How is a Rope anchor rode handled and stowed?

[BurnitBlue]

The anchor chain thread seems to deny catenary as necessary. This was certainly news to me. However, I believe that many cruisers from USA use rope rode instead of chain. My question is how do they stow rope rode when getting in the anchor.

I have a rope drum plus chain gypsy on my windlass. It would definitely be impossible to stow rope by stuffing it in the "hawse" hole down into what is a chain locker. Coiling the rope on deck as it comes aboard is not practical and runs the danger of the coil going overboard and round the prop. Flaking the stuff on deck when letting the anchor go seems a hassle to big to even think about.

So, for me the major advantage of chain is to stow it out of the way as it comes aboard and conversely, a free snag free run when dropping the anchor.

My query is therefore from curiosity. How do "they" handle a rope rode?

 

[Uricanejack]

I've sailed quite a few boats with a chain and rope anchor rode.
All without a winch.
To start with. prior to dropping the pick.
I'd flake the chain out on deck. Followed by the rope estimating the length of each flake from the stations.
I'd secure to a cleat when I had the required amount out on deck.
Set the anchor cock bill. chain cleated.
In position lower to bottom. when on bottom go astern to lay out when comes up on cleat, increase aster to set.
To raise pretty much the opposite. may or may not go ahead depending on wind.
Pull up rope flake on deck followed by chain also flaked on deck.
If there is a lot of weight I like to take hold of rode and walk back down deck let my legs do the work.

Stowing on my current boat is easy. lift the locker lid and starting with the bitter end coil it down clockwise like any other rope. and pile the chain in the center.
Stowing on my previous boat was a bit of a pain. kept the rode in a bucket in the fore peak. out through a small haws pipe to fore deck.
Stowing nicely required one of my kids to pass down to me as I pulled through hawse pipe, I preferred this to disconnecting shackle on anchor as I kept moused
On a smaller boat kept anchor and rode in a plastic tote.

Well that’s how I do it. as for the rest of them?

 

[BurnitBlue]

Thanks for the description. Much as I imagined. A three person task, one for for pulling, one for stuffing in a hawse pipe, and as it would seem to take ages, another person on the tiller/engine. Ok, in good conditions it could be done with less people but there is always the chance that a getaway at 2am in deteriating conditions would be a nightmare.

You obviously don't keep the rope on deck so having coiled it the task is still not complete as it now must be bundled up and stowed in a locker. So this is definitely not a task for a single hander. I don't think I have ever handled a rope longer than ten metres without it getting tangled.

You also have to be very organised to prepare the boat to anchor. I could never do that. Come to think of it, I recall an idea from (I think) Nick Skeetes of Wylo fame. He built a wooden reel in a cradle that he kept lashed to the mast foot. The reel had a handle on it for winding in the rope.

 

[NormanS]

Yes, it's easy to see how it's done if you don't have, and don't need a winch, but the OP is inquiring how the rope part is stowed when you do use a winch. I must admit it's always intrigued me. I have all chain, (and whisper it,) I do believe in the advantages of catenary.

 

[Tranona]

Much easier if you have an open anchor well as most modern boats do. Less easy if you have a hawse pipe. Sometimes use a bit of my rope and the windlass handles it OK but you do need to poke it down into the bottom of the well until the chain comes in.

 

[bluerm166]

Have a look at a boat with 'Anchorplait' as sold e.g. by Jimmy Green.It is plaited in such a way that it folds like chain and it will drop down the pipe,albeit not so keenly as chain.I have 50 metres of the stuff in the chain locker but typically leave 25 metres flaked into the deck anchor well for normal use.It does not snag.On the other hand it's not particularly cheap but is very nice to handle if you are all manual.

 

[cryan]

You can run a rope round the warping drum of a windlass and down through the spurling pipe into the chain locker but it would be advantageous in that instance to have access to the chain locker to ensure it coils down correctly. It depends on the ropes you use as well, stiffer ropes are more likely to coil down neatly.

 

[Seajet]

My 22' boat has 5 metres of relatively heavy chain - 5/16ths - to aid the catenary sag and avoid chafe on the seabed, then 100' of nylon warp, an all chain rode would crucify performance; it's all flaked down ready to go in the foredeck anchor locker, which requires care when recovering the anchor to ensure it's ready to use next time.

