Anchoring the West Coast of Scotland - how much chain?

[NormanS]

there is always that factor

I have to say that the plough and the 30m of chain I have is a tough haul at the moment. I do have an anchor warp so I can extend things if needed. I am well used to running a second anchor down the one chain to act as an anchor weight (chum).

Using an anchor as a chum seems like the worst of all worlds. Any sort of a weight will act as a chum, but only an anchor can act as an anchor. Personally, I have a chum, but almost never use it, but I carry a variety of anchors for anchoring.

Getting back to length of chain, when I had a Folkboat, I had 26 fathoms of 8mm chain, and a 25lb CQR, cruising on the West Coast, and I'm still here to tell the tale.

 

[dylanwinter]

Using an anchor as a chum seems like the worst of all worlds. Any sort of a weight will act as a chum, but only an anchor can act as an anchor. Personally, I have a chum, but almost never use it, but I carry a variety of anchors for anchoring.

Getting back to length of chain, when I had a Folkboat, I had 26 fathoms of 8mm chain, and a 25lb CQR, cruising on the West Coast, and I'm still here to tell the tale.

do it a lot

can't see why it would be the worst of all possible worlds

why carry a back up anchor and never use it.

I run it down the chain on a big shackle and attached to a spare bit of rope. I let it run so that it stays clear of the bottom

I also use the anchor as a warp weight when in Scottish harbours to stop the boat from surging around with the swell.

 

[NormanS]

do it a lot

can't see why it would be the worst of all possible worlds

why carry a back up anchor and never use it.

I run it down the chain on a big shackle and attached to a spare bit of rope. I let it run so that it stays clear of the bottom

I also use the anchor as a warp weight when in Scottish harbours to stop the boat from surging around with the swell.

What I mean is that an anchor seems like a clumsy awkward thing to use just as a weight. I have a small but heavy lump of lead, but each to their own.

 

[agurney]

I've forgotten the pleasures of anchoring on Scotland's west coast, or I recall the nice parts.

But I am getting mixed messages from the replies. Many are suggesting 50m of chain (chain size not mentioned), some are suggesting 10m of chain (again size not mentioned) and nylon rode. Both cannot be right. Is there real need for heavy chain (and lots of it) for a shallow draft yacht with no windlass. In shallow water catenary is not much use - so why the heavy chain (10mm on a small yacht looks overkill).

Recalling that you sail on a minimalist budget - I'd suggest a Kobra (but both CQR and Delta have stood the test of time, just need a bit more patience).

Jonathan

Both can be right; as long as the hook holds there's no problem.
10m chain and a (presumably long) nylon rode would result in a very long scope ( I recall the theory recommending a minimum of 1:5) and hence much swinging around .. but that's OK in these relative quiet waters unless you want to explore places with limited swining room like https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@56.667308,-5.9371012,517m/data=!3m1!1e3 , ,https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.9147712,-5.7339027,527m/data=!3m1!1e3 or countless other delightful little havens.

Something to bear in mind is that, although there are some strong tides in the area, the range rarely exceeds two metres .. so anchoring is usually straightforward, with no adjusting to suit the changing depth.

Although kelp has been mentioned as a problem, the vast majority of anchorages in the area have sticky firm mud, so once you've confirmed you're not attached to weed alone you should be secure.