How much chain for cruising Qld Australia?

[Jim Cate]

If you decide to regalvanize, we've had better results from Industrial Galvanizers in Eagle Farm (Brisbane area) than the mob in Bundy. The latter did a lousy job on our chain, requiring a lot of rework with a file to get big lumps of zinc off... and this after having to bash the chain with a big hammer to separate fused links.

Jim

[Mike Banks]

Forty metres of chain is the absolute minimum one should be using, and only then if it has another fifty metres of 200 mm diameter nylon rode spliced to it.

When one does find oneself in serious trouble, you will as like as not be in deep water. Fortunately that is seldom more than a hundred feet or so within the reef area and often much less than that.

To stop abrasion of the nylon rode, where it comes aboard it needs to be encased in high density polythene or polypropylene pipe secured to a rail or cleat so it can not slip.

You will seldom need to use it the extra nylon rode--and in any case--it is a good long cyclone rope for those occasions you will need to hide in the mangroves from a cyclone.

That is another thing--for cyclone security you need at least four long silver rope cyclone ropes, each on its own of sufficient breaking strain as to be able to hold the entire weight of the vessel. For these I used nylon because of its strength and elasticity, but any really strong synthetic ropes will do. On needs them to be long to allow for cyclone surges and high tides--going above decks in a cat 4 or 5 storm is asking to be killed by flying debris.

I use a kellet whenever making secure anchorage. In areas where this is not practical because of limited swing room, you will need to anchor fore and aft or use a Bahamian set. A Bahamian set will cut down the amount of swing of the vessel but will not keep the vessel more or less on station as will a fore and aft set.

All anchors except those used in calm conditions and little to no tidal currents need to be large to oversize. I recommend the Manson supreme, not because others are better or worse, but because I have had excellent holding and no problems from them.

Any anchor acceptable to Lloyds specifications and of adequate weights and chainage is your MINIMUM.

The force that breaks chain, yanks the anchor out of the sea bed or more likely rips the cleats out of your deck where your anchor chain is snubbed, occurs when the vessel surfs a wave back wards and is jerked to s stop with the full force of the wave upon it by a well set anchor and light chain.

This is avoided to some extent by one's choice of anchorage, but sometimes one has to make the best of a situation that is not ideal.

Heavy anchor, heavy short linked chain, heavy-ish kellet slung a metre or two back along the chain from where your nylon rode is spliced to the chain, and a good length of the nylon will give you as soft a shock as you are likely to get. Of course you have to allow for a larger circle of swing--and that in itself is often a problem.

Many use an all-chain rode of 100 to 150 metres of short linked galvanised nitrogen-brushed tested chain. It is not going to be cheap, but your life may depend on it. An all chain rode has great deal to recommend it.

[MLOI]

Originally Posted by Mike Banks

I use a kellet whenever making secure anchorage. In areas where this is not practical because of limited swing room, you will need to anchor fore and aft or use a Bahamian set. A Bahamian set will cut down the amount of swing of the vessel but will not keep the vessel more or less on station as will a fore and aft set.

Wow.
I don't have a heap of experience, only one season cruising Queensland. But in that time we visited most of the usual spots, and never saw anyone using either a Bahamian mooring, nor fore and aft anchoring. Most folks seemed to manage just swinging in unison.

Why would you want to keep the boat on station rather than just swing? (outside of a estuary etc.)

Didn't see many folks dragging anchors. Occasionally it would take a couple of goes to get a good set, but we didn't drag. (Did have one crap night at Musgrave where we had caught the chain on a bommie so only had about 2 to 1 effective scope when a front came through at high tide after midnight. Learning experience and a ah ha moment when I dived the anchor the next day).

We just used a 20 kilo rocna (7 ton, 37 ft sloop) and set it under power at around 3 or 4 to one scope. Was normally buried with just the roll bar showing when I dived on it. Easy.

