Which Chain?

[Curwen]

I put zip ties every 25 feet on my rode. All I need to do to determine how much rode is laid is to look at the next zip tie. 4 zip ties means I have 100' of rode.

[BOAT]

I put zip ties every 25 feet on my rode. All I need to do to determine how much rode is laid is to look at the next zip tie. 4 zip ties means I have 100' of rode.

"You guys are pretty smart -"



"I wish I was smart like you guys . ."


If you guys had told me all your secrets a long time ago I could have saved myself a lot of sleepless nights.
I always just throw out the anchor and the stuff and wait until the boat stops moving. If it stops moving I figure I'm okay - if it doesn't I pull up the anchor and start all over again.

[Tomfoolery]

30 second video of my rode from the last MMOR, showing the sweep marks of the chain on the bottom, and the FX-7 buried fully with just the shackle barely visible. Light winds and boat wakes were enough to bury the anchor (set to 32 deg.), since it's small relative to the weight and windage of the boat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjjSbOqhE3w

I use magic marker on my nylon rode, by the way, with one, two, three, and four rings to indicate quarters of a hundred feet, starting over at 125 ft. I don't anchor much, so they seem to last forever. That may not be the case if it was exposed all the time, but it works for me. My last boat came with those plastic tabs you insert through the three-strand. But marker is free, and those tabs are expensive (for plastic strips).

[Sumner]

I put zip ties every 25 feet on my rode. All I need to do to determine how much rode is laid is to look at the next zip tie. 4 zip ties means I have 100' of rode.

I do something similar.



I starting with some colored plastic with one at 25, 2 at 50, 3 at 75, 4 at 100. Then start over.

I found out that I can use black electrical tape doubled back on itself and it works fine and lasts forever and is easy/cheap to replace if you have to. The tape I have in the rode now lasted for 3 months of anchoring on the Bahama trip and a few other trips.

One advantage is I can let the rode stream out fast and easily see the tape as it goes buy and also it is easy on the hands.

I use about 30 feet of 1/4 inch chain on each of my rodes and ....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... ing-4.html

.... usually have a little over the 7:1 rule out. Usually on an anchorage with no one else so a little larger swing doesn't hurt and I sleep soundly all night, every night. The chain is going to keep the pull on the anchor horizontal to the bottom, pulling the anchor in further.

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Neo]

Rode Length Markers are a great idea but I've just discovered that the PO put simple loop knots at set intervals along the rope (looks like every 3 meters). The knots are quite large/bulky so might snag on the bow roller.... but the loops are just the right size to hook over the bow cleat. Is it a good or bad idea to keep these loops on the rope?

I've also been thinking about retrieval of a stuck anchor.
I'd like to have a separate line tied to the front of the anchor which goes up to a free float directly above the anchor. I would put a loop above the float to grab with a pole hook and I'd ensure this second line is longer than high tide height.... This seems simple and effective to me yet no one seems to do it.... Am I missing something?

[Sumner]

.... Is it a good or bad idea to keep these loops on the rope?...

If I'm envisioning them correctly I sure would't want them. I anchor all the time I'm out and want the rode to trail out easily without it snagging on anything and want to bring it in hand over hand quickly. You usually anchor into the wind and then as you stop you drop the anchor and then drift back. I want the rode to come out quickly as I'm drifting back until I'm ready to cleat it off. Those loops sure sound like a hindrance to doing that.

Set things up so that you can get on and off anchor by yourself.

The Additional line to pull the anchor up if stuck can also add to the mess of getting off anchor so I don't do it. As the anchor breaks off the bottom I want it up on the bow as quickly as possible since now the wind, if any, will be in charge of the boat if by yourself. I don't want to be dealing with two lines, a float and also getting the anchor up and secured if the conditions are challenging.

The problems I've had haven't been with getting the anchor up but if the night was fairly still the boat would drift around and the rode wrapped around underwater growth a few times. Once I had to dive to get it taken care of and the other I was able to do it with the boat hook from the dinghy.

