Length of Warps and Anchor Chain required for Bristol Channel

[sharpness]

Hello All
To ensure i have the right kit aboard for the coming season, can you please advise what length warps you recommend for sharpness and bristol locks, and also what length anchor chain is best recommended for the Bristol Channel cruising ground.

For protecting your warps from wearing through due to the quay when moored in Bristol docks, do any of you have any top tips on how to protect your mooring lines ?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[trapezeartist]

I have a couple of 14m warps that are more than adequate in Sharpness and Bristol. My issue when going in or out of Bristol is not the warps but the effect of dragging the fenders up or down the lock wall. I wrote off a set of fender socks the first time. Now my preferred method is to have a boat hook at each end to hold the boat off the wall. Failing that, a fender board will work when going up, but will be dragged off the top of the fenders when going down.

The usual protection for warps is a length of PVC hose threaded over the warp. Use plenty of length because otherwise it will slide along the warp and not protect the vital point.

Length of anchor chain? As much as you can carry without sinking your boat! Seriously, it depends whether you are anchoring for lunch or staying over a whole tide. Based on the usual scope = 3 x depth formula, a 10m tidal range will use up 30m of chain. If you anchor in 5m of water at low water, you will need another 15m. So 45m is really the minimum you can get away with.

 

[wotayottie]

I carry 60m o9f anchor chain with a 50m lo0ng multiplait rode to add on if required. I have never even used the full 60m.

 

[sharpness]

Thank you for your replies.
If 14m for warps is adequate then it looks like i'm ok on that front. Currently have 30m for anchor chain, so it's as i guessed i need a few more metres to be on the safe side. Looks like a crosby link and some more chain is to be added to the ever growing shopping list.

 

[bitbaltic]

Thank you for your replies.
If 14m for warps is adequate then it looks like i'm ok on that front. Currently have 30m for anchor chain, so it's as i guessed i need a few more metres to be on the safe side. Looks like a crosby link and some more chain is to be added to the ever growing shopping list.

I wouldn't worry about your anchor chain length provided you add some warp. Unless you intend to anchor over a whole spring tide in deep water, it will be much more cost effective to add 40m of warp. Most of the anchorages in the channel have relatively shallow soundings, and that amount of gear would let you anchor in 4m below LAT and still maintain a 5:1 scope with 10m height of tide. That's far more than adequate for lunch stops pretty much anywhere I can think of, and I don't think you'll find anchoring out overnight on springs very inspiring anywhere in the channel.

30m chain on its own though, I agree is not enough.

Cheers