65' of chain - right amount for Pacific Northwest with no windlass?

[01kiwijohn]

To answer your question; you'll be fine with that amount of chain, I used similar for several years, in that same area.
What I would suggest though is that you go to 3/4 inch 3strand , as the cost is not much more, and then back splice it to the chain. You'll have more latitude & will sleep better at night if the wind picks up.

[Mithril Bham]

With good bottom in normal conditions we normally use 3 to 1 scope in San Juans due to confined space. Wind increases; let out more.

[basssears]

Originally Posted by 01kiwijohn

To answer your question; you'll be fine with that amount of chain, I used similar for several years, in that same area.
What I would suggest though is that you go to 3/4 inch 3strand , as the cost is not much more, and then back splice it to the chain. You'll have more latitude & will sleep better at night if the wind picks up.

Thanks for the reply... but a little clarification, are you saying I'd sleep better because I was on 3/4" not 5/8", or I'd sleep better because I spliced to the chain instead of using a shackle and some line with a pre-spliced thimble in the end?

[TedJacobson]

50 to 65 ft of chain is a nice compromise......
As others have said the main reason for the chain is to protect your system from contact with the bottom, the next is weight to give you a better attach angle for burying and holding that anchor....you didn't ask, but I like going at least the next size larger on the anchor as well......then lots of rode following that chain so if need be you could reach that scope of 5 to 1-----7 to 1 or greater...
Some day, get a windlass, you will love it.
Im 61----typically we let out 100 to 120 ' of chain in 20 to 25 ft and dig it in....I have had to pull it up in 35 knotts by hand to reposition the boat --(-windlass can fail) ...it was not fun, but it was doable..(you are only pulling up the weight of whats hanging down)......wear gloves

[Scout 30]

Another plus with the 5/16 G4 with 5/8 line is that it will fit the right size windlass for your boat so you'll be able to stick with this rode when you install one. With 65' of chain the 5/8 line will normally be off the bottom so you get your chafe protection with the chain & your elasticity with the line. Watch for sales at Defender. I recently purchased a Lewmar V1 with an anchor rode including chain for $899. Not the best reviewed brand but I couldn't pass up that price. They also have Maxwells in your size on sale quite often. More expensive but better reviews. I will note that, not surprisingly, the installation was way more work than I expected. Typical for a boat.

Maxwell RC Series RC8-8 Vertical Windlass with Anchor Rode

[Tugwit]

Many anchorages in the PNW are very protected and 3:1 scope is more than adequate. Congestion is often an issue, however, and managing your swing is iimportant. A stern line run to shore is a common courtesy, particularly in Canada, and is a worthwhile practice. I carry 300' of 3/8 polypropylene for the purpose (Samson MFP floatline). Otherwise, a 45# CQR with 40' 5/16 chain and 200' of 5/8 nylon for my 36' 14,000 displacement sloop has served me well over 40 years of cruising in the area.

[Scout 30]

Here's a windlass that would be great for your boat:

Maxwell RC Series RC8-8 Vertical Windlass

[TrentePieds]

Bass:

FWIW: You have wonderful boat. Billy Garden knew his stuff. In TrentePieds (two feet shorter and 9K displacement as opposed to your 16K) I'm a tad short on ground tackle, but so far so good. A 7.5Kg Bruce hook for a bower with 40 feet of 5/8 chain and 200 feet of three strand nylon. In addition I carry a Fortress that IMO is a silly little thing not worthy of the name, but, hey, the 200 feet of nylon is handy for tying off to shore. I also carry a 200 foot shot of additional rode but haven't used it so far.

In this oversize bathtub we call the Salish Sea, the weather is almost always benign, and if it turns nasty there is always a marina/harbour you can reach. In the popular anchorages 30 foot of water is easy to find and outside of those areas the water is so deep that it really doesn't matter how much rode you carry. In many of the popular coves you need to eliminate swing by mooring fore'n'aft since that is what everybody does, or you'll need to tie off to shore. In anchorages adjoining marine parks the Parks Service often sets rings into the rock faces for the very reason that boats are cheek by jowl. It's rare in the popular anchorages to be able to use a scope of more than 1:3. Just too many yotties in the summer :-)!

As I said, I'm a bit short. I'm gonna go to a 15Kg (33 lbs) Bruce for a bower since weight of the hook is everything. I do the lot by hand. I have a Vetus capstan but it's only a toy. I weigh courtesy of Mr. Armstrong and when he has done his job I use the capstan for stowing the rode in the locker. The 7.5 Kg Bruce can replace the silly little Fortress.

So "for starters" while you get your feet wet in the Salish Sea (which is what you asked about) I think you present set-up is quite adequate. In many places it wouldn't be, but here it is :-)

TrentePieds

[DolphinBuddy]

Hi all- I would like to jump in with a similar question. I have a Flicka 20. She is 20' and weighs in at 3 tons. I have purchased a 26 lb Vulcan anchor and now must determine rode and chain. I'm on the other side of the country, the muddy bottom Texas Gulf coast. This Vulcan calls for 1/4 inch chain. I do not have a windless so pulling her up by hand and stuffing rode and chain down the deck pipe is the drill. I'm thinking 30' of 7mm #43 chain and 170' of rope. Help!

