Anchor chain - how Much you use?

[woody001]

Hi,

Replacing my anchor chain, only have 30meters (8mm size) for a 38ft yacht; thinking of upping to 40m.

Anyone see any reason why 40m (8mm size) may not be enough?

Boat holds perfectly with 30m out around the solent; (so far!)

cheers

simon

 

[Channel Ribs]

Oh eck, I shall mark this thread as a favourite but hide behind the sofa...

/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Pye_End]

Any rope as well?

 

[kengill]

The real question is what is the deepest water in which you wish to anchor?

Remember its 5 x depth for chain Therfore if you need to anchor in 15 metres its 15 x 5 = 75 metres.


For my 33 ft 5 .5 ton displacment boat I use 60 metres 8mm chain spliced to 50 meters of 12mm anchorplait and I use the lot in the channel islands.

But I also use a 35 lb plough as the bower with a 25kg fisherman as backup, with 30 metres of 8mm chain and 60 metres of 12mm braid on braid, or a 25 lb CQR or a 22 lb fisherman. I also carry about another 240 meters of 11.5mm metres of absailing rope and 150 metres of 10mm so I can string lots of bits together, Oh and there's the grunging chain.

 

[Richard10002]

I remember an ISORA race from Dun Laoghaire to Holyhead in the early 90's. We were on a legend 335 and never came anywhere, but this one time, a few hours out heading South to round a buoy before turning NE, the wind dropped and the tide was going to push everyone South for 6 hours. As we were last at this point, we decided that if we could anchor, we would be ahead of everyone who didnt anchor.

I cant remember how deep it was, but you wouldnt anchor under normal conditions. We used every length of rope we could find and held, but I dont think it was 600metres!. When the tide turned, we were ahead in an ISORA race for the first, and last, time.

 

[woody001]

Yea I have plenty of rope; one of the reasons I have asked is because I dont think 40m + will fit in my anchor locker...
If I could carry 60m I would, might squeze 50 in, maybe
If Iam around the solent, I anchor in 2.5m - 6m, (2m draft) 30m is plenty with my delta anchor.

Vitalman - Thanks for all the info; does your boat float with all that

I do wish to sail to the channels islands; whats the board think?

 

[starboard]

[ QUOTE ]
Yea I have plenty of rope; one of the reasons I have asked is because I dont think 40m + will fit in my anchor locker...


[/ QUOTE ]

Surely a Sweden38 will have ample room for 40mtr of chain in the locker!! I carry 20m of 3/8 on my 26ft Albin plus 30mtr 14mm rope, this only takes up a quarter of the anchor locker space.

Paul.

 

[craigsmith]

As Pye End asked, how much rope . . . or is that your entire rode?

If you're just talking about chain, it should be fine, you likely have more than enough.

 

[rich]

[ QUOTE ]
I do wish to sail to the channels islands; whats the board think?

[/ QUOTE ]

I carry 150mts 3/8 chain here in C.I.

 

[woody001]

Iam sure it does have room, but doesnt look it..it might be because the old chain was so crap and rusted in lumps; I'll get 50m and see how I get on.

thanks all.

 

[starboard]

My 20mtr of 3/8 chain fits into 3/4 of a builders bucket if that gives you a clue!

Paul.

 

[sarabande]

36ft heavy yacht, and we have 60 m of 10mm chain, plus 2 spares of 20m and 40m. And about 200 m of nylon rode.

I think you are light and short. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[GMac]

10mm would be a better size but 30mts of 8mm should be fine.

My 32fter has 15mts of 7mm backed by rope and it works fine, stronger than the fittings each end i.e anchor and cleats and still sails as a yacht should.

