[Rhodes22-list] Chain -- Another Opinion

[Bill Effros]

I am busily working on a rant, and in the course of my research stumbled 
across this from the inventor of the Spade anchor:

"NB - these are Alain's opinions, and as with all advice you must 
eventually make up your own mind. He does do a lot of anchoring though!

CHAIN OR ROPE?

The main and ONLY advantage of the chain is that it is the only and 
perfect means to avoid chafing of the anchoring rode on aggressive sea 
beds...

Except for this point, chain has all the disadvantages..:

Stored in the bow chain locker, it adds a heavy weight in the last place 
you want one.

When deployed, chain is actually working in the the opposite way to the 
way it should work:

    * with light wind, it gives a perfect horizontal pull to the anchor 
and the best holding.
    * with moderate wind, its weight and catenary effect give a perfect 
shock absorbing effect.
    * As the wind builds up, the chain will become straighter (and this 
with as little as 25/30 knots of wind). The pulling angle will increase 
and as a consequence, the holding of the anchor will decrease.
    * When the shock absorbing effect is most necessary, the "bar tight" 
chain will not allow this to happen.

If there are waves entering the anchorage, the resulting shocks will be 
then directly transfered to the anchor, which then has more chance to 
break free .. . and more seriously, the chain is subject to high "peaks" 
of pulling force and has a consequently higher risk of breaking.. "


Bill Effros