mocruising
Well-Known Member
Why do we lay down our anchors and chain when the boat is out of the water. Is it a corrosion issue, too much weight in the bow, ready for the marking's next season, easy to wash down, or what.
Laying down anchor and chain when the boat is on the hard.
- Thread starter mocruising
- Start date
Tranona
Well-Known Member
All of that - and 'cos everybody else does. And also provides a use for redundant pallets and stops people from nicking them.
Capt Popeye
Well-Known Member
insecurity ???
Cardo
Well-Known Member
I like to show off the length of my... Anchor chain.
Capt Popeye
Well-Known Member
whats the 'point'
its only a 'fluke'
oldvarnish
Well-Known Member
It's a habit from the days of wooden boats when all that unsupported weight while the boat was out of the water, could lead to distortion of the hull.
david_bagshaw
Well-Known Member
Always thought it was weight in bows, chain and locker inspection and lastly easy re marking.
Just as an aside, take care when winding back in with an electric winch, a snagged chain can have a large force applied on it. you dont want to rock the boat.
Just as an aside, take care when winding back in with an electric winch, a snagged chain can have a large force applied on it. you dont want to rock the boat.
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
White deposits form on galvanised surfaces when they are left wet. The deposit is zinc hydroxide, consuming the galvanising on the chain. Leaving the chain in the air allows it to dry sometimes. I leave mine hanging on a rope tied across the the cradle so that none of it touches the ground and it rarely gets wet.
BurnitBlue
Well-Known Member
If a lightning strike got into a chain locker full of luvely metal chain would it blow a hole in the bottom of the boat?
OK I'll get my coat
OK I'll get my coat
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Steve C Cronin
N/A
It still can from a plastic hull.
Steve C Cronin
N/A
Yes; all of those - it has been said already. In addition, since most modern production boats don't have a fresh water chain washer and more than likely a chain locker that doesn't drain dry, it is certainly a very good idea. Also, if you have dissimilar metals in your ground tackle (SS swivel - galvanised chain - SS anchor - or any other combination of components and metals) then getting them out into the air to dry off is desireable.
Mine is draped in 1metre lengths over the transverse tie-rod of the front cradle frame. Makes it easier to re-paint the chain markings.
Mine is draped in 1metre lengths over the transverse tie-rod of the front cradle frame. Makes it easier to re-paint the chain markings.
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
Reply to OP, in order of importance:-
1. to wash off the chain from all the mud it's collected
2. to reduce corrosion
3. to clean out the chain locker
4. to re-mark the chain, before relaunching.
Other considerations are irrelevant - but then I anchor 90% of the 6 months I'm on the boat.
1. to wash off the chain from all the mud it's collected
2. to reduce corrosion
3. to clean out the chain locker
4. to re-mark the chain, before relaunching.
Other considerations are irrelevant - but then I anchor 90% of the 6 months I'm on the boat.
rivonia
Well-Known Member
I always wondered why as well. We are live aboards and very very rarely have the boat on the hard. When in a marina we hose the the chain in the locker with fresh water. it seems to work. With regard to marking the chain it is done with cable ties.
Peter
Peter
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
Cable-ties don't last a season on a windlass - in my experience - and are too small to be perceived when anchoring after dark. I've found multi-colour tape slightly better but still dodgy.
noelex
Well-Known Member
Our anchoring gear weighs almost 300kg. I think it's nice to have that on the ground.
rivonia
Well-Known Member
I agree! We have also painted the chain which is slowly wearing off. I would think that the tape also would not be very visible in the dark. However I wear one of those led head torches when i have to anchor at night/dark, which is a rarity these days. We just plod along slowly and try to get to a safe anchorage early, well in daylight hours anyway. We have layed a-hull on some occasions as we did not feel it was safe to go inshore.
Peter
BurnitBlue
Well-Known Member
I found that 5 cable ties were the most I could use to be recognised without counting. This is OK for marks every 10 meters but I used to mark every 5 meters with a cable tie. After 25 meters I started again with a second sequence. The after a day or two at anchor I would forget which sequence I was on. For instance 3 cable ties visible would either indicate 15 meters or 35 meters.
I switched to just three coloured rag buntings tied on at 20 meters 30 meters and 40 meters to conform to Ionian anchorage depths. Much beter and no confusion. Easily seen even if under water.
Steve C Cronin
N/A
We use coloured cable ties at each 10metres but these markers are emphasised by white hammerite bands before and after each, about seven links. Five metres from the end these bands change to one white and one red each side of the cable ties. My wife, the windlass operator finds this arrangement much better than the previous cable ties only arrangement.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
I use two colours of ties. Yellow for 5m and orange for 10m so 1 yellow, 1 orange = 15m, 2 yellow = 20m, 2 yellow one orange = 25m and so on.
Accepting they have a limited life if used everyday, totally idiot proof - provided you are not colour blind.
Accepting they have a limited life if used everyday, totally idiot proof - provided you are not colour blind.
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
Exactly the system we use, except that ours are red and yellow, 500 for £8 from B&Q. I replace four or five per season as they fail. It seems that if the cable ties are not tightened fully home on the chain they last longer.