How well does nylon rode self-store in locker?

[backinblue]

Yes 8-plait is more expensive than 3 strand, but is it that much to really worry about? With all the money we invest in boating, why skimp on anchor rode? A long time ago, a Coast Guard instructor taught me....When buying a piece of equipment for a boat, buy the best one for that purpose. In other words, price should not be a factor when determining what gear to buy.

 

[syjos]

Yes 8-plait is more expensive than 3 strand, but is it that much to really worry about? With all the money we invest in boating, why skimp on anchor rode? A long time ago, a Coast Guard instructor taught me....When buying a piece of equipment for a boat, buy the best one for that purpose. In other words, price should not be a factor when determining what gear to buy.

I agree 100%

My 8-plait was purchased for several functions. 1. For a shore tie. 2. Stern Anchor for rafts of 3 or more boats. 3. Emergency anchor. Have not had the need.

By having more than one use for the plait, the cost is less than having to purchase two or three lines plus a reel for the stern line.

I store 400 feet of 8-plait in a 7 gallon bucket.

 

[bill.kimbell]

Plaited rode + chain.

 

[syjos]

Plaited rode + chain.

I have 70 feet of chain on the spare anchor.

 

[Nomad Willy]

rslifkin wrote;
“ Personally, I hated the chain stored on deck setup when I had that. It led to chain sliding around, banging around, etc. if the water got a bit rough “

I put all of mine in a plastic box and once I stopped it from moving around it’s been fine since. It’s not the Yacht Club style but l don’t go there. You can see the black and grey box in post #8.

 

[guy with a boat]

I had a chain/rope combo rode on my last boat with a windlass that fed it into an anchor locker. I anchored hundreds of times whiteout issues. The rope was 3-strand nylon and it fed through the windlass and stored in the locker as it should. I have had better results in this application with good quality 3-strand than either braided rope or cheap 3 strand. Not all rope will feed reliably through the gypsy; some will slip and some will jam. Might be worth a test if you are considering braid to make sure your windlass likes it before you write the check for “better” line.

 

[R lucky]

I anchor in 100' of water, so a split rode is almost a must, just due to the weight of that much chain. My previous rode was 3-strand nylon and it was a disaster -- a hockled mess that caused numerous windless jams. Granted it was with a vertical windless which may have been a contributing factor. My previous setup also had just a small amount of chain, and I discovered that when the windless had to bear the full weight of the ground tackle during retrieval, the nylon rode would slip in the gypsy. (Yes, I'm referring to after the anchor was free of the seabed.)

Now I use 8-plait nylon rode (with a horizontal windless) and 125' of chain, so there is still chain in the gypsy at the point of max loading. There is no slipping, no hockling and 600' of rode flakes effortlessly into the locker .

 

[Knot Salted]

Thanks! 1 from each camp. Any tiebreakers? I haven't measured mine. Guessing 1.5 to 2 foot drop to locker bottom.

New Maxwell verticle with 9/16 chain and 5/8 nylon brait. 1.5 to 2ft drop to top. Works very well in two seasons of light use. No snarles. Knot Salted is knocking wood....

 

[Knot Salted]

New Maxwell verticle with 9/16 chain and 5/8 nylon brait. 1.5 to 2ft drop to top. Works very well in two seasons of light use. No snarles. Knot Salted is knocking wood....

Thats 5/8 8 brait.

 

[IslandTractor]

Another vote for 8-plait and chain. We have 150 5/16” chain plus 150 5/8” 8-plait New England rode. Works just fine with a Lewmar 1000 and a fairly deep anchor locker on a Monk 36.

 

[Nomad Willy]

The value of chain weight is to keep the anchor shank down giving the effects of good catenary. The upper part of the rode in chain is just unnecessary weight.
If I had a windlass I’d Have 10 or 15’ of really heavy chain .. but probably about 1/3 of the weight of a all chain rode.

The problem may be because finding a gypsy that would handle this much difference in line size and chain size may/probably would be unsuccessful. For my 30’ boat the line size would be 1/2”. But one would have (in the rode I have in mind) 3/8ths to 1/2” chain. On a bigger trawler the chain may be 5/8ths or even 3/4”. W/o the gypsy for a size spread like this the only way the big and short chain leader rode that I describe it would be necessary to switch from the capstan to the gypsy when the rode is mostly up. The best way would be to use a reel winch like 99% of the fishing fleet use in SE Alaska. That would work well. But most here are probably to vain (boat wise) to go with the reel winch. Yacht Clubbies need not apply.

But disregarding the retrieval method the ideal rode is IMO as I describe. Getting it put together and making it work may be a challenge though.

 

[rslifkin]

If you were going to the extreme of super heavy chain, it would probably be easier to just go for a jumbo-sized anchor and a somewhat longer length of lighter chain. You'd still have enough chain weight to help the initial set and a bit more chafe resistance from the longer chain. And by putting the extra weight into a bigger anchor instead of jumbo chain, you'd probably gain enough holding power that even with the less effective rode (worse catenary), you'd come out ahead in the end.

 

[Delta couple]

I have a new to me Nova Marine sundeck. All chain, seems to work pretty well hozzel feeds directly to locker about 26 "drop. however until now i have always had chain and 3 braid nylon line. so far no problem with either.

 

[backinblue]

I agree with rslifikin. Go up a size in anchor and you don't need really heavy chain. Once the anchor is set, as long as you have adequate scope you don't need to compensate with heavy chain. Many off-the-shelf rodes are only 25' of chain and the rest nylon. Marry that to a good sized anchor and set it properly and allow enough scope and you'll be fine. Hundreds of feet of chain are unnecessary for most of us unless you are anchoring in an area that needs it.