Anchorplait

[PhillM]

Several years ago I bought 10m of 8mm chain soliced to 40m of 14m anchorplait . I when it arrived I was surprised at how soft the anchorplait was and worried that it may chafe. Anyway, as Paean has about 20m of 8mm chain in the locker and on the few occasions I have used it a 3:1 scope in 5 -6m depth has been fine, I have not actually used the new rode yet.

Paean is 24 is foot long and weighs 3 (old fashioned) Tons

I expect to do more anchoring this year, albeit I will not be sitting out hurricanes or even near gales ... so I wondered what the combined expertise on here thinks about the following:

a) Will the anchorplait chafe, is it being so soft really an issue?

b) Without windlass and usually single handed, which would you use as standard - all chain or the longer chain/rope combination?

c) Would you add a (moused) shackle so as to have one longer rode and just kiosk out what is needed at the time? If so, what sort of shackle would you recommend that would easily make it through my chain pipe?

 

[bluerm166]

I have 15m of chain plus 50 metres of 14mm anchorplait from Jimmy Green and normally get well onto the plait when anchoring.Agreed the anchorplait is soft - and very nice to grip - but I haven't seen any sign of chafing in the 25 to 35 metre region thats normally on the fairlead - over about 5 seasons of use in coastal sailing.

I should say though that I don't have a windlass and also that I expect to resplice the plait to the chain soon,on a fresh section of rode,simply because its looking a bit 'dishevelled '.I see also that Jimmy Green now has a rider covering this connection in particular so the method employed by VYV Cox below looks attractive where you don't expect to pass it hrough the hawse.

 

[Refueler]

I advise against shackle between chain and rope.

One of the design features of Anchorplait is its ease of splicing to the chain ...Jimy Greens site if I remember right - actually has a download document showing exactly how to splice it.

Personally I am an all chain person but with a short additional rope part that rarely sees daylight ......

 

[PhillM]

I advise against shackle between chain and rope.

One of the design features of Anchorplait is its ease of splicing to the chain ...Jimy Greens site if I remember right - actually has a download document showing exactly how to splice it.

Personally I am an all chain person but with a short additional rope part that rarely sees daylight ......

The shackle would be to extend the 20m of chain with the 10m chain + 40m rope. Useful or just accept if I want longer I need to buy longer?

 

[dunedin]

The shackle would be to extend the 20m of chain with the 10m chain + 40m rope. Useful or just accept if I want longer I need to buy longer?

If no windlass to catch the shackles on then I would definitely shackle the two sections of chain together. But make sure you get a very high quality galvanised shackle or us a stainless one. A brand new galvanised shackle from our chandler stripped its thread when tightening by hand! Stainless shackle on galvanised chain is fine for a quite a few years, and generally more secure.

PS. At risk of lighting touch paper, a 3:1 scope would be VERY ambitious for an overnight anchorage using mixed chain and rope (and don’t forget to allow for height from water to deck at same scope, plus distance to cleats.

 

[PhillM]

Thank you. Shackling the two would give me 30m chain and 40m of rope, so 7:1 in 10 metres, which as you say, seems a better situation.

 

[Refueler]

Thank you. Shackling the two would give me 30m chain and 40m of rope, so 7:1 in 10 metres, which as you say, seems a better situation.

The problem you are going to face trying to shackle two chains together ............ is the size of shackle that will pass through the chain ... the pin is no problem .. but the 'eyes' of the shackle are larger. This then means a small shackle size than the chain.
Not only that - but the shackle pin has a head and will catch in the 'pipe' unless you use a flush pin type.
The shackle will be your weak link ... IMHO

I would suggest if you are going to join chain - use a proper chain connector.

 

[RobbieW]

...I would suggest if you are going to join chain - use a proper chain connector.

See http://coxeng.co.uk/anchoring/c-links/. I've used C links on 10mm chain, they are the dogs wotsits

 

[Stemar]

Personally, I'd leave the 20m of chain ashore and sleep happily - without any back problems and a lighter boat - on the mixed rode, being a bit more generous with the scope - around 5 times the depth, more if the wind really gets up. It's what I do on a similar boat. In fact, I've downgraded to 6mm chain, because I was starting to find 10kg of anchor plus chain a bit heavy.

I wouldn't worry about chafe under water. If there's any strain on the rode, the rope will be off the bottom anyway. I wouldn't argue that all chain isn't a good idea on coral, but there isn't a lot of that around the UK

 

[[3889]]

I advise against shackle between chain and rope.

One of the design features of Anchorplait is its ease of splicing to the chain ...Jimy Greens site if I remember right - actually has a download document showing exactly how to splice it.

Personally I am an all chain person but with a short additional rope part that rarely sees daylight ......

