Anchor Chain Weight

Discussion in 'Stability' started by Fanie, Jun 9, 2008.

  1. Nigel1
    Joined: Nov 2007
    Posts: 53
    Likes: 4, Points: 8, Legacy Rep: 55
    Location: Manchester UK

    Nigel1 Junior Member

    If the rope is wound on under tension it would be best to later take the rope off the spool, and they re-spool it on, but make sure you have a tight spool, i.e no gaps between the wraps.
     
  2. Fanie
    Joined: Oct 2007
    Posts: 4,604
    Likes: 177, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2484
    Location: Colonial "Sick Africa"

    Fanie Fanie

    Thanks Nigel,

    I cannot remember seeing anyone using a spool for winding their anchor rope on. I did find pictures of hatches with a heap of rope and chain in it. Somehow I think that can become a problem and I've seen some pretty awesome unintended knots :D

    Does something like that exist, do boaters use spools for anchor rope winders ?
     
  3. Stumble
    Joined: Oct 2008
    Posts: 1,913
    Likes: 73, Points: 48, Legacy Rep: 739
    Location: New Orleans

    Stumble Senior Member

  4. Fanie
    Joined: Oct 2007
    Posts: 4,604
    Likes: 177, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2484
    Location: Colonial "Sick Africa"

    Fanie Fanie

    Don't the lines get tangled up ?
     
  5. murdomack
    Joined: Jun 2007
    Posts: 309
    Likes: 23, Points: 18, Legacy Rep: 282
    Location: Glasgow

    murdomack New Member

    They use Octoplait as it does not twist like three strand rope does. More expensive though.
     
  6. Guillermo
    Joined: Mar 2005
    Posts: 3,644
    Likes: 189, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2247
    Location: Pontevedra, Spain

    Guillermo Ingeniero Naval

    For the permanent mooring of navigational buoys (farms marking) we are using Yalex's Uniline and Hazelett Marine's elastic rodes. Expected life of the products, for the foreseen loads in this particular design, is 20 years. Shackles, clamps, thimbles and deep floating buoys will be the weak part from the point of view of maintenance. An eco-friendly mooring system without (significative) weight, easy to handle and deploy.

    Cheers.
     

    Attached Files:

  7. Patrick BLOSSE
    Joined: Mar 2007
    Posts: 44
    Likes: 4, Points: 8, Legacy Rep: 70
    Location: PARIS, FRANCE

    Patrick BLOSSE La Terre entière.


    Hello,

    As contribution for a sound debate, I kindly consider your opinion undoubtly convincing, but on a second hand, with respect.

    Simply because if scope and weight are to be considered among other specifications including some more "pretty personnal", essentialy my own anchor must remain at the choosen place, above all, as "set in stone".
    To my mind, only then come the other criterias to be considered: the vicinity on/in the bottom, the rope to be tied to the boat, easy handling, the area of anchoring, the weather expected, hazards to fear, etc...

    In conclusion, all other factors, like the scope and the weight undoubtly influencing the underlined primary subjet, then must be appraised to obtain the best essential result for anchor holding capacity.

    Fair winds to all.

    It was a very famous 4th november 2008 in Paris in the vicinity of Harry's café: nothing to fear except good holding capacity !

    Patrick
     
  8. FAST FRED
    Joined: Oct 2002
    Posts: 4,519
    Likes: 111, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 1009
    Location: Conn in summers , Ortona FL in winter , with big d

    FAST FRED Senior Member

    "In my opinion, only a couple of boat lengths chain (at its most) is really necessary for usual shallow water depths, to increase the weight of the tackle at the bottom, avoid chafing and help reducing the working angle. Behind that I prefer to use a long, good quality and well sized rope. This also reduces weight aboard"

    This would agree with Danforth , who recomended that his anchors be set with all rope , until the 1970's, when it changed to a short chain leader.

    FF
     
  9. Tcubed
    Joined: Sep 2008
    Posts: 435
    Likes: 18, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 318
    Location: French Guyana

    Tcubed Boat Designer

    Holding power is a function of anchor mass and design. Scope must be sufficient for the pull vector to allow the anchor to function. That is why i say these are the most important factors.