Not wanting to be rude but 20mts of 10mm on a 26fter. Someone out to hunt down hurricanes on purpose I suspect /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[cliff]

[ QUOTE ]
Not wanting to be rude but 20mts of 10mm on a 26fter. Someone out to hunt down hurricanes on purpose I suspect /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]Not really - when Paul drops the hook he stays put! I've dropped the hook along side Paul on a number of occassions and had to reset my anchor while he stayed put. Oh, BTW I carry 2X80m 5/16" (8mm) chains plus lots and lots of warp, to be sure, to be sure /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
The weather in the Clyde and along the West Coast of Scotland can change rather quickly and the forecasts are dubious at best, so better to be prepared.
--------------------

"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
sailroom <span style="color:red">The place to auction your previously loved boatie bits</span>

 

[gianenrico]

Woody, IMHO I privilege scope to weight for the chain; thus I have 50 meters of GRADE 80 8 mm. (sorry, I keep getting confused with the /6, the /16 and the /32) chain on my 40 footer; this grade of chain has the mechanical strenght of the larger 10mm one but saves about 1Kg per meter; I put part of the saved weight in an 5 kg heavier anchor (22 kgs now): slept perfectly safe in 40knots winds this summer as boat (5 to 1 scope!!) stayed perfectly still.
In your case You could probably go for the 6 mm chain, Grade 80, embark 50 to 60 meters and put a larger anchor. Of course windlass capstan will have to be changed but this is usually a 15 minute job (once you have the new one, that is /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif ).
I have no connection with the factory and I'm sure in the UK there are other manufacturers, so it just an example, google for "Catenificio Maggi" and their Aqua 8 type of chain.
Cheers

 

[Guest]

Lockers ...

25ft boat ... 120ft chain 8mm .... and even then I have enough room to have possibly another 100ft ...

My chain-locker is like most under the fwd Vee of the fwd cabin bunk.

Anchoring in Solent rarely brought out most of the chain ... so it ought to be ranged while boat out of water and brushed down ... last time I saw the bit that stays in locker ... it was started to corrode ! Hate to admit it - but I bet there are a few others on here with similar. I always meant to do the big-ship bit if end for end 'g the chain - that is swapping it round so unused end comes up for use.

Will be ranging it next few days ... and also getting out the white and black paint ... to mark "shackles" ... actually will keep it to fathoms ..... (white paint to link at actual fathom mark .... black paint to number of links corresponding to number of fathoms..... ) no plastic tie wraps to cut hands, no fancy bits catching in windlass / naval pipe etc.

 

[ostria]

80m of 10mm chain for a 33ft mobo. Not always necessary, but i always think it's better safe than sorry (as long as i anchor in depths around 10m)...

Almost same chain in a 38ft yacht (with similar use)...

 

[michael_w]

For an Atlantic circuit with my relatively light displacement 33' I carried:

15kg Bruce shackled to 50m of 8mm.
Fortress FX 8
35lb CQR

2 x 10m lengths of 8mm chain.

Rarely did I ever veer more than 3.5 x depth. The most chain deployed was 40m in the relatively deep anchorage in the Isles de Saintes.

Twice in two years used two anchors on seperate rodes, usually to stop her sailing about. The anchors used where the Bruce and the Fortress. The CQR never got wet.

 

[Talbot]

That is the american system - to use a lighter weight chain (but stronger) + a heavier anchor. Personally, I prefer a heavier chain as that helps to reduce the movement at anchor.

 

[vyv_cox]

Similar to me. On 34 ft boat I have carried 55 metres of 8 mm chain on a 35lb Delta for many years, cruising widely between Baltic, North Sea, Irish Sea, French Atlantic coast and Western Med. I am about to dump the old chain due to corrosion and a couple of joining links, replacing with 60 metres of 8 mm. This year I had 50 metres out when anchored in something like 12 metres in a big blow but prior to that probably never veered more than 40 metres.

Also carry a Fortress FX16, a couple of lengths of 8 mm chain between 7 and 10 metres plus quite a lot of rope, probably about 200 metres in all. Have a 25lb CQR as an emergency spare but never used it.