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From: Lee Huddleston (no email)
Date: Fri May 27 2005 - 15:45:59 EDT
>Let's start a thread on the weight of anchor chain, how much it weights in
>water, and what kind of protection that gives us in a wave / wind situation.
>And whether we use a snubber for more than snubbing and whether we shouldn't
>have 40 ft of 3/4" 3 strand nylon as a snubber.
>
>I'll start us off by stating that anchor weight has absolutely no bearing on
>whether a boat will stay put or not! ... and that a 50 lbs CQR is better
>than a 1000 lbs weight if it were torpedo shaped. And that 200 ft of 1/2"
>chain attached to a 12,000 lbs boat will straighten out and be as ridgid as
>an iron bar with a force 8 wind.
>
>(now we'll see the fur fly!) :-)
>
>Peter
Peter,
Rather than starting a flame war, I would really like to read wise comments
from the list members. I am hoping to get an electric windlass in the
not-too-distant future. Deciding which type of rode now would be very
helpful to me.
Nylon rode has some very clear advantages such as much lighter weight in
the bow, making it possible to carry a longer rode; stretch to absorb the
surge and to work the anchor into the soil rather than jerking it out; and
much more strength for the same size. To get the cantanary (sp?) effect of
chain you can rig a sentinel/kellet part-way down the rode. Advantage of
chain seems to be resistance to abrasion from rocks, coral, sand, etc.;
longevity; and ease of deployment and retrieval by electric windlass. But,
I wonder, with a chain leader of say 30 feet, would the abrasion problem
not be solved? And what are people doing anchoring in coral anyway? Does
chain really last that much longer than nylon and what is the ratio of
longevity to cost of replacement? How effective are electric windlasses
that handle nylon/chain combinations? If you anchor in deep water and use
all chain, you will have to purchase a very strong windlass just to raise
the chain won't you? So, would using nylon make it feasible to buy a
somewhat less expensive windlass for the same size boat?
Having sailed an O'Day 25 on inland lakes for many years, I found that
reducing the size of the nylon rode was very effective in improving my
anchoring ability. I started out with a half-inch rode. I then realized
that 3/8ths inch nylon was strong enough to nearly pick my boat up out of
the water. When I switched to the 3/8ths inch it stretched more and
noticably improved the holding power of the anchor by not transmitting the
surging of the boat down to the anchor. My soon-to-be liveaboard boat is a
43 foot boat of about 32,000 lbs displacement and considerable windage.
Desire for extra security makes me want a one-inch nylon rode, but past
experience makes me even wonder if 1/2 inch rode would be adequate in most
conditions. (presently I have a 66 lb Spade on all chain and a 35 lb CQR
on chain leader-3/4 inch nylon rode)
So, if I intend to sail along the east coast of the US, Bermuda, Bahamas,
and Caribbean, can I safely go with 3/4 inch nylon rode? Should I go with
it? Why do most long distance cruisers go with all-chain?
Lee Huddleston
s/v Truelove
lying Sea Gate Marina
Beaufort, NC
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