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[K9Kampers]

Anchor Rode Markers at West Marine. Nine markers every 30', between 30' and 270'. $5.49

[Tomfoolery]

Rode Length Markers are a great idea but I've just discovered that the PO put simple loop knots at set intervals along the rope (looks like every 3 meters). The knots are quite large/bulky so might snag on the bow roller.... but the loops are just the right size to hook over the bow cleat. Is it a good or bad idea to keep these loops on the rope?

You reduce the strength of line when you knot it. This is true of all rope types, like wire rope (splices and terminations in rigging), and three-strand rope. No knot that I'm aware of has an efficiency of more than 80%, which means a 20% reduction in strength. Many knots reduce the strength a lot more than that. I'd take them out, for the reasons Sumner outlined, and the reduced efficiency. There's no gain in cleating ease, as a cleat hitch is about the easiest temporary termination there is, even in the dark, left-handed, with a beer in the other. I also think you'd be hard-pressed to find others with knots in their anchor rodes, which is usually your first indication.

And I'd eye splice or anchor splice the termination at the chain, and not use an anchor bend or other knot.

[Sumner]

Anchor Rode Markers at West Marine. Nine markers every 30', between 30' and 270'. $5.49

I had some of those when we started and didn't care for them since I couldn't memorize the colors and had to stop the rode to see where I was at or try and keep count of how many had gone by. Using the 1, 2, 3 and 4 markers takes care of all of that. When I cleat off I usually stop with one of the marker groups just off the bow. Then if I've been there a day or so a quick look reminds me of how much rode I have out in case I want to change it if the conditions are changing.

I also always have electrical tape with me and it is dirt cheap at HF ,

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

[Don T]

Hello,
I use a black and red sharpie to mark the rode. I draw a wide mark all around the rode for each 25'. A red mark is 100'.

So it goes
25 =|, 50 =||, 75 =|||, 100 =|, 125 =||, 150 = |||

Doesn't matter how much is out I can always read it and it doesn't weaken the rode, foul or cut the hands as it goes through.

[Tomfoolery]

So it goes
25 =|, 50 =||, 75 =|||, 100 =|, 125 =||, 150 = |||

That's what I do, but I use 4 rings for 100, and don't use red. I just start over at 125 ft with a single ring. I know when I've payed out 100 ft or more, as it's most of the rode in the locker.

[Phil M]

My 20 feet of 3/8 inch anchor chain weighs 26 pounds. My bruce anchor weighs 16 pounds. In deep water when I am pulling up on my anchor rode the total weight is 42 pounds. It only becomes heavy if I am single handing or when the captain is stronger than the crew, and therefore must haul up the anchor. So most of the time I like to Anchor in relatively shallow water, keeping in mind the tide. And I do prefer the gentle stretch that rope provides compared to any chain.

[yukonbob]

How high are those Saskatchewan tides?

[Mac26Mpaul]

I used a can of spraypaint to mark my anchor rode every 10 metres and just have a rough idea how much I'm putting out with that. You dont want to put too much out in a shallow anchorage thereby creating a huge swinging circle with changes of tide etc.

Also, never just dump your anchor and chain and forget it.. (like I am at 15 minutes in in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKJ0BWwpVMc but that is because I have a video camera in the other hand and dont worry, I made sure it was set properly)

You dont want a bunch of chain all wrapped around your anchor. Pay it out slowly as the boat drifts away, and use the engine in reverse to dig that anchor in well, if you plan on leaving it like I do, or if you are overnighting in an area with any wind or strong currents.

[Highlander]

How high are those Saskatchewan tides?

Actually Bob
the great lakes have controlled tides in a sort of way ! when the Ministries lower & raise lake levels for flood control & Great Lakes Shipping !
Not nothing like Ocean Tides ! tho

J