do i need nylon and chain ?

[simonfraser]

i anchor overnight in the colne, around mersea and in the maldon river

the splice on the anchor rode is a constant issue with the windlass, considering taking the chain out and splicing direct to the anchor shackle

how many of the local sailors use nylon only ?

tnx, Simon

 

[johnalison]

It might work but I think it would be a mistake as the anchor would never lie flat when you are trying to lay it. Even with a few metres of chain on our Sadler 29 we used to find the line would wind itself round the keel if I didn’t put a weight on it.

 

[Boathook]

What about the rope with a 'lead' thread through it Leaded Anchor Warp | Jimmy Green Marine

I had problems with getting the rope (3 strand) to flake in the locker and not the rope to chain splice. Changed to all chain. The windlass manufactures didn't recommend octoplait as the gypsy would struggle to grip it.

​

 

[simonfraser]

It might work but I think it would be a mistake as the anchor would never lie flat when you are trying to lay it. Even with a few metres of chain on our Sadler 29 we used to find the line would wind itself round the keel if I didn’t put a weight on it.

hm, do i need chain to get the anchor to dig in ?
it's a knox

 

[ylop]

i anchor overnight in the colne, around mersea and in the maldon river

the splice on the anchor rode is a constant issue with the windlass, considering taking the chain out and splicing direct to the anchor shackle

how many of the local sailors use nylon only ?

tnx, Simon

hm, do i need chain to get the anchor to dig in ?
it's a knox

No idea how well a knox will set without chain, bear in mind its not just set when you first drop it but ability to reset if the wind shifts. Whilst chain is supposed to help with set it also wears less than rope on the bottom and I imagine is easier to wash the mud off, so personally i'd want at least some chain on any anchor that was not just a lunch hook.

Which way have you spliced the rope to the chain? I'm guessing it jams - could you mark the offending section clearly so you pause and do that by hand?

 

[dansaskip]

You don't mention how much chain you have. I would be tempted to use a longer length of chain . I have 50 m of chain puts a octoplait rode. Rarely do I need to use the chain and rode but when I have I haven't found a problem but then my windlass is a Maxwell and they claim that their gypsy works with chain and octoplait which I have found to be true.

 

[Mark-1]

i anchor overnight in the colne, around mersea and in the maldon river

the splice on the anchor rode is a constant issue with the windlass, considering taking the chain out and splicing direct to the anchor shackle

how many of the local sailors use nylon only ?

tnx, Simon

I use Nylon only. It goes totally against my instincts but my 'overnight' anchor is ludicrously oversized and I value my spine more than my boat.

(The line is slightly weighted to make it sink and I use an Angel to keep the nylon from catching on my keels, which is a big problem.)

 

[Daydream believer]

Do you ever anchor in any depth of water in the Colne, or surrounding ditches of the east coast?
A bit of string on the anchor, plus another for a chum to slide down it, for the odd windy day, is probably all you need for 3-4 metres of water.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Do you ever anchor in any depth of water in the Colne, or surrounding ditches of the east coast?
A bit of string on the anchor, plus another for a chum to slide down it, for the odd windy day, is probably all you need for 3-4 metres of water.

Yes, I was wondering about that too! Where on the East Coast is it necessary to anchor in more than 5m of water? The deepest I've seen on my depth sounder in the last few years is about 15m crossing the dredged channel into Felixstowe/Harwich, and they wouldn't like you to anchor there! 20m of rode should be ample in most places; perhaps even a bit antisocial in some places.

 

[noelex]

The setting performance will be decreased if you eliminate the chain. However, I would image yours a medium or medium soft mud substrate. If this is correct, it is the easiest substrate for anchors to set and your anchor should not struggle at all. There will be some loss of setting performance for substrates such as hard sand and weed. Whether this setting performance will still be acceptable will depend on how difficult the substrate is to penetrate.

The second concern is the reduced abrasion resistance. Mud substrates rarely have any rock, but it is surprising how much junk (usually man made rubbish) is on the seabed of even relatively deserted locations. The chance of this cutting your line is not high, but there is some slight extra risk that you need to factor into your decision. Unfortunately, if your rode is cut, without any anchor attached the resulting drag tends to be very rapid and can be difficult to recover from before damage is done, and of course your anchor will need to be replaced. So while the risk is low the consequences are significant.

There are splices between chain and rope that should pass easily, so if you decide to keep the chain the problem should be solvable.

 

[simonfraser]

tnx guys

'The chance of this cutting your line is not high, but there is some slight extra risk that you need to factor into your decision'

going for 6mm chain all the way, i had 50m in prev boat in and around the ditches

(current chain is 7m 8mm with nylon)

 

[Plum]

tnx guys

'The chance of this cutting your line is not high, but there is some slight extra risk that you need to factor into your decision'

going for 6mm chain all the way, i had 50m in prev boat in and around the ditches

(current chain is 7m 8mm with nylon)

I anchor in the same EC areas as you and have never needed more than the 35m of chain that i have.

 

[simonfraser]

I anchor in the same EC areas as you and have never needed more than the 35m of chain that i have.

fair point, can easily store the extra 15m, if the next owner thinks it's too much they can cut it off

i'd rather have it in the locker or out as needed, few years ago was anchored out in the colne with a big summer storm, did not have enough scope on board and finished up against the small amount of soft bank in the black night.
rock bank on either side as i could see the next day ....
high tide at the time, managed to get her off and re-anchor using GPS, skin of my teeth.
not to be repeated

 

[MisterBaxter]

Just chain is the way to go if the splice causes trouble, in my opinion... And 6mm should be plenty strong enough.
If you can store it low, there's comfort in a good length of spare chain, and maybe a spare anchor down there too.

 

[simonfraser]

Just chain is the way to go if the splice causes trouble, in my opinion... And 6mm should be plenty strong enough.
If you can store it low, there's comfort in a good length of spare chain, and maybe a spare anchor down there too.

yes, also noticed that the 'flexible' nylon had gone hard in the locker and would not exit the windlass at all without help
6mm chain all the way now and no probs