Connecting anchor warp to chain

[MarkV]

I am in the process of re-thinking the way my foredeck works, this will probobly result in installing a chain pipe fitting for the anchor chain rather than bring the whole lot through the forehatch. Looking at the way the warp is attached to the chain I see problems with this as the warp has a large rigid thimble which is shackled to the end of the chain and will not go through a reasonable size chain pipe, How do other people attach warp to chain to avoid this problem. Chain is 6mm, warp is 10mm laid nylon, boat is 17' trailer sailor.

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[alldownwind]

Not sure what you mean by 'laid' nylon.......if it's 3-strand or plait I always splice the rope to the chain, makes a neat job and it's really not at all difficult. For instance, look at http://www.bluemoment.com/warpchainsplice.html for a description of how to do it.

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[MarkV]

Thanks for this, the rope is 3 strand, not plait. The constrictor knot in the pictures looks like some kind of whipping and not what I under stood a constrictor knot to be, but I get the idea.

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[Guest]

Jimmy Green website also gives how to do it ...

<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ... and of course Yahoo groups :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/

 

[Trevethan]

What about octoplat? Been trying for a while now and it just do4esn't look good.....



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[steve_cronin]

But (I may be wrong) doesn't he do a kind of backsplice through the end link of the chain? I've never liked this as it puts a heavy wear weakpoint on just one place on the rope. Splicing along the chain has always been my favourite and the site http://www.bluemoment.com/warpchainsplice.html previously mentioned looks to show this very clearly.

Steve Cronin



<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion

 

[jerryat]

Hi Mark,

Definitely go for splicing, though it is apparently more difficult with 3 strand than with multiplait for example. Three of my four anchors are joined to their chain that way and have been for many years. That is not to say the original splices are still there! I usually do a new splice about every two years as we were (boat is having refit at the moment) full time cruising and anchoring virtually everywhere, so the splices got a lot of wear.

The huge advantage is that the bower anchor cable passes beautifully round the windlass and straight down into the anchor well. I have never tried (or needed) to splice 3 strand, but do understand it's more difficult because of the thickness of each strand compared to that of multiplait, but I may well be wrong.

Cheers

Jerry

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[Talbot]

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.bluemoment.com/warpchainsplice.html>Here</A> is a method for 3 strand nylon to chain

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[aitchw]

When you've done all this and got your nice tidy splice what do you do with it then? The chainpipe on my little 16'er feeds into a very small chain locker. What do I do with the 170' of 3 strand nylon warp? Forgive my ignorance, I'm a dinghy sailor making a tentative move into this arena.

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[jerryat]

Hi Talbot,

Thanks, a good link, and I it think demonstrates my point re 3 strand versus multiplait (square) as the latter is far stronger and neater IMHO.

Cheers

Jerry


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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

I always use splices on 3 strand, but for some reason I am reluctant to use a chain slice on my anchors. I don't know why, but I am scared that they may pull through or something.

Also, though this is only a symptom of above, I have two rather long warps after disconnecting the shackles to the anchor chain. These might occasionally become long shore lines if I find myself outside on a raft or even a rode to a parachute anchor. As I can fit my thimble through the deck fitting it is not really a problem to have them this way.

Unless someone tells me differently with a good argument.

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>

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[chippie]

I use a shackle through a metal eye in the end of the anchor warp. I feel this gives me some options in changing anchors etc., but in practice have left it as it is, so far.

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[MainlySteam]

<<<What do I do with the 170' of 3 strand nylon warp?>>>

Rope is a real pain to stow compared to chain from both the room it takes up and the tidyness point of view, plus it brings on board alot of water and it is difficult to clean.

We normally anchor with all chain but carry a rope/chain cable for deep water or when a second anchor is required, however, we avoid using it because of the stowing problem. What we do is coil the rope up in a large watertight plastic rubbish bin in the forepeak with the chain shackled to it in a sack beside it, and handle it all through the forepeak hatch, not a chain pipe. Fortunately we have room for it but many do not.

In the arrangement you describe if there is no access into the chain locker from within the boat so that you can pull the rope down through the chain pipe and into the boat, or you do not have an accessible forepeak with a hatch then you will likely have to shackle the rope to the chain and detach it to stow the rope elsewhere - of course, take care you shackle it on again before throwing the anchor and chain over the side /forums/images/icons/frown.gif.

