Joining Chain to Anchor

[lancelot9898]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Your swivel is nearly always going to be the weak point in your ground tackle. .

I agree. When I upgraded my ground tackle a couple of years ago, I considered going with a swivel. The package stated the safe working load and it was almost double what the SWL was for the chain. No longer a weak link.....but the more I thought about it the more I questioned the logic. That design loading is based on a straight line pull and should a side loading develop then you can throw out those numbers entirely. Even with a good elastic bridle the failure mode will be in the shock loading as the boat swings from side to side with the wind or bobs up and down with the waves. Probably both. Any binding of the anchor chain and swivel will induce failure earlier than expected and for that reason I like a short link anchor chain(BBB) and no swivel. Plus I like to stay away from stainless due to it's failure can be sudden without any warning like you will not get with galvanized steel which will show deformation prior to failure. And while I replaced my CQR with the new design manson supreme, the CQR gets a bad rap with all this so called objective anchor tests. The advanage the CQR has is in the hinge design which allows the anchor to piviot with the wind shifts without resetting. However, it is difficult to set under certain condition and for that reason I upgraded with the supreme.

[craigsmith]

Originally Posted by lancelot9898

I agree. When I upgraded my ground tackle a couple of years ago, I considered going with a swivel. The package stated the safe working load and it was almost double what the SWL was for the chain. No longer a weak link.....

Really? What was the break load? Did you ever think that the SWLs might be based on different ratios?

Originally Posted by lancelot9898

but the more I thought about it the more I questioned the logic. That design loading is based on a straight line pull and should a side loading develop then you can throw out those numbers entirely.

That's why Duncan, and Nick, have both sensibly installed shackles between the anchor and the swivel, which a little attention from you might have shown.

Originally Posted by lancelot9898

Any binding of the anchor chain and swivel will induce failure earlier than expected

Why?
Binding's a nuisance, and other than wear and corrosion issues is not going to cause the swivel to spontaneously implode.

Originally Posted by lancelot9898

and for that reason I like a short link anchor chain(BBB)

For that reason you like the weakest chain you could find?

Originally Posted by lancelot9898

Plus I like to stay away from stainless due to it's failure can be sudden

Which of the hundreds of grades of stainless are you talking about? You are wrong with most of them.

Exert the break load of any product on it, and you will tend to find the failure rather sudden.

Originally Posted by lancelot9898

without any warning like you will not get with galvanized steel which will show deformation prior to failure.

Which of the hundreds of grades of steel are you talking about?

Your deformation is just plastic failure before break. Ductile steels will do this, and effectively destroy the chain, at a lower fraction of their break points than higher tensile steels will. How do you suppose this visual feedback is useful? Are you on the bow watching the links with a pair of verniers? Or you just expect to see the evidence of failed chain after the fact, assuming it didn't quite reach the break point. At half the force better steels might have endured.

Originally Posted by lancelot9898

And while I replaced my CQR with the new design manson supreme, the CQR gets a bad rap with all this so called objective anchor tests.

So you went for a cheap knock-off, with substantial compromises over the genuine article, and poor construction quality.

Originally Posted by lancelot9898

The advanage the CQR has is in the hinge design which allows the anchor to piviot with the wind shifts without resetting.

No it doesn't. The CQR's articulation is how it sets, or is at least supposed to. It has nothing at all to do with "allowing the anchor to pivot with the wind", an idea which should be quickly dismissed as totally illogical if given a moment's clear thought.

Back to anchor school with you Lancelot.