Yale. My boat came with 1000' of the stuff... I use this for a line to shore more often than for the Fortress anchor.

Thanks Jedi, again! A thousand feet of 8-plait must require its own mailing address, even on your boat! I've seen pics of reels of the stuff mounted on various places on the deck for shorelines, etc. No doubt handy if not essential in some parts of the world.

[gjordan]

I have used both 3 strand and multiplat/8 strand and found the 8 strand much easier to use with the vertical drum windlass that came with my boat. When I bought the boat it had 60 feet of chain , and 3 strand nylon with an eye splice and shackle. The 3 strand was old and stiff, but after pricing a new electric windlass and 40 fathoms of chain, I (my wallet) decided to stay with nylon. The 3 strand didnt work very well on the drum and the eye splice was hard to get over the drum without a jam. Surprising, the chain worked fine over the bronze drum if I kept the angle just right. I bought a 200 foot piece of 8 strand and spliced it to the existing chain and it worked well and was much easier to get the splice around the drum without a jam. It took some practice to keep the pulling angle steady, but with the toe switch for the windlass and the much better 8 strand it actually worked very well. If I would have had the money, I would have gone with a new windlass and all chain, but all things in boats are a compromise. ______Grant.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by sww914

... Canadian made 3/8", the links are stamped CMP.

CMP = Canada Metals (Pacific); makers of Martyr anodes, Titan chain, & (now) Rocna anchors.

➥ Canada Metal

[sww914]

Thanks to all of you who convinced us to go with chain. We just helped rescue a Cal 29 that went up on the rocks in the La Cruz anchorage because their rode chafed through.
They had EXACTLY the same as we had, 50' of 3/8" chain and 300' of 3/4" nylon rode. The rode was brand new.
Their boat seems fine, they're getting it hauled on Tuesday to check it out.

[sabray]

A single piece of line could chafe very quick. You can't t hang on chain alone in conditions that are burning any line. Given the little we know its hard to determine if the gear failed or the owner had a bad set.
I like lots of chain but my load at the hull is always line.my knee jerk reaction is nothing is all chain. We compromise how much were loading on the worst place to add weight. Then we set up for chafe and conditions.
To burn through a new 3/4 inch line means that line was cheap and or they had no chafe or management in place.

[Andrew Troup]

Originally Posted by sabray

...
To burn through a new 3/4 inch line means that line was cheap and/or they had no chafe management in place....

You seem to be assuming the line broke at the top end. I'm guessing it more likely chafed through at or near the chain end, if they were anchored in a deep rocky situation (only 50' of chain)

[sabray]

No idea what happened. Which is why its s bad argument for all chain.please tell us what happened.

[sww914]

It chafed through within 5 feet of the end of the chain. Chafed is actually the wrong word, it was cut by sharp rocks. The end of the line looked as though it were cut by a dull knife. It was all green & dirty.

[KrazySailing]

Being Canadian I'm all for Canadian Made. In this case was the chain "Canadian Made"! How do you know the chain was made in Canada?

CMP (Canada Metal (Pacific) Ltd. ) has a facility in Vancouver, Canada and a manufacturing plant in China. (see below). This "company" had the problem with metal in it's Ronca anchors not meeting specifications. ( West Marine update » Rocna Anchors ), the infamous "West Marine recall" that was not a recall.

I'm thinking your CMP chain was manufactured at it's plant in China!

From the CMP web site Diecast products, aluminum, zinc, lead, die casting, foundry, cnc machining, Canada Metal, Canmet ::::
To enhance its position in the OEM anode, custom die cast and lead construction markets, Canada Metal (Pacific) Ltd. has relocated Canadian operations to a new, modern engineering facility in November, 2006.

The 40,000-sq. ft. building contains extensive engineering resources, metallurgical testing laboratories and production capabilities. Combining on-site modern, die-casting equipment with an engineering focus, the new facility can produce custom OEM anodes from several ounces to 725-pound units for offshore oil pipelines.

The new Vancouver facility complements another 45,000-sq.ft. manufacturing plant in Ningbo, China, which is owned by CMP Global, the company's international trading arm. The facility opened in 2005.

Canada Metal ‘s new engineering-focused plant in Vancouver and CMP Global's facility in China allow it to act as both importer and domestic manufacturer. We want our customers to know of the breadth and the diversity of our products and operations."

[s/v Jedi]

It seems it doesn't matter how much proof is given; some will persist in using line and there will always be yachts needing saving from rocks as a result from that. I believe it has much to do with line being cheaper and less to do with line being lighter. If you want lighter, spend more money on high tech chain that weighs less with equal or more strength.

[zeehag]

914--every boat at la cruz with chain to rope rode breaks loose. is a most rough anchorage. most folks anchoring there use a bridle for snubbing....
the la cruz anchorage is 25 ft depth with much rock formation under the water. we are sailing on mountain tops here....and they are under water. rope chafes away fast there.
good to hear you are in la cruz--i am 400 miles south and considering 500 more this summer. no 'çanes in chiapas......