John

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[Talbot]

I agree, that the octoplait is a better splice, but prefer it for other just as valid reasons:

doesnt kink when a very heavy load is suddenly released.
Is very much the easiest rope to stow in a locker cause it retains its flexibility.

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[chuns]

Anchor cable

If you've got 170 feet or warp you've nearly got enough to anchor in the Mariana Trench!! Most small craft anchorages that I know are quite shallow, and I am guessing that you may have a fairly shallow draft.

The other argument says that you should have as much warp as you can possibly carry - working on the theory that you can't use it if you haven't got it. In these circumstances the more you've got, the better.

Like everything in sailing, it is a compromise.

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[MainlySteam]

Re: Anchor cable

<<<If you've got 170 feet or warp you've nearly got enough to anchor in the Mariana Trench>>>

We carry 250 foot of chain which is barely enough for anchoring in 20m for an all chain cable for which 3:1 scope is marginally safe. Our rope cable is 360 foot long with 35 foot of chain which is marginally safe for anchoring in 25m for a rope cable for which 5:1 scope is marginally safe.

Do you find you drag often, or perhaps you sail over shallow mudflats or just anchor for lunch stops?

John

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[aitchw]

Re: Anchor cable

My warp arrangement for this first trip was 6 metres of 6mm chain the 50 metres of 10mm 3 strand nylon on a 15lb Danforth. My boat is a 16' Seasafe Dandy 2 berth with a displacement around 1000/1100lbs and a draft of about 18". She has a long keel with short bilge keels which keeps her upright when on a drying mooring. We were sailing on Loch Torridon, based at Shieldaig, our regular holiday haunt. Our regular anchorage was over a large area of sand in a very sheltered inlet. Lowest tide depth about 2m, highest tide depth around 6m. The loch has huge variations in depth and we didn't know where we might want to anchor when pottering so I didn't want to reduce the warp length until we had some experience. I was also carrying a 10lb CQR with about 4m of 6mm chain, which I felt was less effective in the sandy bottom.

There is no access to the chain locker from inside the boat and the only forward hatch is in front of the mast step in the coach roof. The foredeck is very small. I ended up stowing the whole setup on the foredeck as neatly as possible with the bitter end permanently attached to the cleat, making fast the nylon at an appropriate intermediate point depending on the anchorage.

We were fortunate to experience no heavy weather when sailing or anchored and experienced very little drag at any time.

I will be carrying more warp next year and will probably reduce the the 3 strand to 25/30m and be ready to add to it if needed and have the CQR fully ready to deploy at short notice.

Your comments are very much appreciated.

Howard

Just to mention, we were not sleeping on board. She was anchored just off where we stay.<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by aitchw on 12/08/2004 11:38 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[chuns]

Re: Anchor cable

Not sure if you're having a pop at me or not, John, but I carry 60m of chain rode, which is enough for most anchorages in the southwest UK that I use, working on a scope of 4:1 With a tidal rise of only 5 metres the 15m max depth this gives me means that I would be anchoring in around 10m at low water springs. Normally I would anchor in 5 at LW. BTW 60m is around 200ft

When cruising N Brittany, or the Channel Islands I take my other rode, which is substantially longer.

No, I have never dragged. I love my Delta. Equally I don't anchor if there is a chance of it getting unpleasant.

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[jerryat]

Hi Talbot!

Yes, entirely agree. Stowage is so much simpler with muliplait. Out of interest, and with reference to Jools of TopCat's comments, I carry two 50 metre lengths of 14mm muliplait with s/s eyes spliced in (in addition to the 50 metres lengths on the anchors) that are used for all sorts of situations including those he describes.

To keep the M/p dry, I have constructed a sort of 'bin' in the forward part of the chain locker with it's floor well above the main floor that the chain lies on. The M/P is fed into this manually until the splice is fed into the locker, then the chain is allowed to feed down onto it's floor as normal. This method keeps the M/P dry and clean and ensures that it never tangles up with the chain.

Just a thought,

Cheers

Jerry



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[MainlySteam]

Re: Anchor cable

No Chuns, was not having a pop - just that your post seemed to come out as if you thought 170 foot was very long (referring to Marianas Trench, etc). I see now that you carry more than that yourself in chain which, as you will have read, I am a fan of /forums/images/icons/smile.gif.

John

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