Much the same on the Carter 30 I had a while ago, but as there was no anchor locker I had to keep the chain & warp ready to shackle on in the forepeak, not ideal in emergencies; I found a large ' Hozelock ' self standing garden hose reel ideal as a portable storage device for the warp, stuffed through the forehatch when anchoring looked likely - and secured, as the warp going over the side to the keel, prop or rudder might spoil ones' day.

 

[NormanS]

You can run a rope round the warping drum of a windlass and down through the spurling pipe into the chain locker but it would be advantageous in that instance to have access to the chain locker to ensure it coils down correctly. It depends on the ropes you use as well, stiffer ropes are more likely to coil down neatly.

Assuming there is some weight on it, it must be awkward to change from the rope on the warping drum, to the chain on the gypsy. I can only see the point with very light displacement boats, which can't use all chain.

 

[Seajet]

My boat isn't ' very light ', at 2,500lbs ( bare not in realistic cruising trim ) but there's a noticeable drop in performance compared to sister-boats if I have a heavy crew, let alone carry 100' + of chain around !

I think any boat under 30 - 35' should probably use a short chain / nylon warp combination, that is for weekend and leisure sailors.

Talking as ' speed is safety to get in port and avoid the No.1 killer fatigue ', not racing.

 

[cryan]

Assuming there is some weight on it, it must be awkward to change from the rope on the warping drum, to the chain on the gypsy. I can only see the point with very light displacement boats, which can't use all chain.

I think that depends on your definition of awkward? Its fairly simple to heave until you reach chain then stop the chain in either a chain stopper, devil's claw arrangement or with a simple rolling hitch. Transfer the chain to the gypsy and start heaving again.

 

[Behome]

I just run the warp in through the hawse pipe because the rope is fairly stiff, not a problem from a standing or kneeling position apart from the occasional kink to sort out. If the water is shallow enough I lie to my 15 metres of chain while doing this. If this is not possible then it's stowed once under way with the autopilot engaged, or if space allows,hove to , a few minutes' work.I only use the windlass in heavy conditions or to break the anchor out if its dug in hard. I sail mostly single-handed, with a crew it's not an issue at all.

 

[BurnitBlue]

Have a look at a boat with 'Anchorplait' as sold e.g. by Jimmy Green.It is plaited in such a way that it folds like chain and it will drop down the pipe,albeit not so keenly as chain.I have 50 metres of the stuff in the chain locker but typically leave 25 metres flaked into the deck anchor well for normal use.It does not snag.On the other hand it's not particularly cheap but is very nice to handle if you are all manual.

There is a 50 meter reel of anchorplait on my boat thanks to the previous owner. I have been told that if I am ever desperate for attention I can use it to somehow, in a crowded anchorage, dinghy a long line ashore single-handed while the boat drifts around unattended. I was also told I could use it on a kedge anchor off the bow.

Before I read the replies to this thread I had never thought it possible. But now I have read the replies I am convinced that for a single hander it is a definite No No.

Edit. I forgot what I was going to say about the reel of anchorplait. I suspect the previous owner used it to lay a stern anchor when going bows to on a quay. I can understand that use of rope road but the kedge or main rope rode does seem a very difficult way to anchor. I reckon a catamaran would be OK because of the broad foredeck to coil a kedge or bower rode.

 

[KellysEye]

>The anchor chain thread seems to deny catenary as necessary.

Only a few believe that but nobody else is that daft.

> However, I believe that many cruisers from USA use rope rode instead of chain. My question is how do they stow rope rode when getting in the anchor.

Having seen hundreds of American cruising and charter yachts in the Caribbean no boat used all rope, all had chain. Mind you an all rope rode would be good idea for those who don't believe a chain catenary doesn't do anything.

> I have a rope drum plus chain gypsy on my windlass.

You have answered your own question about stowing rope by saying what winch you have, use the rope gypsy then swap to the chain gypsy.

 

[Seajet]

KellysEye,

not quite sure what you mean but I've happily used a mainly rope rode with a bit of heavy chain at the anchor end for 35 years.

I do have to flake the warp, coiling it with the usual twist between fingers, and stow it so the bitter end is at the bottom of the anchor locker ( secured by reinforced hard eye ) with anchor on top of the coil ready to go again, which for all I know may be within a few seconds or could be weeks.

I also keep a sharp serrated knife in the anchor locker ( and another one in the cockpit ) as a result of interesting experiences on other peoples' boats !