My experience of the JG chain-rope splice is it has a short lifespan if it passes through a windlass. I put this down to my own splicing deficiencies so had a professional make the splice which was tight and tidy but still showed alarming wear after a couple of passages around the gypsy.

 

[vyv_cox]

This photo shows my kedge anchor, Fortress FX16, 5 metres of 8 mm chain shackled to 55 metres of 16 mm Anchorplait. I have owned this combination for many years and have anchored on it, mostly as a kedge or in a fork mooring, hundreds of times. In addition I have anchored on it alone several times for a variety of reasons. A couple of years ago I sat out a full gale for 2-3 days on it, due to confusion about the length markers it turned out that the scope was only 3:1 in about 5 metres of water.
It was shackled together so that I could use the Anchorplait as a tow rope or warp if necessary. The shackle has never given any trouble. The diameter of Anchorplait was selected for handling, rather than strength. This has paid dividends when retrieving the anchor in the dinghy.
My boat is a Sadler 34.

 

[mjcoon]

The problem you are going to face trying to shackle two chains together ............ is the size of shackle that will pass through the chain ... the pin is no problem .. but the 'eyes' of the shackle are larger. This then means a small shackle size than the chain.

I would suggest if you are going to join chain - use a proper chain connector.

You might be able to fix that using two shackles with each pin through the two chains. I'm not claiming that is more secure than anything else...

 

[Mudisox]

This photo shows my kedge anchor, Fortress FX16, 5 metres of 8 mm chain shackled to 55 metres of 16 mm Anchorplait. I have owned this combination for many years and have anchored on it, mostly as a kedge or in a fork mooring, hundreds of times. In addition I have anchored on it alone several times for a variety of reasons. A couple of years ago I sat out a full gale for 2-3 days on it, due to confusion about the length markers it turned out that the scope was only 3:1 in about 5 metres of water.
It was shackled together so that I could use the Anchorplait as a tow rope or warp if necessary. The shackle has never given any trouble. The diameter of Anchorplait was selected for handling, rather than strength. This has paid dividends when retrieving the anchor in the dinghy.
My boat is a Sadler 34.

Bit of rust near the join of the anchor though.

 

[Refueler]

You might be able to fix that using two shackles with each pin through the two chains. I'm not claiming that is more secure than anything else...

Bit of a rough way of doing it - if intended to be long term. But as a one-off temp - then why not.

 

[Neeves]

If you want to join 2 chains together and don't want to use a 'C' link (why not?) then find your nearest aquaculture equipment distributor, or a Gunnebo stockist/distributor (Gunnebo, Swedish, make chain etc for aquaculture and are now owned by Crosby) and see if you can source a galvanised 8mm G80 Hammerlock. Hammerlocks are perfectly designed to join 2 chains. Gunnebo make galvanised G80 chain 6mm and up specifically for the aquaculture industry.

I've actually been using a galvanised hammerlock for some time now to attach anchor to chain but I had my hammerlocks specially galvanised - and you are bit far from me to have any made for you!

I wonder why you are using 8mm chain, at all - grossly over strength for a 3 ton yacht. Maybe you like the exercise

Don't worry about the rope portion being soft and furry - just think of the name. Its actually made for anchoring! and used by thousands.

Jonathan

 

[LadyInBed]

Use a soft shackle?

 

[LittleSister]

8mm chain seems to me unnecessarily large for a 3 ton, 24 foot boat.

 

[vyv_cox]

Bit of rust near the join of the anchor though.

I would be rusty if I was treated like that anchor is! The chain lies on wet rope for half the year for the past 20 years.

 

[PhillM]

8mm chain seems to me unnecessarily large for a 3 ton, 24 foot boat.

Agreed! I have a horrible suspicion that the 20m in the bow is 10 or even 12mm. I have not given ground tackle the consideration I should have, so this is a nice project go for this year. That said, JG website suggests 10mm chain for a 3t boat.

 

[LittleSister]

Agreed! I have a horrible suspicion that the 20m in the bow is 10 or even 12mm. I have not given ground tackle the consideration I should have, so this is a nice project go for this year. That said, JG website suggests 10mm chain for a 3t boat.

?

I'd call 8mm unnecessarily generous, and 10mm way over the top. Others may disagree, but I've just checked several anchor chain size recommendation tables online at random, and they variously suggest 6mm, 7mm and 8mm for your boat.

In my view, you don't want excess weight in the bow, especially in a relatively small boat. According to Jimmy Green, anchor chain weights per metre are -

6mm - 0.8kg per metre (= 34% the weight of 10mm chain)
7mm - 1.1kg per metre (= 47% the weight of 10mm chain)
8mm - 1.45kg per metre (= 63% the weight of 10mm chain)
10mm - 2.3kg per metre (= 100% the weight of 10mm chain)