Adding to anchor chain

[BaseCampAnne]

Despite knowing better, I let myself get talked out of 100 ft. of chain when I ordered Cascadia and now am wanting to add another 50 ft.

I purchased 5/16 anodized to match what is on the 29' but am struggling to find a strong link to make this work. Strength is one issue and moving through the windless is equally critical to me. Last summer I had to pull the 50 feet of chain and Rocna 10 when the windlass wire was pinched in the anchor box, but am not keen on finding myself in a challenging weather event with a windlass failure.

The 2 piece link that is supposed to be hammered together does not give me confidence.

The suggestion from one clerk at a boating store said welding is the only way to go, and apparently that is not a good idea either.

The horseshoe shape link that is screwed together may fit through the windless, but I do not know.

Has anyone put together 2 sections of chain?

Or is anyone interested in purchasing 50 feet of brand new chain?

I need to get the rode finalized and tested a few times before heading out.

Thanks,

 

[knotflying]

If it were me I would buy new chain at the appropriate length.

 

[pugtug613]

I know exactly what you mean. On my previous boat I went from 75 ft to 150 ft of chain. It would have been very expensive and a waste of money to throw out 75 ft. of 5/16 BBB chain! I used a low profile link that went thru the windlass, I bought it at West Marine. It did go thru the windlass, but I had to "help" it along. When I got close, I would go slow and then make sure that link was thru, then back to normal. I never had an issue, but never tried it in 20 knt winds either.
Chester

 

[sdubnoff]

I would just buy a new length of chain. Just don't buy it at West Marine, which charges about 3-4 times what Washington Chain does for the same stuff. Sell your short piece at a consignment store or on Craigslist.

Steve

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

Hi Anne:

We went thru the same chain issue as you on our last boat. In the end we decided to have a link between the shorter and longer lengths of chain opened up to connect the two sets and then have the link welded back to its original shape, with any rough edges ground down. When I reinstalled the chain into the locker of the boat I placed the original shorter chain into the rode locker first, therefore utilizing the new chain during most anchoring. We had this set up for over three years and never had a problem and the chain is still being used by the current owners of this boat that we sold 5 years ago. With that said I'd suggest checking the cost to have the chain welded by a reputable person and compare this to selling what you have and buying a new 100 foot section of chain.

 

[Irish Mist]

I think for your peace of mind I would replace the chain It seems you already don't feel good about adding onto it.. That feeling gets worse when it is a bit windy and you are on the hook trying to sleep.

 

[BaseCampAnne]

Thanks to each of you who replied.

I will go ahead and get the one piece of chain, then get it properly installed, perhaps by Anacortes Rigging, so I can get moving and mark the new rode properly.

I appreciate your feedback.

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

I think you've made the best choice Anne. If you leave the original chain and rode intact you should be able to sell it to someone at the marina.....maybe put a post on Craigslist.....to recover some of the new expense.

 

[rporterfield]

I gather from the comments that a number of you have gone to 100' of BBB 5/16 for the R-27. How much anchor line do you have attached to the 100' of chain? Does the extra 50lbs in the bow of the boat make any difference? Has anyone gone to chain only? My only concern is that in a emergency you can cut the anchor rope, but the chain is hard to disconnect from.

 

[BaseCampAnne]

I have the 29', am keeping the existing 150' of line and believe the line is useful as it is not rigid and can stretch. As you say, line can be cut if needed.

I certainly hope I do not end up losing the 100 ft. of chain I decided to purchase :!:

 

[Irish Mist]

I find the line is a lot quieter at night I always put out all my chain until I hit the line no matter what the depth .

 

[Stella Maris]

Anne,
I would back that 100' of chain up with 250' of line. I would also swap that 10# Rocna for a 15#. Where you are headed this summer, your anchor is your insurance and lifeline.

To achieve a 7:1 scope, you will not be able to anchor in water that you expect to have a depth of no more than 45 feet. If you anchor in 30 feet of water and expect a tidal rise of 15', you will be at the maximum depth.

While many people will tell you a 7:1 scope is not necessary, if the winds and currents come up, you will appreciate it.

Good luck and safe travels this summer!

David

 

[Crewdog]

Hi Anne:

You might consider keeping the chain and getting a spare anchor and spare rode to make a complete spare anchor system, especially if going out into the boonies.

If you do lose the chain and anchor for any reason, it sure would be nice to know you have a backup.

Enjoy the summer!

Bill

 

[BaseCampAnne]

Thanks for the additional comments 🙂

Yesterday I practiced anchoring and tying to a mooring ball with my existing setup and today with the now 100 ft. of chain my local CG auxiliary mate and I will go out again and try with the newly installed rode. I may try pulling it up manually to see if I can since challenges seem to come in less than ideal situations and confidence is reassuring.

I carry the anchor that came with Cascadia along with chain as my backup and am going to pull it out and double check it now to see how much extra chain there is. As I recall, on my C-Dory pulling a bunch of extra chain in a small, contained area and twisting to set it down led to back issues, so I will be more careful this time :!:

David, the only reason I did not get the larger anchor was the same concern: weight. Last summer when I manually pulled up 50 ft of chain and the smaller Rocna I thought I was probably near my limit. If the windlass always works, no problem. But if it fails for some reason and I am blowing towards shore or ? and need to pull up 100 ft and the heavier Rocna, I suppose adrenalin will help...but strengthening exercises may go back on my list again.

As we know, anchoring is quite fun when it works and even better when it is not blowing too hard. I expect to practice more times after today because yesterday I was simply allowing the windlass to pull me forward but I need to drive forward and that requires going back inside, probably several times, and getting better at reading what is happening with the line and chain.

What a luxury to have time to practice and learn skills with someone very experienced in soloing and to have an extra set of eyes available 😀