Moving anchor chain to bilge for offshore passage?

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by jackdale

I had an instance in which a "stainless" coffee mug threw off my fluxgate compass enough to make the autopilot useless. A crew member stores his mug in the same locker as the sensor.

We sail over a few underwater tunnels (in the estuary there are two tubes for traffic, in the main Bay the BART tubes). I have a "simple" ST-3000 ap. It gets impacted by about 20 degrees. The new piers for the new Bay Bridge are steel. If I get too close to them the ap veers.

They're just bigger coffee cups.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by roverhi

Better have some easy way to move the chain around like a tube you pull the chain through. If you transport it througn the interior or over the deck, the damage from the chain will make it an expensive effort to improve performance.

Will it make a difference in how the boat goes to weather, certainly going to weather. Will it make enough of a difference, doubt it. Real cruisers just don't go hard on the wind unless it is absolutely unavoidable. In more than 13,000 miles of cruising, have only gone hard on the wind for less than 500 miles.

A prior thread, had basically putting a hawes pipe from the chain locker to the bilge. Sounded like a great idea for someone so inclined.

[scottmills]

No, No , No.

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by roverhi

Better have some easy way to move the chain around like a tube you pull the chain through. If you transport it througn the interior or over the deck, the damage from the chain will make it an expensive effort to improve performance.

Will it make a difference in how the boat goes to weather, certainly going to weather. Will it make enough of a difference, doubt it. Real cruisers just don't go hard on the wind unless it is absolutely unavoidable. In more than 13,000 miles of cruising, have only gone hard on the wind for less than 500 miles.

I keep a bit of Gren Field flexible conduit which I can stick through a port for just this purpose. Another bit of junk on the deck.

[Cheechako]

a Tashiba 40 is pretty full in the bows isn't it?, I probably wouldn't do it unless it's a long passage...
I see you are east coast... I probably wouldn't worry all the way to Trinidad. If I was crossing the pacific I would move it...
Next question is , do you need that much? How about cutting back and adding some nylon behind it?

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

a Tashiba 40 is pretty full in the bows isn't it?, I probably wouldn't do it unless it's a long passage...
I see you are east coast... I probably wouldn't worry all the way to Trinidad. If I was crossing the pacific I would move it...
Next question is , do you need that much? How about cutting back and adding some nylon behind it?

You just opened up a can of worm.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Cadence

You just opened up a can of worm.

I suppose... so I will add: don't open that can except with a boat gun or appropriately sized anchor!

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I suppose... so I will add: don't open that can except with a boat gun or appropriately sized anchor!

The thread will become a rope or chain debate.

[farm sail]

I would question the need for that much chain in the first place. I used to be a chain hog, but the more I read and learn, I am not seeing a tangible benefit of more than a boat length of chain. I will leave you to make
your own decision

[Cheechako]

My 3 years in the Caribe I had 175 ft chain with 150 nylon backup. I might have had the nylon out a couple times.
In the PNW I would stick with the 250 chain.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I suppose... so I will add: don't open that can except with a boat gun or appropriately sized anchor!

What kind of fluke to open the can? The gun makes a big hole and water keeps coming in.

Told ya, it's already gone from the merits of moving chain to should it be chain or rope?

[farm sail]

Originally Posted by Cadence

What kind of fluke to open the can? The gun makes a big hole and water keeps coming in.

Told ya, it's already gone from the merits of moving chain to should it be chain or rope?

I didn't intend to start nothing here. but the consensus seams that ditching a couple hundred pounds off the bow can be an improvement for passage but may not be worth the effort. sometimes we get blinders on when a little lateral thinking can open up other possibilities. so thinking outside the box, just another way to pull 200# off the bow. now, if the OP wants they can look into it and make up their own mind.

[mrybas]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

a Tashiba 40 is pretty full in the bows isn't it?, I probably wouldn't do it unless it's a long passage...
I see you are east coast... I probably wouldn't worry all the way to Trinidad. If I was crossing the pacific I would move it...
Next question is , do you need that much? How about cutting back and adding some nylon behind it?

I'm in New Zealand, getting ready to sail to Fiji in a couple weeks. All of that chain comes in handy in deep anchorages in the Pacific and when on anchor as cyclones (Pam) pass New Zealand


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[builder dan]

chain in bilges is a big mistake they may not be strong enough to take the weight of chain jumping around in rough weather,my father was singlehanding a wooden yacht of his called Masina from oz to new zealand,she had the chain always stored in the bilge just in front of the mast.After the storm he raised the staysail the sheet jammed the boat shot forward into a big trough boat landed with a crash,within minutes water above floorboards,the chain had jumped up crashed down and blown a plank,he managed to stuff hole with towels and spent 4 days on the manual pump to get her home.After that he went back to steel boats,so if you store chain in bilge make sure it can handle it.