Rode

[lustyd]

Just replacing our anchor chain which is now down to about 26m after cutting rusty ends off occasionally.
I’m buying 50m of new chain so unlikely to need the 50m of rope that’s currently spliced to the chain.
I’m considering putting a hard eye in the end of that rope rather than splice it. I don’t like having it unused and going nasty in the bottom of the anchor locker so thinking it can live elsewhere and just shackle on if ever required.
Any thoughts on this? We’re definitely not changing gypsy and downsizing the chain, and don’t want the weight of longer chain so those are out of contention here but interested in thoughts on shackle vs splice.

 

[Tranona]

Shackle is common and my preference. Only drawback is it will not run through the gypsy. However with 50m of chain there is not likely to be much need to use the rope. That is what I had when in Greece and there were occasions when it was necessary to use more than 50m for example at crowded quaysides when it was wise to drop the anchor out further than normal to avoid other anchors or in some bays when wanting to anchor and run a line stern to and depths can fall off quickly close to the shore. Although there was a rope drum on the windlass don't recall ever using it. Just haul in the relatively short length of rope, maybe going forward slowly with the motor. Put the chain over the gypsy and then haul in as normal. The attachment point for the shackle on the end of the chain was at the top of the anchor locker so easy to get at

 

[doug748]

It's what I have always done, in ordinary sailing in and around the UK you will rarely need the extra rope and it only sits in the anchor locker damp and festering. A good length of rope in a cockpit locker is always handy.

 

[lustyd]

Thanks, good to hear others do similar. Assume you're using a metal thimble on the rope eye at the chain end? Agree with Tranona even now when using the rope I just hand haul that in and swap to windlass when the chain starts.

 

[Supertramp]

+1 for rope separate from chain. If you splice a thimble in just check a shackle will pass through the chain link and rope plus thimble. Or use two shackles? I use an eye splice with no thimble.

 

[NormanS]

As long as you have a good chain stopper or similar, so that you can safely get the bitter end up on deck, then yes, eye splice on thimble and shackle(s).

 

[lustyd]

Yes the locker and windlass are on deck so that’s not an issue.

I was worried with just a loop about chafe but will have a play and see how it looks. There’s already a loop on the other end so cam compare easily.

 

[capnsensible]

Shackle works for me. Are you thinking about venturing away from Uk? That extra long line can be very useful. Some places you may need to anchor in deeper water than usual. Trinidad springs to mind. Plus it's very handy if the wind gets seriously upset. Another offshore use is for streaming a drogue should Neptune get the hump too.

I used a metal eye and a good long eye splice. Didn't use it often over the decades, but when we did it was a real bonus.

 

[lustyd]

Are you thinking about venturing away from Uk?

We went to Ireland last year!! Kidding, yes doing French N&W coasts this year if the weather ever dies down. I got the 50m rope for the CIs so have used it in the past but was obviously spliced to chain at the time.
No idea what’s after France, Brexit makes it hard and our circumstances make resident visas impossible for 20 years or so*. As such we’ll have three months after France to either go to Africa or back to Blighty for next winter.
In theory we could cross the Atlantic next Dec but I don’t think we want to do that in this boat so may well upgrade next winter and make new plans.

*contemplating going YMI so I can work and get a visa doing something that feels less worky than tech

 

[capnsensible]

We went to Ireland last year!! Kidding, yes doing French N&W coasts this year if the weather ever dies down. I got the 50m rope for the CIs so have used it in the past but was obviously spliced to chain at the time.
No idea what’s after France, Brexit makes it hard and our circumstances make resident visas impossible for 20 years or so*. As such we’ll have three months after France to either go to Africa or back to Blighty for next winter.
In theory we could cross the Atlantic next Dec but I don’t think we want to do that in this boat so may well upgrade next winter and make new plans.

*contemplating going YMI so I can work and get a visa doing something that feels less worky than tech

Gibraltar might be a good option? I worked for several RTCs there before starting our own. Great place to teach sailing.

I'm a bit out of touch with current rules but bet its not hard to find out.

 

[jdc]

I have found that, even with 60m of heavy chain (10mm on a 42' boat) the additional rope (50m) has been useful and deployed in less than peaceful conditions - seemingly inevitably in rather a hurry and when groggy with sleep, in the dark. So I would advocate a splice if venturing far from home. The splice has to run smoothly through the hawse pipe and not jam, and work in the chain gypsy, so in fact I use polyester 3-strand with the splice being a slightly complex one which passes only two strands through the chain, but I think it worth the additional work. 'Thinwater' of this parish calls it an Irony splice.

I chose polyester rather than nylon on the advice of English Braids. They pointed out that there will already be 60m of chain out, so quite a bit of catenary for snubbing,, hence the extra stretch of nylon isn't vital. But polyester doesn't go hard when old so the splice can be remade after being cut off a few times, hence one's less worried by the effect of rust.

