Do you Like your Rope Rode ?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

10:1? The Pacific has 100' anchorages and plenty of them. Carrying 1000' of chain, or even 300 chain and 700 line?

I'd have to unzip my fly to find that kind of length onboard.

Dunno where your planning on cruising but I never had to anchor anywhere deeper than 35ft...

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

I have actually wondered about using spectra as an anchor rode, it floats like polypro, is more uv resistant and because it adds quite a bit of chafe and cut resistance. Or perhaps a loose spectra cover to a nylon core to get both chafe resistance and elasticity.

Before people jump on me about elasticity . . .chain is also inelastic and we deal with it by adding snubbers. You could use a snubber on a polypro or spectra rode (a bit harder on spectra because it is slippery but it is possible to accomplish).

Both poly pro and spectra are lighter than nylon (and don't absorb water) and offer some possible coral/chafe benefits. But I have personally never tried either so I can't vouch for them. We do know a small number (not statistical) of people who have used one or the other without problem.

From our own personal experience with 75' of chain plus rope, I think you could certainly do that safety.

Evans,

I have been thinking about the use of Dyneema anchor rode as we are trying to purchase a new, very weight sensitive boat (trimaran). The issue you addressed about how to secure a snubber is a big concern for this solution. One option that may work is splicing in either high load rings (Antal) or simple loops at preset intervals... 60' 90' 120'...etc. This would allow easy attachment of a snubber, kellet weight if needed, and also a way to easily secure the on deck part.


The other fear is retrieving to slipper rode back on deck... any ideas for this? Maybe another winch on the foredeck?

I currently have 300' of Samson Super Strong 5/8" double braid anchor line as my secondary anchor rode that I was planning on transferring over as primary on the next boat, but maybe dyneema's chafe resistance would be better.

Matt

[estarzinger]

^^

Usually when I 'suggest' something I have actually tried it, but not with this. I have used dyneema as shore lines but not as anchor rode. And we don't need/use a snubber with the shore lines.

It has always sounded like an interesting idea, worth trying, but, really, "I don't know, and hope to learn from you, as you figure it out" is unfortunately my answer here.

I would try the various gripper hitches first. If they grip, then they will be an easy and good solution. If they do not grip the bare dyneema, then putting say 2' of dacron cover where you might want to grip most probably would work (and would be nicer than splicing in metal hardware).

My load cell is coming first week in January, and I have testing these gripper hitches (including on bare and covered dyneema) on the agenda. So I may know more, be more helpful, next month. (I have a nice aluminum I beam test bench constructed, just waiting for the load cell and 10 ton puller cylinder to arrive)

As to winching . . . we have/do do that . . . and if you put a bunch of wraps (say 6) around the drum it will come in without slipping. I do not think it would work with the rope/chain combined gypsy's.

[msponer]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

I'd have to unzip my fly to find that kind of length onboard.

Haha!

Seriously, I sailed through the Pacific with a manual windlass. It was completely fine, and I am a weakling. Though I did take turns cranking it with everyone else.on board. But I did replace it with an electric windlass in Australia. Partly because the little springs inside the manual windlass that keep it from freewheeling backwards kept breaking, and the Australian dollar was low so we got the electric one at half off.

[familycruisers]

10/1 scope but its the cats fault. Smh.