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Old 07-29-2010, 11:37 PM   #51
Marin
Scraping Paint
 
City: -
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 13,745
Anchor Rode to Chain Splice

Quote:
nomadwilly wrote:

Marin,
If you took half of your chain off and substituted line for that half you'd loose enough weight to put a 100lb anchor on your bow and the rode would still be 50lbs lighter than w all chain.

*
Maybe but we can't carry a 100 pound anchor on the bow nor would I want to.* I want to carry an anchor that I can pull up by hand if I absolutely have to.* I can pull up a 44# anchor okay, but not a 100 pound anchor.

Plus I don't believe in combination rodes except for certain applications which we don't have up here.* I don't want any connections, splices, or whatever anywhere in the rode except the single connection of the rode to the anchor which I make using the largest piece of hardware that will fit.* And I don't buy into your theory at all that the chain all the way between the anchor and the boat is of no value.* I see that value every time we anchor when our heavy chain hanging off the pulpit is keeping the angle of pull on the anchor lower than any of the boats around us with a combination rode (unless there is no wind in which case it's six of one, half dozen of the other).

To me, all-chain is the way to go unless for some reason you can't use all chain, in which case the compromise is nylon-chain.** But if one's windlass can accomodate chain and if the weight of all-chain is not an issue for the boat, why bother with a rope?*

Your drum windlass looks very good, by the way.* It's the best way to go in my mind if it will fit the boat (physically and aesthetically if aesthetics are important) and is not a hassle to power.

Plus you can now forget about rope altogether and use a length of heavy chain at the anchor end followed by a lot of wire rope, which will take up a lot less room on the drum than either chain or nylon line.* Friends who used to have a 70' converted steel fireboat had a large hydraulic drum windlass ont the foredeck and they used wire rope.* Superior in several ways to both chain and line although you still want the length of heavy chain attached to the anchor shank itself.

If you go that route I'll say you're doing a smart thing.

How are you going to supply your new windlass with hydraulic power, by the way?


-- Edited by Marin on Friday 30th of July 2010 12:45:52 AM
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