all chain anchor

Has anyone any experience with all chain in a R-29 C? It would add about 140# right at the pointy end assuming 250' anchor rode. The present 200' of rope and 50' of chain does not smoothly enter the locker through the windlass at the rope/chain junction. I miss my all chain anchoring.
Rich Hurst
Feisty Too 2012 R-29C

these boats are weight sensitive. I just use more scope.

Not familiar with the 29 locker, but on my 27 I need to go to the bow and distribute the rode and prevent the chain from piling up. I know exactly your issue at the splice. Sometimes it will slip and other times it is fine. I think it has to do with how much tension is in the line when retrieving. in shallow water when the anchor is still set when reaching the splice there is no issue.

On my R25, I downsized from the factory chain/rope to all chain 1/4” g43 chain. 120 feet is sufficient for South Florida winds that I expect. I don’t expect to anchor in a hurricane in this boat.


Changing to 1/4” chain allowed me to downsize my windless so I carry less total weight forward, allowing me to move one house Battery forward.

All chain means no jams on recovery, ever.

All good.


Stuart Bell
Ranger 25: Shearwater
(561) 352-1796

We have an R-31CB and were advised by the factory that *all* chain rode would add unnecessary weight. They suggested a compromise of 100’ chain (5/16” HT) along with 250’ rope rode (because we wanted to anchor in deeper areas along the inside passage). Along with a Mantus bridle and chain hook, which extends the scope another 17’ or so and adds some “spring,” that allows us to use all chain rode in many shallower anchorages while still carrying adequate scope for the deeper areas. I can remember only once when the chain/rope splice hung up on the windlass, and that was quickly resolved by lowering the chain a bit and then “getting a run at it.” I do routinely pause a few times and spread the rope and chain out in the locker though as the anchor is coming up.

John B

Just back from a month of anchoring with our 29CB and my wife has opinions. She feels that given the shallow depth of the rode locker, chain tends to pile up and back up the windlass more easily than the rope rode. She also reminded me of the night we were in a very shallow anchorage and stern-tied, with just the 50' of chain out. It rattled and made noises until I got up and let it out until rope was in the bow roller. We did a lot of anchoring with an all chain rode in the Caribbean last year and found ourselves hypersensitive to chain noises when on the hook, even with a bridle. All in all, what the factory provided seems to work just fine in most conditions. And the splice between the chain and rope gets stuck occasionally when taking the anchor up, but she solved it by just lowering it and trying again. Sometimes twice.

ps: helps that we have a Rocna on the short chain.