Mike

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

IThe latter did a lousy job on our chain, requiring a lot of rework with a file to get big lumps of zinc off... and this after having to bash the chain with a big hammer to separate fused links.

One of the contradictions of regalvanising. You pay for the zinc (and the preparation). So what do you want: just enough zinc or lots of it?

When we had Led Myne in Malaysia, we helped another cruiser (a catamaran) by driving them and their chain to a local galvanising firm. And collected it from the galvaniser a few days later.

The result was superb galvanising. We were shocked to hear a little later that the cruiser dumped his chain. The galvanising was thicker than the tolerance of his windlass wildcat. So he chose to buy new chain, having paid for chain regalvanising that likely would have lasted longer than the zinc coat on the new chain.

[fursoc]

Thanks everyone. Much to ponder.

[Tbonem17]

Originally Posted by MLOI

Wow.
I don't have a heap of experience, only one season cruising Queensland. But in that time we visited most of the usual spots, and never saw anyone using either a Bahamian mooring, nor fore and aft anchoring. Most folks seemed to manage just swinging in unison.

Why would you want to keep the boat on station rather than just swing? (outside of a estuary etc.)

Mike

I often used anchors fore and aft when anchoring on smaller coral islands as some residual swell would always make its way around the island and hit the boat from a different angle to the wind. The smallest of swells could make life a misery.
With the state of the Great Barrier reef today I have zero sympathy for people snagging anchor lines on bommies. I care much more about the bommie. If you can't visit the reef and leave it as you found it then perhaps you shouldn't have been there in the first place. And that's another great reason for anchoring fore and aft eliminating swinging in sensitive anchorages.
From what I have heard there is very little hope for the Great Barrier reef, or perhaps I should say the 50% that hasn't died yet. Between global warming and its bleaching events and the run off from massive rain events it's receiving right now over half its length the reef is doomed. For those living outside of Australia you may not be aware that Townsville over the last week has received over a metre of rain from a stalled low pressure system which is still active and this is on top of massive rain events from Cairns north. The sediment and agricultural run off will be devastating. Anyone wanting to visit the reef should come quick before it's no more. This all sounds sensationalist but in truth the reef is doomed just from bleaching without the assistance of massive runoff and the crown of thorns starfish. If the climate change deniers needed anymore proof then they need look no further than our reef.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

If you decide to regalvanize, we've had better results from Industrial Galvanizers in Eagle Farm (Brisbane area) than the mob in Bundy. The latter did a lousy job on our chain, requiring a lot of rework with a file to get big lumps of zinc off... and this after having to bash the chain with a big hammer to separate fused links.

Jim

How long ago was this?

Our chain, and that of our friends, was excellent. Looked like new chain.

Maybe they've improved their method.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

How long ago was this?

Our chain, and that of our friends, was excellent. Looked like new chain.

Maybe they've improved their method.

We had our anchor regalvanized in Bundy and saw a fair number of chains that were done. The price was fair and the quality looked good.

[MLOI]

Originally Posted by Tbonem17

I often used anchors fore and aft when anchoring on smaller coral islands as some residual swell would always make its way around the island and hit the boat from a different angle to the wind. The smallest of swells could make life a misery.
With the state of the Great Barrier reef today I have zero sympathy for people snagging anchor lines on bommies. I care much more about the bommie. If you can't visit the reef and leave it as you found it then perhaps you shouldn't have been there in the first place. And that's another great reason for anchoring fore and aft eliminating swinging in sensitive anchorages.

Ah - I just used a bridal on the anchor rode to orientate the boat when swell and wind were not aligned. With the number of spots with reversing current flow, I prefer to swing with the current than twist up a couple of anchor lines for a few days.

Have you ever actually anchored within the Lady Musgrave lagoon? The sand in the anchorage is littered with small (1 or 2 m diameter) bommies in 10m of water depth - so mostly not visible. And certainly not charted. These are mostly lumps of rock / broken old coral, no-one is dropping the pick across live active coral reef.