But the OP knows this; he posted on this subject in October 2024, as did I. I have no axe to grind here - you must do as you judge best - but we experienced some nerve-wracking incidents in unexpected winds in the S Atlantic (where the winds are called Carpentaria) and in the Arctic and a few in the Caribbean. Of course, the scares we had may just have been due to my incompetence in being where we were on the day, but they were real enough and I was glad not to be hunting shackles and warps just to let out a bit more rode.

We haven't experienced anything like that in European waters, so not in Ireland or Scotland, I think because we there could tuck into shallower water so 60m has always been enough. For the Med I've no relevant experience (but the Bayesian springs to mind).

 

[lustyd]

Gibraltar might be a good option? I worked for several RTCs there before starting our own

Essentially part of schengen and VAT now so if I decide to work it’s all the same. I do like Gib though as a little English enclave even if it is a bit claustrophobic

The splice has to run smoothly through the hawse pipe and not jam

We don’t have one so I think different considerations. I can reach the bitter end from deck and shackle on the rope before disconnecting the chain in the locker and the windlass won’t be in the way. With a different boat though I think I would agree wholeheartedly.

 

[Tranona]

Essentially part of schengen and VAT now so if I decide to work it’s all the same. I do like Gib though as a little English enclave even if it is a bit claustrophobic

Gibraltar is not in the EU VAT area although as part of the recent settlement there is a new local transaction tax, but don't think that applies to visiting yachts. However when the treaty is finally signed stays there for non EU citizens will count toward the 90 days.

 

[NormanS]

Getting back to your rode, if the 50m of line is spliced to the chain, that's all it can be used for. If it's kept separate, it can be shackled on to the chain, as and when required, but crucially, it can be used for other purposes. Tow line, for example.

 

[lustyd]

Gibraltar is not in the EU VAT area although as part of the recent settlement there is a new local transaction tax, but don't think that applies to visiting yachts. However when the treaty is finally signed stays there for non EU citizens will count toward the 90 days.

It’s currently ambiguous from what I can see as to whether it is or isn’t. That seems to be the clear direction though and their VAT change was linked to effectively joining Schengen. Either way it’s no more useful for our purposes than any other Schengen destination going forwards, which is a shame but will probably encourage us to explore Africa more.

 

[Neeves]

You don't mention the size of the rope. It might be quite bulky, will it fit in the bow/chain locker such that it is not in close contact with the chain, wet rope, encourages corrosion, a wet chain retrieved on top of the rope will ensure the rope is always wet.

Keeping the rope separate from the chain is a good idea, if necessary - it gives you a spare rode.

Jonathan

 

[lustyd]

It’ll be going in a stern locker going forwards partly to make room for more chain and partly to keep it clean and dry. The chain locker also has 25l of petrol to house so not a lot of space

 

[Leslie frank]

Gibraltar is not in the EU VAT area although as part of the recent settlement there is a new local transaction tax, but don't think that applies to visiting yachts. However when the treaty is finally signed stays there for non EU citizens will count toward the 90 days.

We were in Gib in October. At that point it was still not part of Schengen. I am not sure when the change will actually go live.
The reason for the post is to warn people not to assume you will be able to get a berth. Rocking horse droppings springs to mind. Ocean village have about 4 spaces available for our 44ft boat. The manager told us thst the owners are trying for permanent berth holders to reduce change over costs

 

[Sea Change]

We've never had any warp spliced on to our anchor chain.
Over the years we've had all chain rodes of:
-30m in Scotland (sometimes felt marginal)
-40m in Scotland (perfect)
-50m in UK/Ireland/Rias/Algarve/W Med (ok)
-80m in W Med, Caribbean (plenty. Used the whole length on three occasions)
-60m in Caribbean/Bahamas/US (plenty)

Which is a long winded way of saying, in about 15k miles and thousands of nights at anchor, there are three occasions when we've needed more than 60m.
Once was a vicious thunderstorm in Mallorca where we kept dragging until we put out 10:1 scope.
Another time in Les Saintes where we had to anchor in 27m depth.
And the summer in Woburn Bay, Grenada, which is about 15m deep but very soft and we needed the extra scope.

There's a school of thought that keeping warp in the bottom of the locker encourages damp to persist.
I do have a dedicated very long length of heavy warp with a hard eye spliced in to it. This is on standby as either a tow line or extra anchor cable. I hope to never need it.

 

[Supertramp]

I have always thought that a long warp on a drum at the rear of the boat is a good idea. But it does add to already considerable clutter, at least on my boat. It means the warp is always ready for use rather than hidden in the depths of a locker.