Anchor chain piling falling over

The Tigress thread reminded me of his problem, I have had it happen to me a few times per Murphy, when most inconvenient.
I have read of putting a "traffic cone" or some other Pyramid shape in the bottom of the chain locker but haven't tried it I did put in a PVC tube to convey the chain over the center of the pile from the windlass drop point, that helps but I still get the occasional jam.
Has anyone tried the cone approach did it help? other suggestions?

Hi, this type


may be good, i think

I feel the traffic cone idea would work well. Likely one of the cheaper solutions. Plus it will not rust. chain weight might want to crush it on the side, so you could fill it with foam and secure the base.

Looks like a nice solution, but also looks like an expensive hunk of stainless. Traffic cone would be a lot cheaper.

not all have to buy, and the question of the model. simple to make plastic, wood and epoxy +, Fe + zink, maybe buher aisi pipe etc

North Baltic sea said:

Hi, this type


may be god, i think

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?? Grind a more convex contour on the top of this resin seat? Or glue on a SS bowl to the top.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/46716863...75035&wl11=online&wl12=46716863&wl13=&veh=sem

sdowney717 said:

?? Grind a more convex contour on the top of this resin seat? Or glue on a SS bowl to the top.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/46716863...75035&wl11=online&wl12=46716863&wl13=&veh=sem

Click to expand...

i like this yam yam

and this table foot
boat equipment shops selling flanges table, chair etc, you can easily build, maybe $ 100

I have nothing. It works fine. Suggest you drop all anchor chain on dock and watch it retrieve and pile up while peering in the anchor locker. Whatever the issue may become apparent. Quite often there is insufficient space for chain to nestle on its own, meaning you have too much chain for available volume or height.

Skene's Elements of Yacht Design, Eighth Edition: Francis S. Kinney




This gives the size to build a proper chain locker.


Most libraries can get a copy.

With a mixed rode, the cone is the nylon line underneath, and then as the chain stacks over it sometimes pushes the cone over tangles in the nylon and jams coming back out. That is the only issue I have had with coning.

I have considered a small deflector plate to move the rode back further into the locker, screwed to the deck from below. With 400' of nylon I have no issues, with 600' I sometimes get a cone. 45' of 5/16" HT on top of it...

If the water wasn't so deep here I would have plenty of room in my anchor locker, but often find myself anchoring in 150' to find a level bottom to set the hook. Nothing I can do to change the size of my anchor locker...

Very simple use less chain and more rode in a combination rig it works for tens of thousands of boats. The all chain point of view has its ups and downs as does the combo and in the bitter end I think its a wash. HOWIS THAT FOR A COUPLE OF MEANINGFUL PUNS?

I feel the short scope (4:1) sets better with more chain, and the only time I have issues with the cone falling over is when I get into rough weather after anchoring deep. If I wind up anchoring more shallow coning is never an issue.

It happens once or twice a season, and only after transiting open ocean to get where I want to be. If it happened very often I might consider reducing the amount of chain to see if it eliminated the issue.

I really see it as an issue with the nylon underneath, not the chain.

An inflatable ball will also work. Think basketball. Use a ring to anchor in place. In a p[inch, you could probably use a beach ball.

Gordon

Because I have 200' of nylon coiled in the bottom of the chain locker, on which the chain falls, the available height from the top of the nylon to the bottom of the ABS pipe through which the chain drops is insufficient for the height of the cone of chain. If I don't knock it down as it is coming in, the cone will build till it blocks the pipe and then piles up in the pipe, until the pile comes out the top of the pipe, and up on deck. If I let it pile up but not to the bottom of the pipe then the first time I cross a big wash, that pile will fall over, preventing easy deployment the next time I anchor.

My solution is to use the windlass handle to knock the piling chain away from directly below the pipe, as it is coming in. I do this by reaching the handle through the 4" deck fitting and coaxing the chain over to wherever I want it to pile up, moving around as it comes in. I have found that I can ignore 50 lengths, so reach in every 50' and redirect the pile, then there is no collapsing of the pile in such a way as to prevent deployment.
I know this would correct itself if I got rid of most of the nylon and used more chain, but for now, I am not going to change anything.

Gordon J said:

An inflatable ball will also work. Think basketball. Use a ring to anchor in place. In a p[inch, you could probably use a beach ball. Gordon

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A "teardrop" fender might work too. Not as"inexpensive"as a roadside traffic cone but won`t risk traffic misdirection.

Dang y'all... Good ideas aplenty here. I now have a solution to a problem that I didn't know I had. And I am pretty sure I have it.

AKDoug said:

...but often find myself anchoring in 150' to find a level bottom to set the hook....

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Here it's about 100' to level bottom at the head of most inlets.

In the future we'll be using our boat for longer trips in the winter and want to have a storm anchor, but it would also be useful where estuary drying banks drop steeply into deeper water (where it levels out at 100') so we wouldn't have to mess around with a stern tie with the regular anchor.

