MB&Y Jan 19 letters - anchor chain fastenings

[mjf]

Interesting letter in this months edition.

I nearly posted this last month when I saw the corroded shackle and thought it odd that Hugo said he would check his shackle....

i have always used rope to attach the bitter end of the chain to chain locker so it can be ditched if required in a hurry.

On commercial vessels the bitter end is attached to the inside wall of the chain locker with a steel bar which has a handle on the outside wall of the locker so the last link can be detached from the forecastle head space if the anchor and cable need to be ditched.

Why use a shackle?

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

i have always used rope to attach the bitter end of the chain to chain locker so it can be ditched if required in a hurry

Thats the accepted wisdom and the way the bitter end has been attached on every boat I've owned. Attaching it with a shackle which is hard to undo at the best of times or corroded solid at the worst doesnt seem sensible to me either