Grunging chain

Its a load of old chain that one hangs from the bows that's long enough to drag on the bottom.

Use it backing into a berth down tide to keep the bows from falling off to leeward when there's a cross wind - or even a good -tempered wind that comes from the side for that matter.

The chain drags along the bottom and tends to resist sideways motion but also slows down the sternwards drift with the tide and gives a little bite with the rudder.

Can be very useful in a strong tidal situation when the engin has failed and you want to travel slower than the tide but an anchor gives too much grip.

If no grunging chain available as a separate item just run the bower chain uver the bow roller in a loop until there's enough on the bottom to slow you down the right amount but beware when using a loop as this can catch on projections from the seabed you can try seizing it together a few times to reduce this risk or just unshackle the anchor and lower away!

Have fun /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
China Clay ships in Fowey reverse down to the jetty using this method but with the anchor, just dragging along the bottom. Quite a sight in such a tiny harbour, with so many pleasure boats around them. Not heard of too many foul ups over the last decade or so.
 
Used by some pretty hefty dumb barges up and down the river Hull when I was a kid. The fast running tide meant the flow over the rudder gave them quite a bit of manouverability as they drifted up and down the river. trailing a length of chain with a large weight on the end. Pretty scarey when seen from the cockpit of a voyager 14, (ft not m)
 
D'ya know, I believe I've seen something similar in use. I was in Fiumicino, a narrow Italian port with a constant 2kn current of fresh water. The discharged coaster left her berth and dropped anchor in mid channel on a very short rode. She then engaged engine astern and 'reversed' out of the river keeping head to current.

Thanks for reminding me.
 
Read a few Victorian Yachting manuals! I thought every one knew this! Sometimes the anchor is deliberately fouled (chain lashed or shackled to head ) to prevent it digging in.

Do remember that letting a lot of chain out will slow you down but reduce you ability to manouver. Not something you would want to use in a marina or mooring tho' due to risk of snagging.
 
I luv it, I luv it, I luv it...

...when someone on these forums points to a centuries-old and effective technique for solving a bog-standard problem - such as entry into a harbour under sail, and requiring to control the speed.

'Drudging' - thanks, Sailorman, for the timely reminder.

BTW, the RN's 'Buccaneer' used a broadly similar technique in carrier landings. Its Spey engines were quite slow to 'spool up' from a low 'flight idle config' on the approach - to the full chat suddenly needed if overshoot was wanted.

They overcame this by having the engines pushing at full chat all down the approach, and the big clam-shell airbrakes open opposing them - the 'drudge'. When max push was suddenly ( often ) needed, the airbrakes closed a d**n sight quicker than any other solution.

The story goes it was a gnarled old Seaman Officer, seconded to the development programme, that came up with this 'elegant solution'. We can still use it, to effect, today.

...at C&N's and Cowes Marina, of course.

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Ah - drudging - or 'riding to chains' as I know it

At night , what lights do you show when under this condition ??

Are you at anchor or .....????

This could be quite a long thread ....

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Something similar is used on the Clyde when launching new boats at the shipyards, they use massive tangles of chain, which the amount and weight needed for various size boats is actually worked out on a computer program, and I know one of the guys who does it.
Boats have to use this method of launch on the Clyde as it is quite narrow in this area and they are usually launched across river.
 
I have read that the bristol channel Trading ketches used this method to make their way slowly(backwards) into small rivers .the method was to sail close to the River entrance then as the strong flood tide pushed them into the river the drudge slowed them down so water was passing over the rudder allowing them to steer up the river.

probably not as many yacht moorings in the way a hundred years ago /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Boats have to use this method of launch on the Clyde as it is quite narrow in this area and they are usually launched across river.

[/ QUOTE ]

As per the launch of the QE2 at John Brown's Shipyard, Clydebank, 1967.

A famous day....

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Er, not so many being launched from 'the shipyards' these days.

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We still use this method when docking in a strong onshore wind, and the bow thrusters have reached their limit (3000hp).
We just call it dragging the anchor !
Basically drop or lower the anchor onto the bottom of the river bed, put brake on and allow anchor to drag over river bed, and berth normally. Saves a fortune on tugs.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have read that the bristol channel Trading ketches used this method to make their way slowly(backwards) into small rivers .the method was to sail close to the River entrance then as the strong flood tide pushed them into the river the drudge slowed them down so water was passing over the rudder allowing them to steer up the river.


[/ QUOTE ]
This is mentioned in "The Last of the Sailing Coasters", by Ted Eglinton (ISBN 0 11 290336 3), a book about commercial sailing in the Severn estuary and beyond about 90 years ago. In that case it was in the river Axe at Uphill.
He also relates being swept thriugh the narrows by the tide in still conditions with all sail set, the movement being enough to give steerage way. You can't help but admire the almost casual way two or three men handled a ship of seventy feet.
 
quote
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This could be quite a long thread ....

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Nope. Thread ain't strong enough!!

One drudges with one's anchor.
One grunges with one's chain.

Normal lights for this condition are running lights. One is not secured to the bottom, making way and under command.
 
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