Mako, You can get over 14,000 pounds (about 1/2 the mean breaking load) of pull from 400' of 1/2" chain in 12' of water. As I've said before its the chain that anchors the boat and the anchor that anchors one end of the chain. In 410' of water the chain weighs around 877 pounds, but it's the leverage of that weight multiplied by the scope ratio that does the magic. One of the cool things about an all chain rode is that you can use the catenary to pull the boat forward to retrieve the anchor without an engine (no you are not using the windlass to pull the boat forward if you just lift the weight of the chain off the seabed). I did this regularly on a 40 ton sailboat with 1/2" chain and a hundred pound cqr I think it was. Anchored five days in Madeira in 50 plus kts for 2 of them waiting for the winds to shift.
Via iPad using Trawler Forum
Via iPad using Trawler Forum