'Quick change' anchor chain connectors

Thanks Jonathan. Point taken.
My main anchor was a CQR- a bugger even in the bow roller-always flopping some what.
Now I have a Bruce-better but would be a bugger to stow anywhere but the roller. Both excellent as anchors mind you.
My Danforth is a spare but I want it easily deployable-too old to wrestle with it. ;)
Maybe someone will come up with a universal rail mount for newer style anchors.
Cheers/ Len
 
I believe in having an anchor permanently attached to its chain, and instantly deployable (bit like a ship), so my main anchor is always ready on one of my bow rollers. I made a bracket, which is bolted to the alloy toe rail, on which my Fortress sits, with its shank lashed to the guard rail. My Fisherman, which is almost never used, is similarly lashed to the taffrail. While I am prepared to wander along the deck at leisure with a second anchor, I wouldn't want to have to do that on a daily basis. I'm even intrigued by the terminology, I've always had a chain locker, but never an anchor locker. Why does an anchor have to be stowed in a locker? In case it gets wet?
 
NormanS said:
I believe in having an anchor permanently attached to its chain, and instantly deployable (bit like a ship), so my main anchor is always ready on one of my bow rollers. I made a bracket, which is bolted to the alloy toe rail, on which my Fortress sits, with its shank lashed to the guard rail. My Fisherman, which is almost never used, is similarly lashed to the taffrail. While I am prepared to wander along the deck at leisure with a second anchor, I wouldn't want to have to do that on a daily basis. I'm even intrigued by the terminology, I've always had a chain locker, but never an anchor locker. Why does an anchor have to be stowed in a locker? In case it gets wet?
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+1
 
Thanks again for your replies.
Of course I understand the comments about having an anchor ready to deply and about having it on the foredeck , and if possible in the bow roller.

Looking around and considering the risks and reliability of various items I am tempted to try these:-

https://www.jimmygreen.co.uk/item/61201/maillon-rapide-chain-link

Problem is the failure mode will be to the say the least , interesting.

The only real issue is them coming undone (I have no windlass etc. it's all done manually)

The alternative is to buy the biggest Kobra I can (due to price good reputation and 'demountableness'') and cut a little bit off the fluke width to get it into the locker.(it lives in there with 20m of 8mm chain)
IIRC with the 8kg Kobra (25' 3000kg boat) I need to cut about 10mm of each fluke.
 
I wouldn't cut down the fluke. I'd stick with your idea of keeping the anchor aft and walking up the side deck. Just get slick with attaching anchor to rode.

The anchor will not work so well if you chop id down Possibly making it unreliable - negating the safety issues demanded to keep it on the foredeck, it will also corrode and make a mess.

Jonathan
 
jakeroyd said:
Looking around and considering the risks and reliability of various items I am tempted to try these:-

https://www.jimmygreen.co.uk/item/61201/maillon-rapide-chain-link

Problem is the failure mode will be to the say the least , interesting.

The only real issue is them coming undone (I have no windlass etc. it's all done manually)
Click to expand...

I've been using a maillon rapide for the last 15 - 20 years as the chain/anchor attachment. We anchor 90% of the times we sail and I've never had a problem. Look around and you can find certified SWL and wide mouthed versions. They can be done up tight enough by hand or very tight by spanner. They fit through a fairly narrow roller. In a way they 'fail safe' if the gate thread goes (though that is highly unlikely).
 
VicS said:
Heres a Kong ( non swivel) galvanised type



Smaller than what you will need I guess. Bought to suit my chain but the jaws are not wide enough to fit on my anchor shank (15lb CQR lookalike). Check dims before you buy, preferably actually looking at one rather than buying blind via t'internet

Easy enough to assemble/ disassemble when new and corrosion free Socket headed screws . Allen key provided

The stainless ones seem to have some quick fit pin arrangement at the anchor end , and a single screw in the middle between the two halves.

There is a difficult to understand website but probably worth a look.
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I have just purchased the s/s connector and the 2 halfs need to turn by 180 degrees on the anchor end to unlock. the chain end is just a pin fixed one side and fits nicely into the other and a central machine screw holding the 2 halfs together. I would put some pictures up but I'm at home and the fittings are on the boat.
 
Please do not attach swivels or 'long' connector devices direct to your anchor shank. You increase the length of the shank, any load you impose at an angle to the shank acts as a lever. You can easily bend the shank of a small anchor, you can easily bend open the forks that attach to the end of the shank and commonly the bolt in the forks can shear (its a simple sex bolt and not very strong). Introduce some articulation, just a shackle will do and you will solve most problems.

In the anchor rode I have seen more swivel failures than any other failed component (usually cheap unbranded, stainless steel models). They usually fail becuase they are attached directly to the anchor - but they also fail because quality control might be missing. The second most common failure is cheap, unbranded shackles (these fail because they are cheap and nasty - great for securing you dog but they have no place in the anchor rode). Only use rated shackles. When either fail, the cheap swivel or cheap shackle - you, at least, lose the anchor.

Jonathan
 
Chalker said:
Anchor stock, bow shackle, 3+ chain links, shackle, chain. Fit any swivels AFT of the chain.. The chain links gives the articulation needed.
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If the bow shackle is fitted correctly the bow shackle should give, on its own, the articulation needed.

The slot in most anchor stock is to allow the bow shackle to be feed through the slot so the bow is through the stock and not the shackle pin.
 
If you make your own anchors you will undoubtedly know that if the slot in the shank is too small, or too narrow, the shackle can lock up. A swivel can also lock up in the shackle - so having a lever on both 'ends' of a shackle may lead to failure, having chain links in there obviates the problems completely. Side loaded shackles are known to fail (which is why you should use a rated shackle).

Most of us buy off the shelf anchors and have no choice over slot size, other than changing design, you cannot use a smaller shackle - it will be too weak.

I have a new, 'state of the art', anchor in my workshop for testing - its slot is too narrow.

Jonathan
 
Neeves said:
If you make your own anchors you will undoubtedly know that if the slot in the shank is too small, or too narrow, the shackle can lock up. A swivel can also lock up in the shackle - so having a lever on both 'ends' of a shackle may lead to failure, having chain links in there obviates the problems completely. Side loaded shackles are known to fail (which is why you should use a rated shackle).

Most of us buy off the shelf anchors and have no choice over slot size, other than changing design, you cannot use a smaller shackle - it will be too weak.

I have a new, 'state of the art', anchor in my workshop for testing - its slot is too narrow.

Jonathan
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I make sure that the shackle is large enough so that it will not jam in the slot and the fact that most off the self anchors do not have a big enough slot and/or the shank is only welded to the top of the flukes caused me to design and make ky own. I slot the fluke so that the shank passes through and is welded on both sides.

My neighbour purchased a new Rocna anchor and I was shocked at how thin the shank was even as it is supposed to be made of HT steel, mine is at least 2 to 3 times the thickness mild steel.

IMGP2742_zpsq9tciuqh.jpg
 
Thick shanks are an obstruction to an anchor setting.

If the Rocna is made from an 800 MPa steel as per the original specification then it has almost three times the strength as one made from mild steel - which is why your shank needs to be 3 times thicker. Reports of shanks bending of anchors made with shanks around the same thickness of the Rocna you have seen, namely, Manson's Supreme, Anchor Right's Excel and Knox's anchor (using a 900 MPa steel) and also made from an 800 MPa steel are basically - absent.

Your anchor would perform better with a thin, HT, shank - though you might have to alter the balance.

Jonathan
 
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