When you take off aboard your boat to explore the coastlines and the world, you end up anchoring out a lot—if not most of the time. Relying on your anchoring system to keep you and your boat safe means that you need several anchors, a powerful windlass and an all-chain anchor rode. The rode is often the item given the least amount of thought, yet it is your lifeline out there; if it fails, you could lose your boat. There are several things to think about when upgrading to an all-chain rode.
Two types of chain rodes are popular and work well with most windlasses. Hi-test chain (grade 40) is made of high carbon steel and has twice the strength of BBB (grade 30), so you can use a smaller size—5/16th instead of 3/8ths, for example—to save weight. For years, BBB chain was the standard, so older windlasses will have gypsies that fit that sizing. Hi-test has slightly longer links, so check with your windlass manufacturer to make sure they will fit the gypsy. Proof coil chain does not work well in most windlasses.
Chain has the habit of becoming twisted as it rolls over bow roller and the gypsy and as the boat swings around the anchor. The solution is to attach a robust swivel between the anchor shackle and the end of the chain. This will let the chain unwind itself as it is hauled aboard.
To protect the windlass from the forces of sudden subbing up on the chain, it is wise to add a chain lock between the windlass and the bow roller that will clamp the chain mechanically and take the strain off the gypsy. Additionally, a chain snubber (a chain hook attached to a length of nylon line) fixed to the chain at the bow once the hook has been set will act as a shock absorber and will dampen the impact of sudden snubs on the chain.
For the long haul, and for ease of handling, an all-chain rode with a good windlass is the way to go.
I could not disagree with you more. In 1980 I was anchored in Fort de France harbour in Martinique when hurricane Allen came through; we experienced sustained winds in excess if 120 knots, and seas around 6 – 10 feet. I was in a 45′ Van de Stadt sloop, anchored on 2 x 300ft nylon rodes with 30 ft. of 3/8 chain. The anchors were at approx 60 deg. to each other, one a 45lb CQR and the other a 35 lb. Danforth. Throughout the night we rotated through 360 degrees, and both anchors buried themselves completely without dragging an inch. Our friends however, anchored on two all chain anchors, broke both chains, lost their boat, and almost their lives. I also watched another large ketch snap a 3/4″ chain when the wind was still only around 60 knots. I have a photo somewhere of it pitching, bow upwards, with the chain stretched as tight as a bar. The fact is that by the time the wind hits 50 knots nearly all the catenary effect is used up, and any surge caused by the waves results in very high shock loads. Certainly a nylon snub will help, but in any extreme condition it needs to be much longer than the word “snub” implies in order to absorb the loads, I would suggest at least 50 – 75 feet, and preferably longer. (Nylon will stretch 50% of its length at 50% of its breaking strain.) All chain may have advantages in a few situations, but but when the wind gets up, give me a good nylon rode any time!
Cole Beadon
Re: anchor rodes.
Personal experiences are important information, but should be supplemented by a careful reading of a source which takes a systematic view of the issue. I suggest Earl R. Hinz’s “The Complete Book of Anchoring and Mooring.” I have a copy of the second edition. There may be a later one. I used chain exclusively with two four fathom nylon twisted snubbers secured to heavy bow cleats and the chain hook shown in Figure 5-10 (D) on p.117 of my edition. The chain hooks will eventually chafe the zinc off carbon links. After re-galvanizing my chain, I would secure the snubbers to the chain with rolling hitches. Fifty feet is not needed for most anchoring conditions, but longer lines can be used cleated up short for “normal conditions” and having the excess availabe to let out if conditions deteriorate.
I agree with Cole’s view that a rope/chain combination is far better than all chain since chain can go bar tight at relatively low wind speeds. Please see the following links to the Rocna anchor website that provide a lot of thoughtful information.
http://www.rocna.com/kb/Rode_optimizations
http://www.rocna.com/kb/Main_Page
Rocna believes that a polyester rope and chain combination rode is actually best due to polyester’s better chafe resistance and lower stretch than nylon. Rocna says that nylon, in long lengths, is actually too stretchy and promotes tacking at anchor with higher loads at the end of each tack.
I suppose what troubled me most about this article was the phrase “upgrading to an all-chain rode”, which implies that nylon and other rodes are somehow inferior, whereas the opposite may be true in many situations. Writers of such articles have a responsibility to their readers, many of whom might be relatively inexperienced sailors planning their first long distance cruise.
I agree with Norris that a four fathom snub on a chain is fine in most situations, indeed that’s about the amount I typically use when I’m on a boat with an all-chain rode, attached with a rolling hitch. The longer lengths I was previously suggesting were for “extreme” conditions.
With regard to Frank’s “Rocna” reference, I never experienced the “tacking” problem in the hurricane, though I could feel the rode stretching considerably in the surges, at times probably as much as two boat lengths. It was difficult to estimate exactly how much, because the the full force of the hurricane struck at night, and the lights in Fort de France went out (except for a dim glow from the hospital which had its own generator) so there were no reference points. Anyone who’s been in this situation knows that the visibility is a bit like being inside a ball of cotton-wool, with the air full of a mixture of rain and seawater stripped off the tops of the waves, which hit you in the face like machine gun bullets.
My main concern was chafe, so I would crawl forward to check every half hour or so, wearing a safety harness and diving mask to keep the bullets out of my eyes. Thankfully our boat had a fixed spray-dodger to shelter behind throught the night.
During our 12 year circumnavigation, we used a 5/16 HT all chain rode with 3/8″ braided nylon snubber for daily use and a 3/4″ three strand nylon snubber for storm anchoring. My boat is 40′ and about 26,000 lbs loaded for cruising. The main consideration in most areas is chafe from coral — it is impossible in many places to anchor where there is no possibility of the rode encountering coral heads. The catenary of 5/16″ HT chain is minimal – 3/8 or larger would be better but with a weight penalty. On our boat with less than optimal freeboard and buoyancy in the bow, we could not accept this extra weight with our 280′ rode. I have anchored in winds up to 50 knots with on several occasions with this setup without problems. I cannot address hurricane anchoring but it would seem that except for chafe at the bow roller, a nylon rode would be superior IF adequate room is available for the extra rode necessary. I have found that a shorter snubber works better for me, barely to the water, in normal conditions, slightly longer in extreme conditions. While I use a three-strand snubber in heavy conditions, it tends to twist, wrapping the chain around itself and reducing it’s effectiveness. I usually use a secondary lighter snubber, sometimes several, close behind the storm snubber to reduce this twisting. The biggest problem on many occasions has been high seas in the anchorage rather than very high winds. The pitching of the boat eats snubbers and can toss them off the anchor roller if there is no provision to contain them. We had a removable large diameter pin fabricated to restrain the rode and snubber on the anchor roller after a bad session at Suvorov in the Cook Islands in which I lost four snubbers and sustained fiberglass damage when the chain was frequently tossed off the anchor roller. Before our next major cruise I plan to replace my old 45 lb CQR with a more modern, heavier design, probably a 55 lb Rocna. One technique that I have not tried, but which several friends have successfully used is the use of tandem anchors: chaining a second anchor thirty feet or so in front of the main anchor. This setup gives incredible holding power.
I believe that an all chain rode is the only acceptable option for the long distance cruising boat.
Captain Steve Leeds
Circumnavigator’s Yacht Service, Inc.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Steve please give me your contact details as I seem to have lost them. I am going to take my Amel Maramu 48 back to Florida this spring and want to discuss. I cam provide crew (my two boys of 24 and 26 years of age) They have sailed some and who enjoy the experience of taking Act II back to Florida. Regards Jim Watkins
You’ve captured this perefctly. Thanks for taking the time!