The bitter end

[claymore]

New anchor chain, new electric winch now installed. Do I make up the bitter end with some decent sized Kevlar and make it long enough to poke through above deck so that should I need to, I can cut it there without having to go below to the forepeak and do it there?
That seems a logical way to do it - am I missing something?

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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[Twister_Ken]

That's right, but why kevlar?

Light kine should be enough, because you never actually lie to the that bit of line.

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[Jacket]

Should probably be fairly strong, for when you get things wrong, and let all the cable out by mistake. If its too light, the force of the boat being broght up hard may snap it.

But I agree, Kevlar seems a funny choice- surely should use anchorplat- easier to splice to the chain, and the other end can be tied to the boat, unlike Kevlar, which is awful for knotting.

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[claymore]

Fair enough - I just thought kevlar because of its strength to diameter ratio. I'd thought to loop it through the chain and the Ubolt in the locker with round turns and use a double fishermans knot to tie the two ends together. This would mean a double bit of rope sticking through the deck - thinner kevlar doubled would make this possible. And I'm really Kack-handed at splicing anchorplait!

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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[Jacket]

Not sure how true it is, but I'd always been told that knots in Kevlar tend to come undone unless kept constantly under tension, which it wouldn't be in this application, and even under load the knot tends to creep.

I'd have thought a length of old jib sheet would do for this application, provided its small enough diameter to get through the chain links. It would be strong enough, and knots easily. My only concern would be how well it would last in the wet, damp atmosphere of an anchor locker, which is why I suggested using anchorplait.

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[claymore]

OK - I'll buy the anchorplait - but I'll have to send it to you for the splicing!

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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[Mirelle]

Actually, I don't have a very strong line connecting bitter end to boat. If you do "lose it" badly, and have the chain run out in an uncontrolled way, it is better to break the line than to have the securing point ripped out of the boat, I think. I use a bit of scruffy old 12mm 3 strand Terylene (7/16"- 12mm - chain)

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[toad]

Try www.jimmygreen.co.uk there is or used to be a idiots guide to splicing anchorplait.

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[longjohnsilver]

You must be getting old...............

Splashing out on a leccy anchor winch, shame on you, best way to keep fit is pulling up heavy chain and huge anchor by hand. I always knew you raggies were really cissies at heart /forums/images/icons/wink.gif /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

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[Twister_Ken]

maybe I\'m wrong (it\'s happened before) but...

... surely the whole point of having a length of line at the bitter end is not to stop the whole issue going overboard, but to allow you to slip the anchor if it ever gets irrevocably jammed on the bottom, or some other nastiness calls for the hook to be left behind in a hurry.

The anchor and rode is kept attached aboard by being surged out under control, and cleated to a strong point.

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[claymore]

Re: You must be getting old...............

Hmm
I just cannot believe I'm reading this - not content with questioning the reality or virtual reality of a fellow forum member over on the plastic flower forum - you now launch a vitriolic attack on one whose sacrum is not as it was. Is this world in such a state that baiting the inflicted is now such a commonplace activity. There's more to being a pirate than having a fancy graphic, LongJohn - I think to make up for the deep offence you've caused you should offer to help me out by releasing funds from your brimming chest to help me pay for the length of string that I need to buy - either that or go and liberate one in true pirate fashion. Not from a motorboaty you understand - I don't want my forepeak looking like a tarts boudoir.
Furthermore, I think that in the light of the impending arrival of Happy1's new boat you should make a generous contribution towards his first years mooring fees.
Now be off and get your giving hand into action my beauty

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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[Jacket]

Re: maybe I\'m wrong (it\'s happened before) but...

If you just wanted to be able to slip the anchor chain easily, why bother attaching the bitter end to the boat in the first place?

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[Rowana]

Re: maybe I\'m wrong (it\'s happened before) but...

<If you just wanted to be able to slip the anchor chain easily, why bother attaching the bitter end to the boat in the first place?>

So at least you can lash a buoy/fender to it to aid recovery later but defore cutting through the rope in emergency.

That's what I was taught and it seemed logical to me

Jim

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[Jacket]

Re: maybe I\'m wrong (it\'s happened before) but...

But you're still relying on the rope being strong enough for the boat to hang off while you attach the bouy, aren't you?

Otherwise, if you're just going to gently ease the chain out until you find the end of the chain, and then cleat off the chain while you attach the bouy, there's no need to tie it to the boat.

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[Dominic]

Use Thin Stuff ?

Surely you should use a long length of thin stuff, going round and round from your fixed point to the last link so that the multiple strands add up to a thick rope but can be easily cut.

Does Kevlar cut easily ?




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[longjohnsilver]

Re: You must be getting old...............

Look here me hearty I'm a bleedin pirate not a charity for daft raggies ;-))

Oh and just let me know when and where you've cut the rope and I can then come and dive and sell your anchor back to you /forums/images/icons/wink.gif /forums/images/icons/wink.gif /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

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[qsiv]

Kevlar is a pretty generic term - I'd get a competent person to make you a long soft quoit using the core of a spectra rope (16mm spectra is likely to have a breaking strain comfortably in excess of 4 tonnes).

Then, as you say cow hitch it through the chain and fix to your Ubolt - this avoids any nasty metal/metal connections and the risk of corrosion.

I use hardly any shackles on board, everything tends to be either lashed with spectra, uses quoits or spectra webbing. Theres a good reason race boats do it - it's not just liteness, its the avoidance of corrosion.

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[claymore]

Re: maybe I\'m wrong (it\'s happened before) but...

There would be two or three situations when you might want to detach yourself from your ground tackle I think. One would be when the anchor had firmly attached itself to some sea/riverbed obstruction and you need to get away and come back with a diver or other assistance. The other might be more of a panic situation involving strong tides and perhaps a lee shore and an inability to get the anchor up and be away before getting into trouble. In a pressure situation you could well do without making things worse by losing anchor and chain because it wasn't attached to the boat - so I would want a rope 'bitter end' and my plan for such an eventuality is to clip my tripping line bouy onto my anchor chain with a locking carbine hook that I got for this purpose.

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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[Mirelle]

I agree.

Oddly enough I have been involved, in the past 12 months, in two cases where merchant ships, well equipped and well manned, went ashore (one, a laden bulker, became a total loss, the other, a tanker in ballast, was salvaged) because they were anchored in an open roadstead, the wind came strong onshore, they started to drag and the Master tried to recover the anchor instead of doing what 20/20 hind
sight suggests and going full ahead to rip the cable out of the locker by its roots.

Now, the same situation can arise with a yacht. I want the chain attached, to take care of everyday mistakes (see "We Did'nt Mean to Go to Sea"!) but not so well attached that losing it would damage the boat.

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[aod]

Kevlar doesn't like to be bent around things. Indeed if you loop it through a chain you will probably reduce it's strength by 50%.

I think the idea is sound in principle but you would be far better off using spectra which doesn't suffer with the same problems.

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