 

[doug748]

The anchor chain thread seems to deny catenary as necessary. This was certainly news to me. However, I believe that many cruisers from USA use rope rode instead of chain. My question is how do they stow rope rode when getting in the anchor.

I have a rope drum plus chain gypsy on my windlass. It would definitely be impossible to stow rope by stuffing it in the "hawse" hole down into what is a chain locker. Coiling the rope on deck as it comes aboard is not practical and runs the danger of the coil going overboard and round the prop. Flaking the stuff on deck when letting the anchor go seems a hassle to big to even think about.

So, for me the major advantage of chain is to stow it out of the way as it comes aboard and conversely, a free snag free run when dropping the anchor.

My query is therefore from curiosity. How do "they" handle a rope rode?

Dunno, I've always found rope wet, messy stuff, difficult to stow without getting your trousers wet and making your arms ache.


An American bloke, in the chain thread, used a lot of fancy numbers then came up with this eye opener:

Sorry I can't retain the formatting. You have to have a look at his "conclusion" here:

http://alain.fraysse.free.fr/sail/rode/static/static.htm

See Section 7.

 

[NormanS]

I think that depends on your definition of awkward? Its fairly simple to heave until you reach chain then stop the chain in either a chain stopper, devil's claw arrangement or with a simple rolling hitch. Transfer the chain to the gypsy and start heaving again.

So assuming we are talking about a fair sized boat using an anchor windlass, and not heaving in by hand. In order to heave in enough, and then stopper off, you have to bring some chain onto the windlass barrel, (ugh) so that there is enough slack chain to put it on the gypsy. I do that when retrieving a second anchor, which is on part chain / part rope, but to do that every time I anchor, (sometimes several times a day), seems an awful guddle. I'll carry on using all chain for my main anchor.

 

[bluerm166]

There is a 50 meter reel of anchorplait on my boat thanks to the previous owner. I have been told that if I am ever desperate for attention I can use it to somehow, in a crowded anchorage, dinghy a long line ashore single-handed while the boat drifts around unattended. I was also told I could use it on a kedge anchor off the bow.

Before I read the replies to this thread I had never thought it possible. But now I have read the replies I am convinced that for a single hander it is a definite No No.

Edit. I forgot what I was going to say about the reel of anchorplait. I suspect the previous owner used it to lay a stern anchor when going bows to on a quay. I can understand that use of rope road but the kedge or main rope rode does seem a very difficult way to anchor. I reckon a catamaran would be OK because of the broad foredeck to coil a kedge or bower rode.

If you had used the anchorplait you would have seen that there is absolutely no coiling required.It is virtually as supple as chain and requires no attention when it is dropped.This is why it is so-plaited.It will lie in a pile akin to that made by chain and does not snag.When wet the additional weight actually assists the proceedings and it will pull itself through a hawse.Having an anchor locker is obviously helpful as an interim position.If you wanted to use it without this provision (and were sympathetic to the material) you could drop it into a trug - which is also useful for transferring the kedge rode around the boat and is easy to lash.I appreciate that things are different when you use a winch and have to transfer from rode to chain and it may be that your vessel is of a marginal size for single handing anyway but there is no need for a rope rode to be the restricting factor.

 

[prv]

When we got her, Ariam had both chain and warp. The crucial point nobody seems to have mentioned is that there are plenty of windlasses designed for this combination, with no need to transfer from a separate warping drum to a chain gypsy. Instead a single wheel has both chain pockets and, inside those, a groove somewhat like the top of a self-tailing winch to carry the rope. Provided you use a rope-to-chain splice rather than an eye and shackle, the joint passes through the windlass quite happily with no human intervention.

I only anchored using the warp a couple of times before switching to my all-chain cable, but both times it snaked down into the locker under its own steam reasonably well. The warp was three-strand rather than anchor plait.

Pete

 

[BurnitBlue]

I only anchored using the warp a couple of times before switching to my all-chain cable, but both times it snaked down into the locker under its own steam reasonably well. The warp was three-strand rather than anchor plait. Pete

My query was only curiosity but very interesting to me. I use all chain mainly because it is self-stowing. I am especially amazed though that 3-strand nylon can be fall under its own weight into a below decks anchor locker without the kinking that 3-strand is known for.

However, curiosity aside, I have only one 65 meter length of chain which is used for the main anchor and I have felt the need for a second anchor just in case, so next year I will try the anchorplait (possibly into a bucket under the forehatch). It is another thread to ask what others use to set a second rode for a second anchor. Still a hassle innit?