Anchor & Warp Advice!

[Zagato]

Trying to keep costs down should I go for Nylon or Polyester 3 strand rope. Force 4 recommend Poly as it doesn't twist so much and has better UV proctetion, another site says Poly is 5% less strong!

I need an anchor for Chichester Harbour (Mud!) would a CQR or Danforth be better? Boat weighs a tonne!

Many thanks

 

[barnaclephill]

Despite the extra cost, nylon stretches better and sinks, thus giving a better angle to the rode. At the end of the week/weekend you put it in a locker/cabin to protect from UV light.
In the long run it's better.

But it depends on budgetary constraints. If it's an issue, get what you can afford now, but save & keep in mind what's best. As a long-term proposition.
That said, I've a 16mm nylon rode that came with the boat ten years ago, still good, and still have my 12mm x 100m nylon that I bought perhaps 8 years ago. Still good, but it depends on finances at times, ..

Same with anchors: ploughs & danforths are good in mud & sand, but I wouldn't have 2 of the same type of anchor in case one won't grab in a certain seabed or pebbles/shells clog it (danforth).
Depends what you have on board right now, i.e.what came with the boat, the bottom expectations, and the depth expectations.

 

[alahol2]

I understand that you are trying to keep costs down but I would go for octoplait rather than 3-strand. It doesn't twist at all and is very much easier to handle and stow. Easy to splice to chain too, so saves the cost of thimble and shackle.

 

[Romeo]

Is this for your drascombe as per profile? If so I would not worry too much about splicing octoplait to chain, but would instead have a reasonably length of 12 mm nylon with a hard cringle which can be shackled onto anchor or removed and used as a long mooring warp when cruising. Should not be hard to keep out the sun (as long as you have other lines for your regular mooring).

Not sure which of those two is best on mud, a substance which I am glad to say we do not see much of in my regular patch.

 

[Tranona]

You might find a Delta type easier to use and stow - works fine in mud! 5m 6mm chain with 30-40m 10mm 3 strand spliced to it. All that will fit nicely into the mesh stowage bags from Force4.

 

[srm]

nylon with a hard cringle which can be shackled onto anchor

Much better to splice rope to chain. Hard eyes tend to rotate and partly open if subject to high loads due to the splice bedding in and/or rope stretching. The steel edges then cut into the rope! Many, many years ago Yachting Monthly ran a warning about this, and I have seen it when lifting oceanographic instrument moorings, with one side of the eye splice down to one strand.

If you must have a hard eye I suggest a very tight whipping around the two sides to prevent it twisting in the spliced eye, leaving the middle part clear for metal to metal wear.

As to warp, conventional wisdom used to be nylon as it stretches and absorbs shock loads - however there have been failures of very heavily loaded nylon due to heat generated by stretching, probably over the bow roller. As a result some 'authorities' are now saying polyester. Personally, I will stay with nylon based on 35 plus years experience with nylon for second anchor warps (always chain on my main anchor) and lying to long shore lines in Norway.

 

[RupertW]

. Personally, I will stay with nylon based on 35 plus years experience with nylon for second anchor warps (always chain on my main anchor) and lying to long shore lines in Norway.

I'm chain all the way through and have just chucked out a shorter chain for one 25m longer to avoid any chain to chain or rope to chain joins. I might not go for all chain in your situation though unless you overnight at anchor or go ashore for many hours- I just don't like doing that with rope, for security, for chafe, for the times I got rope wrapped around the keel - and even the time the rope got untied at the boat end and and it all slipped overboard when we were asleep.

For most lunchtime stops I don't think there's too much to worry about with any combination unless there's a fierce tide. In bad weather you wouldn't want to stay long anyway.

 

[Jack B]

Danforth, normally costs less than the CQR, and in my expierence holds much better.
jack

 

[Romeo]

Much better to splice rope to chain. ...Yachting Monthly ran a warning about this, and I have seen it when lifting oceanographic instrument moorings, with one side of the eye splice down to one strand."

......my suggestion is relevant to a small day boat, not a 10 ton yacht, or a premanantly moored oceanographic instrument. In a small boat, it is helpful if every bit of equipment can be used for at least two purposes. An all chain rode is not really necessary or desirable on an 18' open boat. Twas why I asked the OP if it was for his drascombe.

 

[onesea]

Danforth, normally costs less than the CQR, and in my expierence holds much better.
jack

+1 Says he who just forked out for a Fortress (as yet unused).

 

[Zagato]

Many thanks for your replies, yes it's for my Drifter 22' weighs a tonne! The seller had a load of anchors from passed boats he wanted shot of so I picked up 3 (no Danforth) but they are all too small. I will go for a 10KG Danforth with 12mm Poly rope after speaking to two Drifter owners in the area.

Having fun filling, painting etc but sanding woodwork down is hard work even with a pro sander (makes you feel ill breathing it all in - need a mask!). International Woodskin goes on well. Toplac for the hull, then anti-foul, windows in, sort rigging and hopefully she will be ready for the end of this month

 

[vyv_cox]

......my suggestion is relevant to a small day boat, not a 10 ton yacht, or a premanantly moored oceanographic instrument. In a small boat, it is helpful if every bit of equipment can be used for at least two purposes. An all chain rode is not really necessary or desirable on an 18' open boat. Twas why I asked the OP if it was for his drascombe.

I agree, and use the same logic for my kedge, although that is on a 34 ft boat. It has 8 metres of chain and 50 metres of octoplait, joined via an eye splice with a hard eye. Our kedge is used a lot but the splice remains in good condition despite many years. We can use the rope as a long warp if we need to. Unless the rode needs to pass a windlass a detachable arrangement is very sensible.

I do have seizings on each leg of the hard eye to ensure that the rope remains central in it.