[Rhodes22-list] Anchor Chain Question

[Steve Alm]

"Today the consensus appears to be that for most average conditions, the
ideal rode is a combination of nylon line and a short length of chain (6 to
8 feet; longer is desirable) between the line and the anchor.

"One effect of chain in this combination rode is to lower the angle of pull,
because the chain tends to lie on the bottom.  Of equal, perhaps greater,
significance is the fact that modern lightweight anchors often bury
completely, taking part of the rode with them.  Chain stands the chafe, and
sand has less chance to penetrate strands of the fiber line higher up.  Sand
doesn't stick to chain and mud is easily washed off.  Without chain, nylon
gets very dirty in mud."

-Chapman, 57th Edition

9 out of 10 times I've anchored for the night, I've been in a protected cove
with little wind and no current where a rock with a line tied to it and 2:1
scope would keep me from drifting.  But the tenth time when the wind came
up,  the Danforth with 12 feet of chain and 8 or 9:1 scope still dragged
across the weedy bottom.  So there is no one single solution.  If you can
get by with the light tackle, no chain and from the stern, (and I believe
sometimes you can) then lucky you!  But you'd better have a certainty about
the bottom and the weather, and you'd best be checking your anchorage every
so often.  I'd sleep better knowing I followed Chapman's advice.
Slim

On 3/22/05 8:22 AM, "Mary Lou Troy" <mltroy at verizon.net> wrote:

> At 12:22 AM 3/22/2005 -0500, Bill Effros wrote:
>> Oh, and by the way, Chapman recommends all line rode.
> 
> Which edition? Mine (56th - older) seems to recommend chain and nylon - 6-8
> feet of chain minimum - "more is better"
> 
> Mary Lou
> 
> 
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