Rig Anchor Chain Stowage?

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by RigPig, Sep 12, 2012.

  1. RigPig
    Joined: Sep 2012
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    RigPig Junior Member

    I have been tasked with finding out how much anchor chain can be stowed in our chain lockers. Is there a 'normal' stowage factor that naval architects use for the stowage of large anchor chain? This is 3 1/2" diameter (90 mm) chain.

    Thank you for any help you can throw my way!
     
  2. RigPig
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    RigPig Junior Member

    The locker dimensions are roughly 3.5m X 3.75m X 10m = 131.23 m3 (4635 cu. ft.).
    The chain dimensions are approximately 12 5/8" (3.21cm) in width.
     
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2012
  3. mydauphin
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    mydauphin Senior Member

    I don't know the answer perhaps a chain manufacturer can answer this. Perhaps another questions is how much do you need to have, and how much will say 400' of this chain weight. I find weight is more of an issue than size.
     
  4. RigPig
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    RigPig Junior Member

    This is one of those random questions we love out here, as in "How much chain will those lockers hold?"

    My initial w.a.g. is 1200 meters. I just used a box shape using the width of the chain as the sides and filled the locker - I figured (well, hope) that the inefficiency of the lockers with chain stacking up will be offset by the more compact stowage of chain as it is piled upon itself.
     
  5. mydauphin
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    mydauphin Senior Member

    1200 meters of chain... The locker will never hold the weight, so point is mute.
     
  6. RigPig
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    RigPig Junior Member

    I'm sure the locker will hold the weight (this is actually not that much chain in the world of MODUs, where 4000-5000' of 3 1/2" chain is quite common).
     
  7. mydauphin
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    mydauphin Senior Member

    Anyone with thousands of feet of 3-1/2" chain should have a better way of figuring this out than a post in a boating forum.
     
  8. RigPig
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    RigPig Junior Member

    There seems to be a decided lack of professional marine naval architects occupying rig at this moment. I agree that there should have been some planning when they built the rig, but there are no capacity tables listed and there is precious little information on the internet about the accepted methods of calculating chain stowage for large chain sizes.

    I was hoping that I might stumble upon a professional marine architect in a forum such as this that might have the answer as I have not found a commercial vessel design forum as of yet.
     
  9. jonr
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    jonr Senior Member

    It might be quicker or more accurate to do a test with a smaller box.
     
  10. Chuck Losness
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    Chuck Losness Senior Member

    My recollection is that Skene's has an appendix on how to figure the size of a chain locker. I know it is for yachts but I would think that the basic principles would still apply. Just a thought.
    Good luck
    Chuck
     
  11. bpw
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    bpw Senior Member

    I have found chain locker calculators on the net before, but not sure they are designed for chain that size.

    Given the cost of screwing this up, a call to a naval architect is probably in order.
     

  12. SamSam
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    SamSam Senior Member

    .

    Oh, we've been through all this before, it's really simple...

    http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/boat-design/no-foul-chain-storage-locker-850.html

    .
     
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