Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 04-07-2020, 11:01   #1
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Port Townsend, WA
Boat: Tashiba-31
Posts: 480
Images: 1
Should I worry about keeping chain clean?

Getting ready to head out and try anchoring around the sound. My Tashiba-31 has access to the chainlocker via these nice louvered doors in the V-berth.

Am I likely to get water splash onto my bed when I raise anchor?

Do I need to worry about having mud on the chain and if so, how do I deal with that.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

BTW - I'll be sailing alone
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	WIN_20200704_10_54_40_Pro.jpg
Views:	118
Size:	414.2 KB
ID:	218707  
dmksails is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2020, 11:19   #2
Registered User
 
Nicholson58's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Caribbean live aboard
Boat: Camper & Nicholson58 Ketch - ROXY Traverse City, Michigan No.668283
Posts: 6,356
Images: 84
Re: Should I worry about keeping chain clean?

Many boats have a sea water pump for deck wash. Wash the chain as you haul anchor. If you are at anchor long enough scum may grow on the chain between the surface and bottom. Snorkel on the chain with a brush or let out enough additional chain so the messy section drags around the bottom for a couple days to wear off the slime.
Nicholson58 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2020, 12:09   #3
Registered User
 
denverd0n's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Tampa, FL
Posts: 5,009
Images: 6
Re: Should I worry about keeping chain clean?

I think it is unlikely that you would get water on your bed. If the chain is stored with mud on it, however, there is a good possibility that after a few days it will start to stink. For a lot of people, that's the main reason for washing off the chain as you raise it.
denverd0n is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2020, 12:52   #4
Registered User
 
Panope's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Washington State
Boat: Colvin, Saugeen Witch (Aluminum), 34'
Posts: 2,272
Re: Should I worry about keeping chain clean?

DMK, I've been anchoring in your area for 40+ years with the same type of anchor locker that you have. Our mud must be "cleaner" than some other locations as I have never felt it necessary to clean the chain other than to remove (by hand) the bits of seaweed that make it past the bow roller.

At the end of my sailing season, I do make a habit of paying out the entire rode and rinsing with fresh water as it is brought in - more to prevent chain rusting than odor prevention.
Panope is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2020, 14:03   #5
Registered User
 
Mike OReilly's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Good question
Boat: Rafiki 37
Posts: 14,144
Re: Should I worry about keeping chain clean?

Same setup on my Rafiki. If you bring up a lot of organics with the chain then they can start to smell after a while. But it's generally not hard to rinse the chain before it disappears down the chain locker.

I don't have an anchor wash so I just let it hang for a short time (maybe 10s of seconds) to let the mud fall off in the water. If it's particularly tenacious mud, or sea weed, then I a bucket to dump water down the chain, and/or use a brush. But most of the time as simple dangle in the water, maybe with some up-and-down pulls, is enough.

You won't get water slashing in from simple anchor retrivial, but I have had water splash through when in heavy seas and I'm taking big green seas on the bow, or I'm burying the bow. I've learned to plug up the hawse pipe with a sponge to limit the water coming in.
__________________
Why go fast, when you can go slow.
BLOG: www.helplink.com/CLAFC
Mike OReilly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2020, 14:43   #6
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Underway in the Med -
Boat: Jeanneau 40 DS SoulMates
Posts: 2,274
Images: 1
Re: Should I worry about keeping chain clean?

it is easy to set up a saltwater wash down - keep the chain clean and it may last a bit on long, be easier to deploy, and not make a mess in the chain locjer that sooner or later you will have to go in and clean out,
__________________
just our thoughts and opinions
chuck and svsoulmates
Somewhere in the Eastern Caribbean
chuckr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2020, 14:57   #7
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: between the devil and the deep blue sea
Boat: a sailing boat
Posts: 20,420
Re: Should I worry about keeping chain clean?

Dirty chain stinks. I always wash down ours if not on the spot then later at the dock.


b.
barnakiel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2020, 08:55   #8
Registered User
 
SV__Grace's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Puget Sound, WA
Boat: Nauticat 43 ketch
Posts: 794
Images: 5
Re: Should I worry about keeping chain clean?

Some mud is tenacious and sticky and hard to clean off, some is slimy and soupy and easy to clean off.

If you have an anchor locker with drain holes you can bring up the chain, mud and all, and wash it down later, but when sticky mud dries I find it really hard to remove or clean from the anchor locker, so I use a washdown hose when raising anchor. Doing so is the most time consuming part of raising anchor but I'd rather do that than deal with an anchor locker full of dried mud and plugged drain holes.
SV__Grace is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2020, 09:10   #9
Moderator

Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 6,192
Re: Should I worry about keeping chain clean?

Very unlikely that there will be enough water on the rode after it has come through the spurling pipe to splash through the louvres. If they are indeed real louvres, and not just faux ones for ornamental purposes only, put a solid sheet of something like SS on the locker side of them. That'll keep any water from splashing through them. Any water that does come in with the rode will drain out through the scuppers in the bottom of the locker. The rope part of your rode is first in and will therefore lie helter-skelter in the apex of the upside down pyramid that is the locker space. The rope rode permits water to sink effortlessly to the bottom of the locker and go out the scuppers.

