Securing anchor chain to boat but with 'quick release' capability.

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pcatterall

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I recently posted about adding some rope to my anchor chain.
I am also considering just leaving the chain but having the capability of adding rope on deck using a chain shackle which is always to hand at the bow ( usually, and now definitely!! )
I would like to be sure that the anchor chain is secure to a strong point but be then able to attach the chain shackle and extra rope before 'surrendering' the chain.
This all arises from a near disaster when anchoring in emergency when we left the chain ( just for a moment!!) on the gypsy while I went to grab the chain shackle. You may guess the rest and can imagine our horror when I came back to the bow to find us secured by 8mm line rather than 10mm chain!
Without the anchor being absolutely secure there is also a risk that crew may misread the chain markers or let the chain run too fast and loose the lot over the bow.
How to secure the chain but with the ability to release it is the question.
 
Best thing is to tie it to a fairly long bit of rope.
If say 20kg of anchor and 20kg chain gets a move on, it may well break a rigid fixing that tries to stop it instantly.
Whereas the rope will stretch and absorb the shock over a distance.
 
A chain hook comes to mind, attached to a few metres of nylon rode. You could hook this on the chain and cleat the rope off. It will happily take the load while you attach your shackle to the end of the chain.
 
A temporary solution will always be less secure than what you would be comfortable leaving for the night. I have hooked a link of chain over the horn of a cleat before now, not as I would like to sleep on, but whilst under tension it's not going to go far. I have a length of line attached too, just in case the chain falls off the cleat.
 
Bobc said:
I always use a chain hook on a snubbing line attached to a bow cleat. It takes the load off the bow roller, and stops chain noises in the forecabin.

No need to have it attached both sides, one side does fine.
Click to expand...
Well that might be the answer to my problem
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?364235-Swinging-mooring-details
too, if the chain hook is secure enough for more than just temporarily taking the load off the chain. You don't find that it can flip off when you are actually riding to it ?
 
So what you need I imagine is a shackle to attach the end of the chain to the boat so that if all else fails the chain won't be lost when it runs out. You need this shackle to be able to be undone under load after connecting the additional rope. This would dictate a snap shackle type of thing that can be undone under load or something like a pelican hook as used on life lines.
This would need to be attached via a short rope or chain to the bottom of the chain locker so that it comes out at the end of the chain.
Obviously under chain only anchoring the chain would not all come out so it would be secured to the boat on the windlass drum around the samson post or using a chin hook.
Really though in buying a suitable snap shackle you might simply consider dedicating a rope to anchoring and leave it in the bottom of the chain locker all attached to the chain and boat. No action needed then just let the chain out until it turns into rope and finally comes to an end. If you really want more rope then well you either undo the know or shackle or cut the rope to add more. You will figure something out when the time comes. good luck olewill
 
Depending on what conditions you think you might encounter the solution might vary a bit, but with all chain rode, an optimal solution is:

1. 30' of 3 strand nylon or octobrait with a thimble on one end.
2. Soft shackle of amsteel with breaking strength at least the breaking strength of the chain.
3. Attach the thimble to the soft shackle, let out 40' more chain after securing the bitter end to a cleat. East to cast loose.

This ensures that the chain hook is not the weak link, which it usually is. Ditto with a snap shackle.

If you want ultimate strength and redundancy, make up another 3 strand nylon snubber with breaking strength equal to the chain, with another thimble. Make this 36' long, which will begin to take the load when the primary snub line described above begins to stretch significantly under load. Add another soft shackle just below the first and attach this back up snubber to the shackle and cleat off. As long as the cleat can handle a load equal to the chain's breaking strength securing the chain is redundant because once the lines described above give way, the chain is going to break anyway. If you want, secure the chain with an easily cut line with a bouy and line available to mark the location of the fiasco.

The 3 strand will absorb an enormous amount of energy before breaking, so it is unlikely you would ever stress this system to the point of giving way. The soft shackles are far stronger than chain hooks, shackles or whatever else you got, easy to loop through the chain and easy to remove.
 
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Might I suggest that most solutions mentioned would be a lot stronger than the inside of the chain locker to which they would be attached.

Perhaps a length of wood tied into the line to jam against the deckhead and take the load in the unfortunate event of someone not spotting the change to rope?




And don't forget to buoy the anchor because, having cut it away because it would not come up and time & lock keepers wait for no man, grappling the seabed for the chain can be trying if you only know 'about' where you anchored...


Actually I had, but it was nowhere to be seen :9(
 
We also used a chain hook with rope to a cleat. I don't know how many others boats have this but we also had a strong point in the anchor locker that you could tie a rope to, the rope reached to the foredeck where you could cut it if you had to dump the anchor and chain.
 
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