Anchoring - heavy chain vs longer chain?

[bronze_10]

We bought a medium box anchor last year with an anchor buddy. Its too big really but we dont drag anymore.

 

[mraz72]

Ok, so I bought my setup

Fortress FX-7 - super light, if this holds as well as I hear it does, it's a winner. I love how light it is AND if fits in the 242's anchor locker. ( i had to shave 1/8" off of each end to allow it to fit, but that was pretty easy, I used a dremel)

5/16 chain which comes with 3/8" shackles I believe.
150' of 3/8" anchor line
I also bought a 5/16th swivel shackle that I am going to use to attach the chain to the anchor.

anchor 4lb version- https://www.westmarine.com/buy/fortress-anchors--fortress-aluminum-anchors--P005_153_001_003?recordNum=2
chain - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LZQ36V3/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
rope - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DJZ4H4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
shackle - https://www.westmarine.com/buy/suncor--stainless-steel-jaw-and-jaw-swivels--P005_154_002_015?recordNum=23

 

[Glen]

I will also be carrying a sea anchor and highly recommend them to those who are making the crossing, it is too deep to anchor in the Gulf Stream and currents are too vast, best option there is a sea anchor if in need, they are extremely light weight and take up little to no space, they are a great thing to have.

Sea anchors only work when the wind is pushing you faster than the sea. Then the sea anchor slows you down.
As a large catamaran owner who took his family to sea, we pay a lot of attention to this and how to neutralize wind/sea conflict on a very large beam vessel.

In the Gulf Stream, this is not likely our circumstance. The sea anchor will be floating right there with us. (unless we have a large wind to the North, of course).

But to the point, they take nearly no space to store, and simply get attached to the anchor rode. (BTW, throwing a bucket or even rode with line with a lot of knots in it, can serve this purpose. Drag is the name of the game.

Certainly awesome option if caught in massive wind storm to slow progress towards shore and guarantee bow towards weather-

 

[Glen]

here comes the silly question...

How do you typically mark the rope, so you know "exactly' how much is out?

Zip ties, zipped and clipped, tight:
Red, White and Blue

1 Red @ 10
2 Red @ 20
3 Red @ 30
4 Red @ 40
1 White @ 50
...

You get the point. I used 25 foot gaps on 300 feet of all chain rode running through a windlass of previous boat-

Will need to replace a few each season, but takes seconds to do-

<EDIT> Zip ties can be an issue if used to running the rode through your hands during launching or recovery of the anchor. A windlass is a mechanical delivery and recovery system for the anchor so zero issue with it there.

If this is an issue, which I would guess it would be for a lot of Yamaha owners, I would use spray paint or other soft markers.

Simply mark out 20 feet with a tape measure (on dock or driveway) and place marks at the turns of the rode. Colored stripes of paint, work almost as well (visually) as zip ties. Have used masking or electric tape to separate stripes.

 

[Glen]

Glen's thinking on the balance of length and thickness of chain on anchor rode.
If almost always anchoring, while on the boat (day hook), in non-sharp bottomed (coral,..) environments, then ease is the priority. Short (5') of relatively thin chain is the choice.
Opposite extreme:
If sometimes anchoring, when you will leave the boat, or sleep aboard over-night, in a sharp bottomed environment, then weight and strength are the priority. Long (10-12') of heavy chain, is the choice.

Too often we men want to prepare of the 'end times' of weather, but then get frustrated every day when our wives or kids can't deploy or recover the hook. We wonder why they are not enthusiastic about our boating adventures??? Boating widows-

I carry 2 anchors (1 Mantus, 1 Danforth). Both easy for anyone in my family to deploy and recover. 2 b/c sometimes I need one off the bow, and one off the stern.
2 also because in 2 minutes (emergency) can deploy them either in series (one pulling behind the other) or in parallel (30 degree separation off bow)
Again, something us high windage catamaran guys spend a lot of time researching and testing-

.02 (worth what you paid ;-)

 

[Englewoodcowboy]

Take a short piece, 4", of 550 cord (nylon line) and every 10 ' open your anchor line and weave it through. You just untwist the line and put the 550 in between the strands. then release the twist and it will stay, just with the tension of the line. Use a lighter to burn the ends of the 550 or it will unravel.

I will add that this works well, you can also use yarn, we used to use red and inserted 1 strand for 20' 2 for 40' and so on so you know what you have out and what you have left to use. I do not like hard markers like zip ties, drop anchor on a hard wind or current and have it pull the rope through your hand one time and you will know why.