Anchor rode length?

[vyv_cox]

Watched Greek fishermen many times but I have yet to see one with any chain at all. A grapnel made from rebar with polypropylene line seems absolutely standard. Not a lot to lose if you have to cut it free. They perhaps don't all sleep at once on board but I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[prv]

Thanks for that, anchoring for fishing is an important consideration! few other reasons to drop anchor, surely?

How about to sit in splendid isolation in the middle of a deserted natural harbour, watching the sunset with a G&T in hand, and the seals swimming around the boat, then cooking a slap-up curry, a beer or two with it, and a peaceful night's sleep?

S'great

Pete

 

[GrahamM376]

Thanks for that, anchoring for fishing is an important consideration! few other reasons to drop anchor, surely?

Possibly the lowest consideration for those with a sailing boat as most use plugs or feathers whilst underway.

On anchor is where many of us spend our time 24/7 and our tackle has to take whatever the weather decides to throw at us. Thoughts of having to carry enough tackle to anchor mid Channel when things go wrong is madness.

 

[Murv]

How about to sit in splendid isolation in the middle of a deserted natural harbour, watching the sunset with a G&T in hand, and the seals swimming around the boat, then cooking a slap-up curry, a beer or two with it, and a peaceful night's sleep?

S'great

Pete

Just as long as it's all accompanied by a couple of rod tips nodding in the tide it sounds wonderful!

 

[gasdave]

There has been a lot of good and sound advice in this thread already, but as has also been said, there is so much to learn when it comes to boats - one of the reasons I enjoy it so much

I had no idea when I started just how much science/technology/design/seamanship was involved in safe anchoring. And there appears to have been enough written on it to fill a library So if you are serious about learning more on this topic you will be spoilt for choice. There is much recommended on here and even more on web. But one book I found fascinating is:-

The Complete Anchoring Handbook, by Alain Poiraud et al

This will explain just about everything you might wish to understand on how to stay safe at anchor and leave you with the knowledge to make your own informed decisions based on your specific requirements. It might also help to bring together a lot of the wisdom disseminated elsewhere.

 

[Murv]

Someone has managed to fill an entire book with hurling a lump of iron over the side? really?



Thanks for the recommendation, I will have a read of it but will probably give it a Year or so until we're venturing a little further afield.
Plan (short term) is to get recommendations from the instructor, join a local club and see what everyone else local is using (if any different to the above info)
Anchoring does seem to be quite an art, but I think I have enough on my plate to get too involved in the technicalities at this moment in time.

Cheers,

Chris

 

[nimbusgb]

I have 60m of all chain. Short separate length of nylon rope as a snubber. About to replace it with 85m of chain with the same again as an emergency rode. I sail in the med and stern to with only 55m of useable line is a challenge. Windlass remote controlled from cockpit.

Anchor, let out whatever chain is required. Hook in snubber line, bitter end attached to deck cleat, chain hook at the business end. Let out more chain so that load is taken by nylon rode.

But as others have said, watch what people about you are doing ( proper sailors not marina/bar talkers ) The 'locals' will have worked out what's best.

 

[Murv]

60m of all chain. Length of nylon rope as a snubber.

Anchor, let out whatever chain is required. Hook in snubber line, bitter end attached to deck cleat, chain hook at the business end. Let out more chain so that load is taken by nylon rode.

But as others have said, watch what people about you are doing ( proper sailors not marina/bar talkers ) The 'locals' will have worked out what's best.

Snubber? snubber line, bitter end, chain hook? many thanks for your reply, shall get googling to understand what it means (maybe I do need that book!)

 

[sailorman]

Snubber? snubber line, bitter end, chain hook? many thanks for your reply, shall get googling to understand what it means (maybe I do need that book!)

dont forget the "anchor chum"

 

[Murv]

dont forget the "anchor chum"

The what? just been gazing in utter bewilderment at devils claws and pelicans beaks
Think I might just leave it on the mooring at the marina!

 

[sailorman]

The what? just been gazing in utter bewilderment at devils claws and pelicans beaks
Think I might just leave it on the mooring at the marina!

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=215991

http://www.westboundadventures.co.uk/articles/anchoring4.html

 

[Murv]

Learned something new, thank you!

 

[nimbusgb]

Snubber? snubber line, bitter end, chain hook? many thanks for your reply, shall get googling to understand what it means (maybe I do need that book!)

Parts of a rope: The Ends ( Doh! ) and the Standing Line (the long middle part of a rope not in a knot ). A Bight is a bend in the rope that does not cross back across itself. A Loop is a bend in the rope that DOES cross itself. A Hitch is knot that ties a rope to something else, a Bend is a knot that joins two ropes. The Bitter End is the very end of the rope!

Snubber line - Piece of rope, usually somewhat elastic to act as a shock absorber to prevent snatching attached to the boat one end and the chain the other. Yes usually connected to the anchor chain temporarily by a chain hook, pelican hook, shackle or similar.

Isn't boating fun!

 

[KellysEye]

>All the small boats I've been on all had rope and chain so I thought I'd check to see if all chain was OK. The site I discovered said not, hence my post.

