All Chain or Chain / Rope Mix Anchor Rode?

[CaptainBob]

I've got a quote from Bradney chain for 8mm Grade 40 chain. It's cheaper than I expected.

60m chain is about £180 + VAT + del.

Wondering about possibly instead buying 40m at £132 + VAT + del and using the saved dosh to buy 50m x 14mm 3-strand nylon from somewhere like this:

http://www.theanchorstore.co.uk/products.asp?cat=3-Strand+Nylon+Anchor+Rope

Price ends up about the same, weight is less, stretch is more in extreme situations when we have a lot of line out, and overall maximum rode length is greater (90m rather than 60).

We mostly have less than 40m out in 7m to 14m depth range. So arguably 30m chain to 50+ nylon would be an option also because even if 7m of nylon was out it would not normally touch the bottom and hence chafe.

Thoughts? TY!

 

[vyv_cox]

It's a well-established philosophy that works well for many people. My only comments would be that that 3-strand nylon tends to harden in seawater and can be difficult to handle due to twists and stiffness. Octoplait is considerably better, with braid-on-braid somewhere between the two. Also that pushing rope down a navel pipe is not easy, so your anchor locker arrangements may influence your choice. Does your windlass, assuming you have one, take rope and chain?

 

[CaptainBob]

Ah good point. It does all have to go down a tube.

The windlass has a rope winch at one end, but not above the hole for the chain.

Definite spanner in the works that. I think you've saved me from 6 months of hassle.

I'd suggested 3 strand nylon as opposed to plait or braid because it has the most stretch which is a very desirable feature in extreme situations with 90m out.

 

[vyv_cox]

I'd suggested 3 strand nylon as opposed to plait or braid because it has the most stretch which is a very desirable feature in extreme situations with 90m out.

Braid-on-braid has about half the stretch of 3-strand, with octoplait somewhere in-between. I have octoplait on my kedge and braid-on-braid on two long shore lines and on my snubber. Both types have plenty of stretch for the purpose.

From your description I guess you have a capstan on the windlass. Switching over from hauling rope to hauling chain is pretty tricky in adverse conditions. Many vertical windlasses have a gypsy that will take both, and the join between them.

 

[CaptainBob]

Oddly I don't seem to have a single decent shot of my windlass. This is the best I can find.

Can you tell what make/model it is? Will it take a rope as well as chain? I guess it depends on the gypsy.

 

[vyv_cox]

I would be surprised if any horizontal windlass would take a mixed chain/rope rode but someone may know better. My vertical ones have had either a sprung loaded feeder or sprung loaded gypsy halves to press the rope into the nip, rather like a sheet winch.

 

[J Neeves]

I'm astonished, miffed even, at the price of the chain. 8mm gal G3 here costs $15/m (either locally made or from CMP, China), which at today's exchange is about Stg7 (includes our 10% GST). Either yours is made from cornflakes (which I doubt) or pension funds need topping up here.

A problem might be that you do not have enough room to deploy all the chain and the nylon to give you the snubbing action you want (so you will need a separate snubber anyway). Simpler to go all chain to start with.

Jonathan

 

[Salty John]

I wouldn't consider anything but all chain.

 

[rob2]

As you say, normal conditions will require less than the 40m you are considering. Perhaps the rope rode should be carried on deck rather than try to stuff it down into the anchor locker and shackle it on only when required. Can you not get the 40m as grade 40 from Bradney? That would give yo the best of both worlds and allow you to keep the rope under more suitable conditions.

Rob.

 

[CaptainBob]

Hi Rob. Thanks all.

Yes we can get 40m x Grade 40 from Bradney for the price in the OP. Interesting idea but perhaps the sudden need for more than 40m of chain necessitating shackling a line on and disconnecting the bitter end might be a bit boring in an emergency.

Think I'll go for 60. We've already got a snubber and bridle arrangement anyway.

Thanks again.

 

[GrahamD]

I would be surprised if any horizontal windlass would take a mixed chain/rope rode but someone may know better.

Lewmar ProSeries 1000. Mine seems to cope fine with a mixed chain/ 3 strand, dropping directly through the winch into the chain locker.

 

[TQA]

I sleep sounder knowing that I am on all chain for my best bower.

My stern kedge on rope rode chafed through in a couple of hours one night.

 

[charles_reed]

Hi Rob. Thanks all.

Yes we can get 40m x Grade 40 from Bradney for the price in the OP. Interesting idea but perhaps the sudden need for more than 40m of chain necessitating shackling a line on and disconnecting the bitter end might be a bit boring in an emergency.

Think I'll go for 60. We've already got a snubber and bridle arrangement anyway.

Thanks again.

For the past 20 years, in the Med, I've had 65M 8mm chain and 40m of 14mm octoplait. In that period (about 4000 anchorings) I've used the 65M of chain on 3 occasions and the extra 40m of textile once.
If starting from scratch again, I'd put on 50m of chain and 50m of 14mm Octoplait.

Whilst the boat is less than 10m and weighs about 4.5 tonnes (cruising mode), I seldom anchor in <10m water and would seldom (unlike Salty John) anchor on plain chain, preferring x5 depth chain and <10m of textile. Unlike Salty John, I do have a reason, without the textile rode my boat has an unpleasant habit of sailing up to her chain, shaking it thoroughly and then paying off again. Most modern, wide-beam, deep-fin, spade-rudder boats appear to suffer this habit
Until I'd found how to anchor her I had frequent drags as a result of this tendency. My textile rode has a chain hook (Wichart) and I increase the catenary action by having a bight of chain swinging below the point of connection. Since adopting this technique I've had 4 drags, 3 of which were due to fouling (plastic ducks, old rope and a towel).
I'll not mention anything about anchors - I feel the anchor-type is far less relevant than (in this order), the sea-bed, competence of the anchorer and the protection offered by the anchorage.

 

[vyv_cox]

Lewmar ProSeries 1000. Mine seems to cope fine with a mixed chain/ 3 strand, dropping directly through the winch into the chain locker.

I looked at the literature. Seems quite an advance on my old fixed-gypsy horizontal.

 

[Gwylan]

Depends where you sail, or anchor, but 60m of chain does not seem too much. And you are saved the hassle of dealing with un-cooperative string at a particularly sensitive time in boat management - my experience is that anchoring or departing can both be a bit fraught.