As Mike O'Reilly sez, it's easy to clean the rode as it comes aboard. It comes in so slowly that you can do it while capstan/windlass is running, but you see the danger in doing that, I'm sure. That's why there are "normally off" up/down switches controlling the machine. In the Salish Sea the rode will most often come in clean enough to go straight into the locker. Else just stop as necessary and clean it with your deck brush.

In an emergency situation where the rode has to come in NOW, you aren't gonna be worried about a little water!

While you are doing your pre-cruise inspection of your gear and filling your potable water tank anyway, wash out the locker with potable dockside water, using the hose, while all the rode is out of the locker for inspection anyway.

TrentePieds
TrentePieds is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2020, 09:22   #10
Registered User
 
Cheechako's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,483
Re: Should I worry about keeping chain clean?

A salt water washdown up forward is a nice thing. If you have time sometime add one with a faucet and hose inside the chain locker. Those coily hoses work well. it can be a tap off your freshwater line in the head. But a dedicated pump and salt water uses less water. However, the fresh water one is easy and allows you to hose off the boat after it gets crusted with salt on a bump crossing to Victoria etc!

Many parts of the Sound come up pretty clean but there are spots that are real black gooey stinky stuff too. Often these are those bays that used to have log mills and pulp mills. (Port Gamble?) Or city anchorages. Simetimes clay is present and it sticks like hell, only a pressure wash will get it off!
Washdown will keep smell out of the chainlocker/V berth. Use a bucket in the meantime.
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard











Cheechako is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2020, 09:55   #11
Moderator Emeritus
 
a64pilot's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Jacksonville/ out cruising
Boat: Island Packet 38
Posts: 31,351
Re: Should I worry about keeping chain clean?

I wash mine off with fresh water, no smell at all that way, and it seems it really cut down on rusting.
Probably only takes 5gl or less of water for 100’ of Chain, not muddy chain of course that’s going to take more water.
a64pilot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2020, 12:11   #12
Registered User
 
Cheechako's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,483
Re: Should I worry about keeping chain clean?

Quote:
Originally Posted by a64pilot View Post
I wash mine off with fresh water, no smell at all that way, and it seems it really cut down on rusting.
Probably only takes 5gl or less of water for 100’ of Chain, not muddy chain of course that’s going to take more water.
Yeah, once I got a good watermaker (25 gal an hour) I used the freshwater deck wash liberally.
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard











Cheechako is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2020, 14:18   #13
Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Papua New Guinea
Boat: Islander 73 43ft
Posts: 2
Re: Should I worry about keeping chain clean?

Quote:
Originally Posted by dmksails View Post
Getting ready to head out and try anchoring around the sound. My Tashiba-31 has access to the chainlocker via these nice louvered doors in the V-berth.

Am I likely to get water splash onto my bed when I raise anchor?

Do I need to worry about having mud on the chain and if so, how do I deal with that.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

BTW - I'll be sailing alone
I wash my chain on every lift with fresh water, chain lasts much longer and as nearly every boat now has a water maker on board this can be done and does not use to much f/water around 10/20 lts. on a average lift.
cowtownsrevenge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-07-2020, 03:54   #14
Moderator Emeritus
 
Hudson Force's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Lived aboard & cruised for 45 years,- now on a chair in my walk-in closet.
Boat: Morgan OI 413 1973 - Aythya
Posts: 8,455
Images: 1
Re: Should I worry about keeping chain clean?

I never wanted to bring the mud into my chain locker or even on to my bow where it would run down my toe rails a streak it's way amidship. I was also stingy with power and my mornings raising the anchor was my substitute gym membership.

I would first crank in the first 15' or so of my clean rode and remove my snubbers as I would glide toward my anchor or with wind or current my wife at the helm would ease us forward. Then I would bring up the portion of my rode without mud. When my chain began to appear with a coating of mud I would use a boat hook to shake the chain while the muddy portion was still in the water.

So, here I was with a boat hook in my left hand hooking and shaking the chain and the lever to operate my manual windlass in my right hand and at intervals signaling Nancie to maneuver toward or anchor.

Most of our cruising days were filled with lounging about reading or seated at the helm. I never regretted the times of physical activity that kept me more fit.

Another reason why I was so careful with shaking the mud from my chain was that my chain locker of my 1973 vessel drained into my bilge!
__________________
Take care and joy, Aythya crew
Hudson Force is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-07-2020, 04:26   #15
Registered User
 
malbert73's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2008
Boat: Tartan 40
Posts: 2,460
Re: Should I worry about keeping chain clean?

FINALLY! Someone else uses the boat hook shake the chain trick. I have been doing this for years in Chesapeake Bay which is super muddy and haven’t dewinterized my deck wash in years since this is so much easier. Of course I do have foot buttons for the windlass so one hand for boat hook, one hand for signals, and one foot for windlass. I imagine a plumb bow could require more care or chain tension....
malbert73 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Sitting in the yard since 2018 Should I worry? jlcarreiro Monohull Sailboats 17 17-06-2020 19:03
Keeping boat clean with dogs on board Anna Families, Kids and Pets Afloat 22 12-09-2013 07:08
Should I Worry About this Mast ? Tom1340 Construction, Maintenance & Refit 10 28-02-2011 09:45
Keeping the Chain Clean off-the-grid Construction, Maintenance & Refit 17 21-01-2011 17:41
Keeping your boat fresh and clean nicollej Families, Kids and Pets Afloat 14 05-05-2008 12:50

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 23:32.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.