Chum

zoidberg

zoidberg

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 Nov 2016
Messages
6,933
Visit site
.... or kellet, or angel, or Buddy.

47987701367_3b352a6801_z.jpg


https://jimmygreen.com/anchoring-accessories/65464-anchor-buddy?utm_source=Jimmy+Green+Marine&utm

This latest offering, from Jimmy Green Marine, will take a bite from your wallet that's £160-sized. And that's before you buy and fill it with lead shot. And carriage.....

There are those around who still believe in this sort of mumbo-jumbo and, for now at least, we still live in a nation that permits such strange belief systems in the cause of freedom of religion. For it is an Act of Faith. That's akin to those who insist that 'their' bilge keeler sails just as fast as someone else's fin keeler, or that the best thing to do when meeting with a merchant ship is to turn and run in the other direction.

Me? I can find other uses for £160, net of lead shot.
 
zoidberg said:
.... or kellet, or angel, or Buddy.

47987701367_3b352a6801_z.jpg


https://jimmygreen.com/anchoring-accessories/65464-anchor-buddy?utm_source=Jimmy+Green+Marine&utm

This latest offering, from Jimmy Green Marine, will take a bite from your wallet that's £160-sized. And that's before you buy and fill it with lead shot. And carriage.....

There are those around who still believe in this sort of mumbo-jumbo and, for now at least, we still live in a nation that permits such strange belief systems in the cause of freedom of religion. For it is an Act of Faith. That's akin to those who insist that 'their' bilge keeler sails just as fast as someone else's fin keeler, or that the best thing to do when meeting with a merchant ship is to turn and run in the other direction.

Me? I can find other uses for £160, net of lead shot.
Click to expand...

You have finally put me over the edge and am now phoning the Priory to book myself in I can'y take it any more Captain
 
zoidberg said:
.... or kellet, or angel, or Buddy.
...This latest offering, from Jimmy Green Marine, will take a bite from your wallet that's £160-sized...There are those around who still believe in this sort of mumbo-jumbo...Me? I can find other uses for £160, net of lead shot.
Click to expand...

Ours was a 'Chum' and whilst agreeing with you about the £160, we found ours to be invaluable:
Back in the Med we had a 10kg barbell weight, rota-broached to provide one small hole for the recovery cord and another larger one to accept the pin of a large shackle. Once moored bows to on the Greek Quays we would slide it down the stern anchor rope which (a) kept the anchor line well below the surface so stopped any boats passing close astern from snagging it with their props or more often keels and (b) allowed you to 'sit' a little further away from the quay, but still be able to easily haul yourself forward for getting on or off.

Could be mumbo-jumbo of course, I did once buy some magic beans; or perhaps those were just more mushrooms?
 
I see that their gadget slots neatly onto a chain and has a sheave to roll on the chain.
But, it's expensive and will it survive bashing on the bottom?
Lead shot is also not cheap.
 
I made one from some “redundant weights”, a bit of 1” bar, a couple of ss collars from RS and a wire strop together with plenty of paint.
 
I bought a kettle bell gym weight at Lidl or Aldi. Various weights available. Not designated for marine use but has survived a few years so far. Does help when using rope anchor rode, prevents the warp getting wrapped around the keel.
 
We, all, use chain because it is abrasion resistant and because the catenary offers the ability to 'absorb' the energy of the moving yacht (yawing and horseing). In the off chance one cannot deploy more chain use of a sensible snubber will allow an alternative to adding more chain.

Purely as an example. A 10m x 10mm nylon snubber has a similar ability to absorb energy as 30m of 10mm chain at a 5:1 scope upto about 300kg of rode tension. Beyond that tension the chain has effectively reached its limit of energy absorbing value (its looking straight). The nylon will continue to stretch (almost linearly) - until it fails. It depends on weight of rope, rather than diameter (and rope construction), but think of failure at around 1.5t - and I know I'm ignoring WLL.

In normal circumstances my example might not be sensible (at all) - I might suggest a heavier duty snubber be paired with the 10mm chain. We now use 30m snubbers (for each arm of a bridle).

Despite the advantages of nylon, or a snubber, as part of the rode I simply do not see people using sensible lengths of nylon as part of the rode. In fact I often see rode deployed with no snubber at all - though they might deploy 'chums' or 'angels' I have not noticed.

Jonathan
 
Last edited:
They can stuff the Jimmy Green offering.

My 22' reasonable performance boat would be crucified if I had an all chain rode, so I have a 7.5kg Bruce anchor ( worked very well for 41 years, lets not get into that argument ) with 3 metres of relatively heavy 1/4" chain to avoid abrasion on the seabed and help keep the angle of pull low, and 30 metres of 14mm nylon warp.

I also carry a 7kg folding grapnel kedge, which has various uses unlike a dead weight.

Usually I lower it in smooth folded state halfway down the bower warp if anchoring for any time or overnight; this prevents the boat ' sailing the anchor ' and getting the rode wrapped beside the keel in light wind over tide conditions, and helps keep the angle of pull on the anchor lower - I've tried this in gales and am certain it helps.

The other benefit of carrying a folding grapnel is it will hopefully penetrate weed and get a toe-hold on rock, in an emergency where one would not be chosing to anchor.

The folding grapnel relies on a relatively weak pivot pin though, so I regard it as only giving breathing time in such a stiuation, not an overnight solution !
 
I think the subject of Angels / Chums is worth a discussion, for my purposes on a mostly rope rode I think they're very useful.

However as weight is the enemy of any boat I do think dedicated lumps like the OP's are best painted and plonked on a lawn, my grapnel is multi-purpose.
 
Seajet said:
I think the subject of Angels / Chums is worth a discussion, for my purposes on a mostly rope rode I think they're very useful.

However as weight is the enemy of any boat I do think dedicated lumps like the OP's are best painted and plonked on a lawn, my grapnel is multi-purpose.
Click to expand...

I'd agree

We carry spare anchors and short lengths of chain (to put round trees or rocks). I cannot see the reasoning behind carrying single use ballast a kg of lead is (oddly) the same value of a kg of aluminium anchor or even a kg of chain.

But then maybe people don't carry spare anchors (nor have the need for shore lines) and don't believe in snubbers.

Each to their own.

Jonathan
 
Last edited:
“Chums” , “angels” or “kellets” do have their uses especially if you regularly deploy rope rode. However, these devices do not do what most people think they do. They do not substantially increase the holding especially when the weight/performance ratio is considered.

Lead is the best material. As it is much denser a kilo of lead will have more effect than most other materials. The smaller size per kilo also makes handling easier.

Having multiple uses for the chum makes sense, especially on smaller boats which are more likely to benefit most from the chum in the first place. I have seen a boat that had a lead chum that also doubled up as part of the overall ballast when sailing but such systems are hard to retrofit and not suitable for all designs. For most boats the most practical chum as others have indicated, is probably a spare anchor or length of chain. There is no need to spend £160.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top