Hurricane safety, - chain or rope?

[SY Marelot]

My 40' cutter is carrying 160 feet of heavy chain. Im thinking of replacing that with a shorter length of chain, plus rope. any advice would be appreciated, especially from experience.

The ship is a 14 ton aluminum shallow draft centerboard design, which sits low in the water, so its mainly the force from swell and current which has to be aticipated. Ive previously used weighted rode, lowering approx 20 kilo / 40 pound leads onto the rope. would that be a strategy for heavy weather anchorage?


Id like to hear from experience. Also regarding elasticity of rode and possible recommendation of material/brand.

[zeehag]

ROPE CHAFES.
chain holds.

your choice...your own loss....good luck.

[Jim Cate]

This subject has been discussed ad nauseum here on CF. Please try using the Google search function on the subject and read what has been suggested in the past. Thenif you still have queries, come back.

Jim

[SY Marelot]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

This subject has been discussed ad nauseum here on CF. Please try using the Google search function on the subject and read what has been suggested in the past. Thenif you still have queries, come back. Jim

Thanks Jim,

Im going in to this a bit systematically and im actually asking for answers from somebody with experience on the subject, but thanks anyway Jim

- Marek

[Group9]

Originally Posted by SY Marelot

Thanks Jim,

Im going in to this a bit systematically and im actually asking for answers from somebody with experience on the subject, but thanks anyway Jim

- Marek

I've anchored through several hurricanes. The only time I had a problem was when a line chafed through (I got lucky, almost no damage as it apparently happened after the worst of the storm had passed) in Issac. I had let out 160 feet of chain, and about five feet of line. I was planning to put a snubber on the end of my chain and was so exhausted, (after having had to put out the anchors twice and taking all the canvas, down. I forgot to do it. Didn't even realize until I found the yacht aground and the snubber still in the cockpit. The other anchor was a CQR with 60 feet of chain and a 100 feet of line (which I had put chafe protection on), that dragged and had a ball of weeds on it about three feet in diameter when I pulled it up.

Every other time, I used a combination of chain/line roads, with proper chafing gear, and the only problems I had were getting the anchors up because they had set so deeply (even finally giving up and leaving one Danforth in the mud one time after Hurricane Elena). In that one, my anchors not only held my boat, but also another boat that drug and got hung up on my anchor line.

I usually try to put out three anchors, with my best one and gear in the direction I think the wind is most likely to come out of.

[Tingum]

Stray with the chain!

[44'cruisingcat]

The boat weighs 14 tons. The weight of some chain won't make much difference.

edit: How did they get a 40 foot aluminium boat so heavy? My old STEEL 40 footer "only" weighed around 12.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by SY Marelot

My 40' cutter is carrying 160 feet of heavy chain. Im thinking of replacing that with a shorter length of chain, plus rope. any advice would be appreciated, especially from experience.

The ship is a 14 ton aluminum shallow draft centerboard design, which sits low in the water, so its mainly the force from swell and current which has to be aticipated. Ive previously used weighted rode, lowering approx 20 kilo / 40 pound leads onto the rope. would that be a strategy for heavy weather anchorage?


Id like to hear from experience. Also regarding elasticity of rode and possible recommendation of material/brand.

Alex from Port Annapolis waving hello. Hope your journey north is going well.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by SY Marelot

Thanks Jim,

Im going in to this a bit systematically and im actually asking for answers from somebody with experience on the subject, but thanks anyway Jim

- Marek

OK Marek, my point is that a great deal of discussion has preceded this thread, and some of that has come from very experienced cruisers, some of whom might decide that since they have commented at length before not to do so now. I find myself leaning in that direction, but will offer the following:

Ann and I have been cruising since 1986, and have primarily lived at anchor during that period. We have always used an all chain rode, and would not feel safe otherwise. Chafe is the deciding factor.

The use of kellets as you propose may offer some surge dampening but does nothing for ultimate holding power. This too has been discussed at length.

I again suggest that your "systematic" approach should include researching the archives.

Cheers,

Jim

[s/v Moondancer]

We anchored in hurricane Sandy last year, on the back side and only saw 60 knots. We were on a triple anchor rig at 120 deg to each other. Best as my memory serves me...

122 lb Rochna on all 3/8 chain with two 30 ft 1 inch snubbers.

A Fortress 55 on 75-100 ft of 3/8 chain and 1 inch rode and chafe protection.

A 65 lb CQR on 3/8 chain and 3/4 rode and chafe protection.

Minor chafe and the 65 lb pulled. The rig was marginal and since then I have added a bigger fortress and gone to 7/16 chain on the main anchor

Keep the chain and get some more! The key is to prevent the boat 'sailing' on the anchors and shock loading the anchor and the cleats. A single anchor does not get the job done unless you have a boat that will not 'sail' anchored in 100 knots.

Incidentally you might notice I wrote..." Best as my memory serves me..."

The reason we don't want to repeat previous posts is because some of the older members like myself can't remember what we wrote!

[zeehag]

symarelot....you may find it a tad more difficult now to find someone else with EXPERIENCE to answer your posting,as you have befouled n some of the more EXPERIENCED souls on this forum.
you have also lost my answer.
i stick with my already posted answer. if you cannot figure out the search function, perhaps you need to buy an rv instead of a boat.

you were most rude.

[WebWench]

Originally Posted by zeehag

symarelot....you may find it a tad more difficult now to find someone else with EXPERIENCE to answer your posting,as you have befouled n some of the more EXPERIENCED souls on this forum.
you have also lost my answer.
i stick with my already posted answer. if you cannot figure out the search function, perhaps you need to buy an rv instead of a boat.

you were most rude.

He may not realize that you can search the forum ( uses google) for previous posts on this subject where much advice has already been given from people who actually have experience.

[Tradewind 35]

Am delighted never to have been hurricaned so unable to advise like the old salts hereabouts, however for what it may be worth......in my more modest heavy weather anchoring experience (over only 40 years) I would not want to even think about being in a hurricane with only 160 feet of warp - I carry 120 metres of 10mm chain on my main anchor and for dire weather would deploy three anchors - the shorter kedges having 60 metres each, one is again all chain and the other on chain/warp for ease of laying from a dingy. Lowering weights down the anchor chain or warp is frankly a joke in terms of improving holding - if there is enough wind the chain is bar taught and almost rigid. The only point of lowering weights is I think to absorb snatching and reducing swinging in more modest winds - in a real bow the weight you would have to lower down the line to achieve anything would be so heavy as to be totally unmanageable. If you don't want chain for some reason then warp has to be longer to achieve the same security and if you fail to protect both ends from chafe or friction you risk loosing the lot.

[svmariane]

Chain or rope? In my humble opinion, All Chain, All the Time. Use a chunk of line as a snubber on the chain.

Lots of info from folk who have been there, done that. And in the first link, keep reading through because a discussion turns into modified ideas with photos and examples as the ideas develop.

Here... Read & heed.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...er-104325.html

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ing-66838.html

And for some fun: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ies-59029.html

For future reference: Somewhere near the top of the page you should fine something labeled SEARCH. Click it. Fill in the blank with your topic of interest. Hit GO. There are other ways to search, but that will get you started.

James

[bobconnie]

We have sat out some real large storms at anchor over our 30+ yrs of sailing! and we use nothing but all chain and a Big Ass Danforth!! Line can chaff, and pull itself into a burnt up mess !! All chain and a good big anchor with a good bridle into the chain with chafeing gear, and your set up ! Ive never used any line on my anchors, but thats just my choice!