    The catenary effect of chain disappears when it is most needed, in ultimate conditions.

    In the case of small boats where the gear is brought on board by hand, it becomes fairly obvious that concentrating the mass in the anchor itself makes much better use of the weight.

    Add to that the fact that most modern sailboat designs have the anchor locker in the eyes of the boat, and excess weight becomes a very detrimental factor.

    I am not saying don't use chain, as chain has it's virtues, i'm just pointing out the broader picture.

    Yes, holding power is the holy grail. That is precisely why i always advocate using heavy anchors. Over the course of the last hundred years there has been a disturbing trend towards lighter and lighter ground tackle. The reasons for this are lost to me, as more and more boats of ever smaller dimensions are fitted with power assisted anchor winches.....I've seen boats as light as one ton fitted with electric windlasses!
     
  10. Commuter Boats
    Joined: Oct 2006
    Posts: 177
    Likes: 12, Points: 18, Legacy Rep: 182
    Location: Southeast Alaska

    Commuter Boats Commuter Boats

    I would think that at least 60% of the commercial boats, troller's@ longliners, in Southeast Alaska, use a combination of wire rope and chain on the Spool.
     
  11. Commuter Boats
    Joined: Oct 2006
    Posts: 177
    Likes: 12, Points: 18, Legacy Rep: 182
    Location: Southeast Alaska

    Commuter Boats Commuter Boats

    Sorry, Troller's & longliners
     
  12. Guillermo
    Joined: Mar 2005
    Posts: 3,644
    Likes: 189, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2247
    Location: Pontevedra, Spain

    Guillermo Ingeniero Naval

    Not only with Danforth, but a lot of authors and regulations. See the anchoring page at my M&M site.

    A well spread tendency around here is using about one boat length only of chain and then rope (easy to bring aboard by hand only except for the heavier anchors), and that's also what our national regulations recommend. But nowadays, with the extended use of anchor windlasses, there is an increasing number of boats using all chain.

    Cheers.
     
  13. Pericles
    Joined: Sep 2006
    Posts: 2,015
    Likes: 141, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 1307
    Location: Heights of High Wycombe, not far from River Thames

    Pericles Senior Member

  14. Guillermo
    Joined: Mar 2005
    Posts: 3,644
    Likes: 189, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2247
    Location: Pontevedra, Spain

    Guillermo Ingeniero Naval

    Thanks, Perry.
    Now it's time to go sailing for a while with my children.
    Gorgeous day.

    Ciao!
     

  15. robherc
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 433
    Likes: 5, Points: 18, Legacy Rep: 102
    Location: US/TX

    robherc Designer/Hobbyist

    Hmm, what I'm getting from this all is:

    "Ideally" the best POSSIBLE line would be a heavy anchor, tied to a very short (1-2 boat lengths) of very heavy chain, with a short section (maybe only a few dozen feet, even) of floating-type rope to avoid rope chafage, then finish out with nylon rope to avoid pulling up too hard on your chain/anchor.

    unfortunately, that seems like FAR too many knots/splices to pull on board (2 is too many, 1 is plenty, though I'd rather work with 0) so, after reading several of the VERY informative other-sites suggested in this thread, would I be fairly well-off in a real-world scenario (20', very-light sailing tri. along the Gulf Coast of Texas) using:

    A fairly heavy anchor (25-30lbs), about 30' of 1/4" chain (with an optional 20lb Killet to attack 3'-5' from the anchor in worse conditions), then about 200' of braided nylon rope.

    Does this seem a fairly reasonable system, well, using about 3 of these with 2 as backup, or have I completely lost my mind, or gone off on a wild tangent here?
     
Loading...
Forum posts represent the experience, opinion, and view of individual users. Boat Design Net does not necessarily endorse nor share the view of each individual post.
When making potentially dangerous or financial decisions, always employ and consult appropriate professionals. Your circumstances or experience may be different.