ANCHOR CONNECTORS

[Guest]

I AM TOYING WITH THE IDEA OF REPLACING THE CONVENTIONAL SHACKLE I USE TO CONNECT MY ANCHOR TO THE CHAIN WITH A WICHARD ALLEN HEAD PIN. THE REASON IS THAT MY BOAT HAS A VERY SMALL BOW ROLLER AND I HAVE TO LIFT THE ANCHOR AND SHACKEL OVE THE ROLLER WHEN PAYING OUT THE ANCHOR AS THE SHACKLE PIN HEAD CATCHES ON THE BOW ROLLER.AN ALLEN HEAD PIN SHACKLE BEING FLUSH WOULDN'T CATCH AND WOULD MAKE PAYING OUT THE ANCHOR MUCH EASIER.

I AM CONCCERNED THOUGH ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO MOUSE THE SHACKLE IF I USE THE ALLEN HEAD PIN SHACKLE. SOME VIEWS/EXPERIENCES WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

 

[Shanty]

Try coating the thread with Loctite. It will provide enough hold to prevent the pin from turning of its own accord, but not enough to prevent you from undoing it if you wish. Haven't tried this in your application, but it works well on mooring shackles - as a backup to conventional mousing.

 

[LadyInBed]

You could use a stainless anchor swivel joint. That also has flush hex head connectors.

 

[vyv_cox]

I used a swivel connector for a season. No problems whatsoever with loosening of the pins, but I gave up on the connector because of the swivel. I found that when recovering the anchor it was not possible to twist it by turning the chain, so inevitably it tried to come over the roller upside-down. Self stowing doesn't work too well this way up.

The other problem with it is that if the chain load comes onto the anchor when it is at right angles to the pull, the whole force is applied to the swivel. The attachment to the anchor doesn't allow any lateral movement at all, so a snatch load could cause bending or fracture of the swivel.

I have now replaced this swivel with an alternative type, which is really like two shackle D's connected to a central boss. I like this one a lot better, although it is only galvanised. The pins are Allen headed, I squeeze the D's with a Mole wrench and then tighten the Allens. Releasing the Mole tightens the Allens to the extent that they are virtually impossible to turn with a key. Thread lock could be a possibility to further improve fastener security but I never found the need.

 

[stiknstring]

Good suggestion. I lost my anchor in Dartmouth (embarrassingly while the boat was tied to the marina pontoon and following a chain-marking exercise.) The anchor was affixed to the chain by a swivel which broke under the strain of being brought over the bow roller by an admittedly fierce electric windlass. Turns out the swivel was of an inferior Italian manufacure. Luckily for me a few bottles of wine offered to a charming bertholder at the marina with a set of diving gear yielded up my anchor. Since then I have bought a hardened swivel of a higher guage, suitably "loctited" as described by the previous posting, and also attached a small wire strop between the last chain link and the anchor to safeguard the loss of my anchor in the future. My only concern was that the strop may cause the anchor to trip - although I don't think it could and hasn't yet in the few times I have deployed it since.

 

[HaraldS]

Looking at the breaking load, even high quality swivels seem to have a breaking load well below the chain breaking load.
But even if they were strong, I'm wondering if they are really helpful. My bow roller for example has a groove so that the chain cannot turn, which means that if I leave the chain in the roller, the anchor will come up exactly turned the right way to stow itself. With a swivel I wouldn't be so sure.