[luckychucky]

I too am a rookie with a Gulf 32 and no windlass. I have been mulling options since the first time I weighed anchor by hand. I have 60' of 5/16 chain and a rocna @ 35 lbs.
I just bought an anchor retrieval ring and tied it to a large buoy. You should have seen my touchdown dance the first time I tried it in a little cove in the Misty Fjords. It worked like a charm.
It may not be so great in a crowded area but we do not have many of those if you are not where the trollers or other fishing boats are. For thirty bucks you can't go wrong.

[reed1v]

What kind of chain. We used triple B chain and its heavy on a per foot basis. Try raising your chain by hand and see exactly how strong you are. Oh, and try it on a windy day at anchor. With 20 knots wind, doubt if anyone can lift an anchor chain, regardless how short it is. Same with anchoring in a current. Very slow going. And of course if your back gives out, can someone else raise all that chain? Nope, then get a windlass. Think of it as insurance:health and safety.

[kenL]

I have a 32 foot, 13000 pound sailboat which I have been cruising the pacific northwest in for the past eight years. I selected 70 feet of 5/16 chain, 200 foot of 5/8 inch plaited nylon and a 33 lb. CQR with a 33 lb. Bruce for a backup. Even though I have a windlass I limited myself to that much chain because I wanted to be able to pull it all up by hand in the event that my batteries were low on power which has happened. So with the chain that is about 100 lbs. Only once have I anchored in more than 70 feet of water where at the 70 foot depth I will need to lift the 100 lb. weight of the chain and anchor. Most of the Northwest is sand, mud, kelp, shells, gravel or a combination of the these where the abrasion factor which would not require more chain. My worst anchorage was in 10 foot of water at low tide with 45 knot winds where I put out my 70 foot of chain and it took 100 foot of nylon rode to absorb the shock of the close 6 foot waves coming into the anchorage. Most of the time I'm anchored in 25-40 foot where I put out all of the chain and nylon rode, 5-10 feet less than the depth so that my nylon road does not rub on anything on the bottom. If the wind gets up at night I put out more as I see necessary which always has worked like a charm.

[lordgeoff]

Originally Posted by basssears

Back story: Gulf 32 (pilothouse, 16,000# displacement), new boat to us, going to be anchoring pretty conservatively for the first few years.
Front story (so to speak), does 65’ of chain and then 3 strand rode sound like a good “starter” setup for San Juan Islands / Gulf Islands / Pacific Northwest? I do not have a windlass, and won’t have the kitty for one for a while (will require some custom work to mount best I can tell from pictures of other Gulf 32’s), so I can’t go all chain (which would be my preference). More going on general amount of chain for my question, but if specifics make a difference I’m leaning towards 3/8” G4 @ 65’ and 5/8” 3 strand @ 300’.


I’m trying to strike a balance between a decent setup for now that doesn’t break the bank (buying a bunch of chain that I then won’t be using when I go all chain with a windlass) or the back (I’m pretty fit, but I don’t want such a heavy setup that I start to get reluctant about raising / resetting / setting anchor).


My current setup is junk (not even sure it qualifies to be used as a stern /backup anchor setup, of which I have none right now) so I’m having to replace everything… no I don’t want to cheap out on this pretty important piece of safety equipment but cost is an issue.


So would twice my boat length’s worth of chain do good things for me as far as catenary and protecting the rode while still being manageable by hand? Or is it “either ten feet or 300 feet of chain” to make it effective?


Thanks in advance, hope I’m not starting another “anchoring thread”…

Do yourself a favour. Sell one of your children (or wife) and buy a windlass. You won't regret.

[basssears]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

I will note that, not surprisingly, the installation was way more work than I expected. Typical for a boat.

Yes, this plus cost is what's the hold up for me for the next year or two for a windlass. Seems simple enough, save up and buy the windlass... but then, at least off the top of my head, for me there would still be:
1) build burly platform for windlass to sit on
2) modify chain locker lid to close around said platform
3) install and secure separate battery for windlass
4) run heavy gauge wire from windlass to other battery banks
5) install automatic switch to charge windlass battery when engine is running but not otherwise.

So, a non-trivial project for sure. I have briefly considered manual windlass but that only gets rid of #3 / #4 / #5, the three easier steps for me for our boat.

[basssears]

Originally Posted by Tugwit

Many anchorages in the PNW are very protected and 3:1 scope is more than adequate. Congestion is often an issue, however, and managing your swing is iimportant. A stern line run to shore is a common courtesy, particularly in Canada, and is a worthwhile practice. I carry 300' of 3/8 polypropylene for the purpose (Samson MFP floatline). Otherwise, a 45# CQR with 40' 5/16 chain and 200' of 5/8 nylon for my 36' 14,000 displacement sloop has served me well over 40 years of cruising in the area.

OK, I'm getting the 3:1 answer from a couple of people so I guess I'll try to arrange around that... it's not my preference to go to that short of scope, as I sleep better with more, but I also sleep better when don't swing into other people

How do you store your stern line, I have seen rolls on stern pushpits and heard of people using garden hose reels too...