Markings on anchor chain.

[Neeves]

Our salt water pump is the same manufacturer and the same design as our freshwater pump. The saltwater pump has a lower output. The saltwater pump services outlets for the bow and transom wash and we have a tap at the galley. The freshwater pump services sinks at the head in the bow and stern, and the galley.

I would not consider either pump a toy.

I would not call them essential, as we have a manual freshwater pump in there galley (and we could rig up a solar shower) but each pump is a godsend (and beats hauling up seawater in a bucket to wash down the chain). Yes - they do go wrong - the freshwater twice in 20 years and the saltwater once - and I can live with that inconvewneionce and would not be without either.

I'm with Roger - its the 21st century and if we find the internet and mobile phones essential - so are, very, 20th century domestic devices that allow us to enjoy the benefits of technical developments, like a seawater wash down pump and a washing machine (washing sheets by hand is a pain though less of a pain that sleeping in sheets with a questionable laundry schedule).

Jonathan

 

[GHA]

Roger
Some people know everything.? Geeez!

Very good point for cruising. Ego is the enemy, anchored up a muddy river in some mangroves the guy at the bar in the ripped teeshirt on a beaten up contessa 26 is as well worth listening to or more than the bloke on some 60'er. Well worth learning to keep your ego out of it, all info is valid, possibly more so if you think you know better and don't want to hear it. Cruising is constantly going into the unknown, making up your mind beforehand how things will be and sticking to that blindly will just end in disappointment, keeping an open mind works much better.
And no matter how many toys you have it's a *really* good idea to have a boat that can still function just as well and safely when all the toys break (inc engine) so you aren't stuck in some dirty harbour for weeks waiting for more expensive spare parts...

 

[rogerthebodger]

Very good point for cruising. Ego is the enemy, anchored up a muddy river in some mangroves the guy at the bar in the ripped teeshirt on a beaten up contessa 26 is as well worth listening to or more than the bloke on some 60'er. Well worth learning to keep your ego out of it, all info is valid, possibly more so if you think you know better and don't want to hear it. Cruising is constantly going into the unknown, making up your mind beforehand how things will be and sticking to that blindly will just end in disappointment, keeping an open mind works much better.
And no matter how many toys you have it's a *really* good idea to have a boat that can still function just as well and safely when all the toys break (inc engine) so you aren't stuck in some dirty harbour for weeks waiting for more expensive spare parts...

Your point about safety is taken and essential kit needs either an alternative of repairable with parts on board.

Engine on a sailing boat is not essential as we have a alternative of propulsion (Sails). Navigation equipment is a second that nees alternative either secondary position equipment of manual navigation.

If my water maker breaks down it just means I either find fresh water somewhere of catch it from rain.

I have multi solar panels for battery charging and multi ways of generation AC mains. Non of the AC mains equipment is essential so if something breaks and you cannot repair it no issue to do without it until you get to a place where it can be repaired.

 

[JumbleDuck]

If only this was true.

Hasn't failed me yet.

 

[GHA]

Your point about safety is taken and essential kit needs either an alternative of repairable with parts on board.

Engine on a sailing boat is not essential as we have a alternative of propulsion (Sails). Navigation equipment is a second that nees alternative either secondary position equipment of manual navigation.

If my water maker breaks down it just means I either find fresh water somewhere of catch it from rain.

I have multi solar panels for battery charging and multi ways of generation AC mains. Non of the AC mains equipment is essential so if something breaks and you cannot repair it no issue to do without it until you get to a place where it can be repaired.

After limping up from south america with lots things bust (not a place to get spares either in a shop or delivered) the boat needs very little to operate these days, windvane (fixable with some string and epoxy) and some nav lights, about it. Nav lights can be kept alive with next to no power from any battery, AIS receiver ditto. Shame not to have radar solo. Windlass is a great loss but not terminal, been there done that with mast winches & no engine.
But self reliance must be at the top of the pile, no one coming to help and no real way to get bits half the time.