OK understand why you asked, but if you change to mostly rope don't anchor near boats on all chain because you will swing about more due to the rope and possibly hit another boat, which I have seen more than once. And don't expect the anchor to hold in strong winds, it's the weight of the catenary that holds the boat and rope has little weight.

 

[RupertW]

. And don't expect the anchor to hold in strong winds, it's the weight of the catenary that holds the boat and rope has little weight.

oh dear, here we go...

Let's see what the usual answers are:
Absolutely true
Totall False
Catenary provides vital elasticity up to light/medium/infinite winds
It's all about the angle not the weight
Rocna's are made out of dispirin
Have you tried pig?
Everyonebp but me is a pig

 

[Murv]

Right, thanks all, I feel somewhat more educated.

I think, however, that over the Years things have got a little complex.
Therefore, I propose a little modernisation of nautical terms related to anchoring.

From now on, I propose that the only terms used when anchoring are as follows:

1: "The boat"
2: "The anchor"
3: "The string" (connects the two)
4: If one has a particularly large boat requiring a particularly large anchor and therefore "string" that it's permissible to use a "winch thing" to haul them up.

If whoever's in charge of such things could make the nescessary changes in the relevant boating books, I and any potential new mariners would, I'm sure, be eternally grateful

 

[Rossynant]

I think, however, that over the Years things have got a little complex.
Therefore, I propose a little modernisation of nautical terms related to anchoring.
[...]
If whoever's in charge of such things could make the nescessary changes in the relevant boating books, I and any potential new mariners would, I'm sure, be eternally grateful

La chaîne vs le câblot:
Observez bien les bateaux dans les baies, ceux qui sont câblot tournent plus rapidement que ceux sur chaîne. C'est occasionnellement source de problèmes.
La chaîne a l'avantage de faire du poids additionnel et donne effet de ressort. S'il y a câblot, remarquez que la chaîne est au moins aussi longue que le bateau.
Éviter que la chaîne vienne jusqu'au pont : ajouter un câblot fixé à la chaîne en mettant un câble qui prendra la tension de la chaîne à quelques mètres de l'étrave, ce qui évitera les coups brusques chaîne/étrave.


Post Scriptum:
Nauka terminologii żeglarskiej nie jest sprawą prostą, lecz zapewniam że o wiele łatwiejszą niż przyswojenie tychże terminów w języku obcym. Jeżeliby to mogło okazać się pocieszeniem - wyobraź sobie jakie mam problemy pisząc tutaj, nawet jeśli doskonale wiem co chcę powiedzieć. We własnym języku jest mi łatwiej, przywykłem uczyć żeglarstwa po polsku.
Życzę powodzenia w nauce!

 

[Murv]

Fair point! and, dziękuję

 

[Rossynant]

Ależ proszę; moreover - нет проблемa

 

[Dockhead]

A mate tore the two rear studs out of his windlass and bent the front ones about 45 degrees during a rough night in Cemaes Bay. He'd never heard of a snubber line or about taking the chain off the windlass.

Right. ALWAYS use a snubber, and ALWAYS belay the chain ahead of the windlass -- which is not designed to carry anchoring loads.

How to anchor in three words:

1. You can't just anchor anywhere. You need shelter (some land to windward of you) and a suitable bottom of suitable depth.

2. "Suitable bottom" means something your anchor will dig into. Avoid rock, weed, very soft mud.

3. Be sure to calculate what the depth will be at high and low tide at your chosen spot. You need to be afloat at low tide )) and have enough scope at high tide.

4. When you choose your anchoring spot, keep in mind that you will fall back from where your anchor sets a distance similar to the amount of chain you put out, and you will swing around in a circle with such a radius. Make sure you are free of hazards in or near this swinging circle.

5. When you've got your spot, drop the anchor, but don't drop a pile of chain on top of it. Start backing down very slowly (you really need two people for this, one on the helm) and pay out chain. When you have let out about 3 times the depth (include the distance from water to your bow roller in "depth" for this purpose), then put your boat in neutral and let the anchor settle for a few minutes. Then start gently backing down to get the anchor to set. If it sets, you will stop moving (you can see by COG on your plotter, and/or by watching transits on shore). After it sets, back down with increasing revs, ending with a full RPM for a couple of minutes. If it doesn't set, pull it up and start over again.

6. 3:1 scope is not actually enough. Minimum 5:1 unless you are anchoring in very deep water with a very long chain. If you expect bad weather, then 7:1 or 8:1 can help you hold better, but be aware that you will have that much wider a swinging circle -- watch out for other boats. Let out chain to your final scope, then put on a snubber -- a three-strand or octoplait nylon rope, 6 to 10 meters long. Belay one end to a cleat and tie the other end onto the anchor chain with a rolling hitch. Let it out until it takes the load and the chain sags, unloaded. Make sure it has a fair lead (maybe over the second anchor roller).

7. Belay the chain with a chain stopper, if you have one, or a short strop made off to a cleat or, if you're lucky enough to have one, a Sampson post. Unload the windlass.

8. Set the anchor alarm on your plotter.

9. Make a cocktail.


That's about it. Never anchor off a lee shore unless in a dire emergency. You need shelter to anchor safely and comfortably. Pilot books of your area will show popular anchorages.