Anchor Chain

[Rualda]

When I am at anchor, the chain is twisted many times. How can this be? It goes out straight over the gypsy. Not usually a problem but if I need to fit a spring the rope ends up twisted round the chain. The chain was supposed to be good quality and is only two or three seasons old.

[Pete7]

Is the anchor spinning as it is retrieved?

Pete

[motion30]

the wind and current are spinning your boat around the axis of the anchor. Nothing wrong with your chain this is what happens

[thinwater]

If the boat has not spun at anchor...

3-strand snubbers can sometimes do this, since the rope rotates under load. Try brait.

It does not do this as a dockline or rode because both ends are constrained. However, it is also a problem lifting.

Pictures?

[Rualda]

Thank you for your comments.

1. I am pretty sure that the anchor is not spinning as it goes down but that is something that I shall have to check more carefully.

2. The boat has not been spinning round the anchor. The twisting is there straight away.

3. 3-strand rope. Agreed braid would probably be better but the chain is already twisted before I put the spring on.

I am beginning to think that there is something wrong with the chain. I have had experience of anchoring many different kinds of boat and do not remember meeting this problem before.

[Sailmonkey]

have you ever worked the twist out of your chain? Chain, by definition cannot develop a twist like poorly made line. Chances are that the chain is loaded in some particular direction.....either stretch it out on the dock, or lower it in deep water without the anchor attached and let it naturally spin out.

[mikereed100]

I can't imagine that your chain is causing the problem. If all the twisting occurs after the bow roller and before you put the snubber on I would take a close look at the anchor to see if there is any asymmetry that could be causing it to rotate as it drops.

[barnakiel]

If the pennant is twisted rope, this can generate twist. Use multiplait instead, if this is the case.

Otherwise us a swivel.

b.

[zeehag]

in tidal and wind areas you will have this even using yacht braid. round and round and up and down is the motion.
sing the twist and you will learn. this happens.
round and round and up and down makes chain twisty.
some day when you are overly bored before your 32nd beer, keep a visual watch onyour lines to see what they do. it is most entertaining--kinda like watching paint dry. but it will teach you what is happening as you ignore all around you.
funny how tides and winds can befoul a perfectly perfect anchor gear.

[Rualda]

Well, lots of suggestions and everyone trying to be helpful. It will be September before I go out to the boat again but when I get there I am going to get to the bottom of this. There is no swivel in the system so either the anchor is spinning as it goes down or the chain has a permanent twist. If the latter, the twist that I can see above the water must be matched by an opposite twist lower down.

[zeehag]

the chain does not permanently twist.
it does not twist as it goes into the water, either.
it twists in a tidal and windy situation, which is normal.
it twists as the boat goes round and round and up and down as all boats do in tidal and windy situations at anchor.
yours is not the only boat to do this.
your anchor is not flipping over and over.
the chain is merely twisted. remember the weakest point in each system is the weakest link. that is a swivel. they break.
you donot want a swivel if you disappear from boat for periods of time. anchored boats left at anchor get what they get. they are in a period of neglect, as you are not there watching every minute.
for leaving boats for periods of time, choose a marina. you will not have the fear of loss you are currently experiencing.
i watched daily as my chain twisted in the lagoon in barrra de navidad--initially i would untwist the lines., i use a bridle system snubbing her. we had the normal 4 changes of tides daily and runoff and downdraft winds.
daily.
as i went along, i ignored the mess and only untwisted it as i weighed anchor.
if you are ocd, aka anal, about it, go into a marina and untwist the anchor chain and then go out again.