We anchored in a moderate northerly, then had a SE front come through two days later at high tide. If you'd moored fore and aft in the northerly, it would have been rather uncomfortable for you being stern to the 6 ft SE seas rolling across the lagoon at high tide. And to set up a bahamian mooring would have involved laying out the chain along the bottom by hand to avoid the bommies.

Unlike you, I tend to have a lot of sympathy for folks getting anchors snagged - and as a keen diver I've helped a few folk out over the years. Even in good holding anchorages, there is more stuff down there than you'd expect. Saying you've never had an anchor snagged is a bit like saying you've never touched the bottom...

Mike

[argonauta1]

3/8 high strength minimum 150 feet to 200 feet or whatever size fits your gypsy. Also have a good swivel and snubber.

[Eshelby67]

Speaking of agricultural runoff in the recent floods, the Adani coal terminal at Abbott Point will most certainly add an abundance of toxins to the "world heritage reef" as well, i wonder what the future generations will think of all the geedy fat cats that make all the rules

[Jimmyhenry]

I have never had the reason explained to me why you would use a swivel anywhere in an anchoring system. Not one of the many reasons I have been given make any sense. And they are just adding a weak link in a perfectly good system. Think about it. Carefully!!
We cruise the Sth Pacific. Conditions will be similar to the Barrier Reef and SE Asia. Get 100m of 10mm chain. Rope is subject the chafe. Coral knives!!!
The suggestion of a Rocna 33kg made in an earlier reply is very sensible. That is what we have and never dragged in any wind or tide or sea bottom.

[David Gunn]

Originally Posted by fursoc

Hi, I have a reasonably new to me 12m catamaran which came with 40m of 10mm chain that is looking pretty old. Some links are a bit rusty, but they seem to do the job on the weekend cruises I have done in the past in Lake Macquarie NSW.

But, this year we are venturing up to Qld and then to Darwin and possibly to South East Asia.

Anyway, I am thinking of replacing it now before we leave. How much chain would you recommend carrying for these cruising grounds?

Thanks

We sailed through Asia and Thailand in 2010. We have a 42 foot monohull with 70m of 8mm chain and 30m 18mm nylon. Never used the 70m but up to 50-60m in deep water in Indonesia. Most circumnavigators use at least 5 times the depth and often have over 50m out. We used a Manson Supreme which has only dragged once or twice in the Med on a hard bottom. Now in Caribbean and glad we started out with new chain in Australia.

[MLOI]

Originally Posted by Jimmyhenry

I have never had the reason explained to me why you would use a swivel anywhere in an anchoring system.

Now, I don't have a swivel, but...

Retrieving (and setting) the anchor is a two person job for us. Someone on the helm, and me at the bow. So I can watch which way the rode is lying etc, and ensure I don't bash the anchor into the hull.
This also means I watch the anchor coming up, and twist the anchor chain by hand to ensure the anchor comes up into the roller in the right orientation.

We also have winch controls at the helm, so it theory one person could raise anchor by themselves. However the anchor may not come up orientated such that it will load into the roller. In this case I can see that a swivel may help.

I don't see the trade off as worthwhile, but if I was sailing solo a lot, maybe my opinion would change.

Mike

[RaymondR]

There are a couple of places you need to be able to set two anchors in Queensland.

The first is the bay at Airlie beach, the bottom is clay and if the winds reverses direction the unset anchor may pull out chunk of clay which prevents the anchor from resetting. I've dragged there a number of times and it was always for this reason and now always set the main anchor to the south and a second to the north both off the bow.

The second is in the outer harbour in Cairns which can have a vicious wind against tide and if your boat drags into the main harbour the port authority may tow it back out and present you with a fairly hefty bill.

I use a claw type anchor with about 15 metres of chain and about 40 metres of 3/4" nylon on the second anchor.