What rode length and/or combination do you use?

MurrayM said:

Here it's about 100' to level bottom at the head of most inlets.

In the future we'll be using our boat for longer trips in the winter and want to have a storm anchor, but it would also be useful where estuary drying banks drop steeply into deeper water (where it levels out at 100') so we wouldn't have to mess around with a stern tie with the regular anchor.

What rode length and/or combination do you use?

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I have a 600' 5/8" nylon rode with 45' of 5/16" HT chain as a primary with my 15K ROCNA My secondary is 400' of 5/8" with 25' of 5/16 HT and a 10K ROCNA (never been wet yet) as a secondary.

My capstan is set up with a chainwheel for 5/16" chain, so I made a point of the chain being compatible. The anchor isn't attached to the chain on the secondary, there is a big stainless clip on it so I can use it to tie off on shore and clip the chain back onto itself (quickly) with no concerns about abrasion to the nylon in the rocks on shore.

Can you tell I am trying to get an anchor controversy stirred up?

Thanks for that AKDoug. I was thinking 600' of 8 strand brait (supposedly takes up less space in the anchor locker) and 100' of chain, so it sounds like I'm heading the right direction on this. Still pondering rode/anchor sizes...

I would buy brait in a heartbeat if I didn't already have three strand, I think it would eliminate the nylon line coning in the first place. I told a friend if he decided to get a new anchor line to let me know and I would sell him one of mine so that I could switch to brait.

I think you are on the right track, the splice from brait to chain looks like maybe best done by a professional. I can splice the three strand myself and find I refresh the splice once a year in mid summer when the splice starts looking a little loose. Just to be safe!

I don't have a problem with doing the splice. If they say 8 tucks I just tie 16 overhand knots & call it a day. Worked okay so far

Tom.B said:

Dang y'all... Good ideas aplenty here. I now have a solution to a problem that I didn't know I had. And I am pretty sure I have it.

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Tom...you're right, and I have it too. Know how I know. When all the chain retrieved doesn't go down the hole in the deck, and forms a little heap.

But it's out of the way under the winch pulpit. So I just think, ok, we'll catch up with that sucker next time we anchor a bit deeper, meantime it's out in the fresh air and getting a wash if it rains. I sometimes even slosh some fresh water over it...works for me because I don't obsess...

Peter B said:

Tom...you're right, and I have it too. Know how I know. When all the chain retrieved doesn't go down the hole in the deck, and forms a little heap.

But it's out of the way under the winch pulpit. So I just think, ok, we'll catch up with that sucker next time we anchor a bit deeper, meantime it's out in the fresh air and getting a wash if it rains. I sometimes even slosh some fresh water over it...works for me because I don't obsess...

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Chain equivalent of not putting it away and zipping up, after a pee?

Back to Steve's (the OP) question--- has anyone tried a traffic cone with a chain rode? Yes, it should work, maybe. Now looking for experience.

I have to have Wifey sit in front of the chain locker and be prepared to knock over the sometimes occurring TEEPEE. BPITA

What about an anchor locker (or part of) that is an inverted V shape? Chain piles as it comes aboard.

Sailor of Fortune said:

What about an anchor locker (or part of) that is an inverted V shape? Chain piles as it comes aboard.

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My above post describes what goes on in my chain locker. And that size cannot be realistically modified. There is no anchor locker on the boat, the anchor sits on the bow pulpit.

More help needed

I just read this thread and another from 2011 about chain stack and subsequent stack falling over causing a jam when paying out chain. I recently added another 90 feet of chain and this issue started on our boat. The pile falls over and then the windlass slips when it cant pay out chain.
In the threads someone suggests a traffic cone. I think that works if the chain drops straight down into an area big enough to produce a stack that's not too high. I think the real issue is that the windlass should have been designed to drop the chain straight down into the deepest pocket of the chain locker. As you can see in the picture, mine stacks up the "V" of the hull. I added a 4' 2x12 in an attempt to get it to slide farther down the pocket. The stack is much wider with the board and not as high up the V of the bow. It helps some but the stack is still susceptible to fall over in rough seas.
Any new ideas on this subject?

Greetings,
Mr. f. How about put some side pieces on that 2X12 to make a trough? They might be angled outwards a bit to allow more even lay down.

Dave - You have enough vertical height to install a short bit of pipe below your windlass at a 45 degree angle to allow the chain to fall to the lowest part of the locker.

Something like the photo below, which is suitable for Lewmar windlasses, but something similar could be easily fabricated for most setups.

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Mr. f. How about put some side pieces on that 2X12 to make a trough? They might be angled outwards a bit to allow more even lay down.

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I think that would force a higher stack. The chain stacks nice and even. It just stacks in a pile that is too narrow and to high.