anchor rode

vyv_cox said:
The argument goes something like:

A short length of chain plus good rope is theoretically stronger and more shock absorbing. It is also far lighter, important in a small boat.

Chances are you rarely anchor in more than about 7 metres of water, so 30 metres of chain plus rope means you will rarely use the rope anyway.
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I do it the other way round - anchoring my light 27' in 2-10m means I chuck out all my 10m of 8mm chain then /some/ of my 45m 12mm anchorplait[0].

Without a windlass, I (obviously) always deploy all the chain, and only have to worry about rope-boat chafe rather than chain-boat chafe - I wonder if there is a benefit in having sufficient rope that (under normal circumstances) snubbing lines are not required?

i.e. chain+rope such that you normally /just/ use the rope - I know which I'd rather cleat off and carry on a small boat.

On bigger boats, I've no doubt all chain (+ the same again, in a locker) makes sense.

(Spade 60, overnight anchoring in the Solent, red ensign)
[0] 50m of 12mm 3ply nylon available as emergency addition if required.
 
BY heaven, on the East Coast we haven't got 7 meters except in the middle of the river on spring high water!

I'm happy with 2m. Get worried at one.

With a twin keeler it doesn't really matter if you touch during the night, so you can anchor inshore on most other boats say up Yolksfleet Creek. And shallow mobos are generally to scared to anchor anyway.
 
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Thanks for the continued thoughts on this; I've decided to go for 50m of 7mm chain from Jimmy Green. Looks good value and should cope with any anchoring situation I'm likely to encounter
 
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