 

[coopec]

After limping up from south america with lots things bust (not a place to get spares either in a shop or delivered) the boat needs very little to operate these days, windvane (fixable with some string and epoxy) and some nav lights, about it. Nav lights can be kept alive with next to no power from any battery, AIS receiver ditto. Shame not to have radar solo. Windlass is a great loss but not terminal, been there done that with mast winches & no engine.
But self reliance must be at the top of the pile, no one coming to help and no real way to get bits half the time.

The following definition is not my work but something I got off the internet but it explains my approach to my yacht.
‘Standby’ means a separate unit, that is not operating, is provided beside the working unit and is ready to start when the duty unit stops.
‘Redundancy’ means a second unit is operating in parallel with the primary duty unit and both are sharing the demand. Should the primary unit fail, the second unit takes the full service.
‘Backup’ means another unit from somewhere else is brought into operation should the duty unit fail. For example, you hire a mobile air compressor (the back-up) when your plant air compressor fails (or you start an air compressor in another part of the operation and use it to supply the air when the duty unit stops).

I will have a standby portable generator if the diesel auxiliary generating system fails.
I will provide for redundancy (partially) solar panels/ generating units.
In navigating the yacht I will have a back-up system and in emergency communication I will have back-up.

Now I suppose you would say a lot of equipment I am planning on taking is non-essential?

 

[thinwater]

Guys, EVERY arrangement is different. Let's not get stuck on defending why this or that is or is not universally a problem, or declaring a universal cure. Too many anchor threads go that way.

The idea of extending the chain rope pendant so that it would come on deck was suggested to me by a world cruiser with a deep locker. Smart guy. I never had such a situation myself, but I saw his locker. In fact, there are boats where the access is from within the cabin, through a small hatch. And easy way to get hurt if the boat is bucking. I don't believe any of us are smarter or more expereinced that this guy. I'm not. Therefore, his is a valid opinion.

A failed clutch will not result in the chain running out of the chain is secured by another means. When anchored I always use a snubber and a chain lock. I assumed this was standard practice and I think a great many people do it this way. Underway the anchor is secured with the lock and a clip through an eye. As for leting the whole chain out to anchor, I can't understand why a few more feet is going to make a difference. This is why you paint a fat warning mark on the rode about 3-5 meters before the end. It's probably the most important marking on the rode, IMO.

If a short lashing works better for you, do it that way. I used a short lashing on my PDQ because it was easy to reach. I did not say you should run the pendant on deck. I said "If the bitter end is deep in an anchor locker, cutting it loose could be slow and dangerous." Note the word "if."

Every boat has a best way and I have anchored every boat I owned differently. I've certainly marked rodes several different ways, and each worked well for that specific rode (chain and several types of rope) and the bottom types I faced (the best answer for mud and sand are different IME). But I'm not flogging that horse.

 

[vyv_cox]

A failed clutch will not result in the chain running out if the chain is secured by another means.

Theoretically yes. Mistakes can be made!

As for letting the whole chain out to anchor, I can't understand why a few more feet is going to make a difference. This is why you paint a fat warning mark on the rode about 3-5 meters before the end. It's probably the most important marking on the rode, IMO.

Because in the case I mention for stern-to berthing in much of the Mediterranean, nobody is looking at it. I am driving the boat aft, facing aft, and lowering the chain with the cockpit switches. The crew is standing on the aft platform with warps in his/her hand. Believe me, hundreds of people have let all their chain out before reaching the wall. Some of them did not have their chain bitter end fastened!

 

[thinwater]

^^ Another thing to remember is that many windlasses have combination gypsies. Recovering rope is no big deal, so long as the load is no more than a few hundred pounds. I've done this many times. Common on vertical windlasses, but not an option on horizontal windlasses.

Also remember that this happens (rope-to-chain transition) every day for people with combination rodes. Just not a big deal for them.

No one answer.