Anchor Chain Question.....

[craigsmith]

Originally Posted by toewsrus

I have 150' of 3/8 chain and would like to have the capacity to easily add more rode, say some nylon rope onto that. My windlass is verticaly mounted inside the chain locker. How would I easily use the windlass to switch from chain to rope?

I know, dumb question, but all I can think of is getting to the end of the chain and it falls to the seabed and then letting out the nylon rode. Getting it back up seems like more of a challenge. Using the windlass to bring in the nylon, I'm not sure how to make the switch to the chain when it comes up.

You need a rope/chain combination gypsy.

Failing that, if you have a winch or something aft of the windlass/capstan, you can also use some monkey business to winch in the rope, then stop the chain in front of the windlass and switch it onto the wildcat. Not ideal and not recommended.

Your windlass solution should be capable of hauling in the total weight of the deployed anchor and entire rode (imagine it all deployed at sea in deep water), so if your boat and therefore the equipment is large enough, it is unacceptable to rely on hauling in the rope by hand.

[Pericles]

When my 10 year old Volvo V70 T5 was manufactured, it was fitted with the best tyres then available for a car with a top speed over 150 mph. Since then I first went for Continental Premium Contacts for their enhanced capabilities, but then I was recommended to try Eagle F1s and gained another quantum leap in roadholding and wet road performance. I would NOT buy a set of the tyres with which the car was originally fitted. It would not be a good use of my money. Tyres improve and so do anchors, which is why I am of the opinion that Rocna represents the pinnacle so far.

I would not put cheap tyres on a performance vehicle and therefore would not consider using an inferior anchor to secure my vessel. It is plain stupid economics to trust thousands of dollars of boat, to say nothing of the lives of those onboard, to a piece of ironmongery that has served its time. I mean, of course, all the CQRs, flukes, grapnels, Bruces etc. They are all "old hat" and should be consigned to the smelter. The Bruce dates from the 70s and only imitations are available. Anchor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It is also my considered opinion that anyone who today buys a ripoff rather than a genuine Rocna is a cheapskate and a bloody fool who will get what they deserve Darwin Awardwise. http://www.darwinawards.com/

The fake Rocna is a distinguishing badge of a wilfully perjured cheater, void of all moral worth and totally unfit to be received into any society of men who prize honour and virtue above all else.

New Types of Anchor for Cruising Yachts

Tough love,

Pericles

[btrayfors]

avazquez,

To answer your question more directly, NO, you're not likely to gain anything. The 150' of 3/8" chain you would give up weighs 231lbs....about the size of a big crewmember. However, you must also count the weight of the 5/8" or 3/4" nylon line you'd have to add, so you'd only gain about 200lbs of weight in the bow. On a 46' Beneteau, that's not much. Especially in the prevailing tradewinds which deliver plenty of driving power.

And, more to the point, in the Spanish Virgins and elsewhere in the coral-strewn Caribbean, you definitely want an all-chain rode for peace of mind.

Bill

[craigsmith]

Don Radcliffe has the right idea, listen to what he said.

Or go one step further, dump the BBB or HT/G40 and get some tiny high tensile (seriously, if you can afford it - then you can have all-chain and no weight problems).

As to length, you probably do want at least 150' of chain in the Caribbean. Rope after 50' is not ideal.

(Actually is the OP still even watching this thread?)

[Landshark]

My ground tackle is 200 feet of 3/8 inch chain and 600 feet of 5/8 Brait. Here in Alaska almost all anchorages are around 100 feet. And even if not, I deploy all the chain and some nylon. It's the key to sleeping at night.