Anchor chain thoughts?

[Lemsteraak]

I'm new here and would like your thoughts on anchor chain ...

I'm refitting a traditional 28' gaff rigged cutter with a manual windlass (chain and line) and have a lot of chain, I mean a lot, 330 feet of Campbell 5/16" grade 30 marine proof in the forward chain locker. The bow of the boat is low, the balance is off, 350 pounds of chain in the bow is contributing. I'd like to lighten the load up there.

I would like your thoughts on how much chain I should carry? I'm afraid to cut the chain until I have some more experienced opinions as I'm a "round the buoy sailor". My proposed cruising ground will be the Columbia to start and the San Juans up through Desolation Sound and Alaska. My ground tackle, two bow anchors, an old 50 pound hand forged yachtsman, in chocks back on the bulwarks, and a 33 pound Bruce. I'll have two bow anchor warps, the all chain on the windlass, and a chain & nylon 3 strand on the other side of the 'sprit. In the stern, a stainless Northill seaplane anchor (lunch hook), and alloy Fortress (for mud and sand) and another chain & 3 strand anchor warp.

Here is a picture of the chain


So...... where should I cut? How much chain do I need ? The white part (zinc oxide) shows a little wear and the dark part is like new as it was protected in the locker and I don't think was ever used.

[Paul L]

Your current gear would be good for the S Pacific where you have deep anchorages and coral.
The Inside passage route and Puget Sound you can pair back lot. A 100 or 125 ft of chain backed by 150-200ft rode should see you fine. There are deep anchorages up in SE Alaska, but no coral to take you out. In some cases you bow anchor in deep water and then shore tie the stern.

[Lemsteraak]

Paul,

Thanks for your advice, I'm unfamiliar with the waters up north. The boat, Vixen, came down from Alaska with all this chain so before I make any changes, I wanted to know what is common practice.

I'm thinking that 150 feet is enough for just about anything and with the additional rode, should be excellent for deep water. I'll cut the remainder down and make two 80' chain rodes available for the other two anchors. I'll make a stern chain locker to help balance the boat and keep her on her lines.

Rich

[Paul L]

Its nice to also have an easy to handle, long, floating shore line. They can be a mess to bring in at times. You won't use it a lot, but nice to have.

[Nicholson58]

Our boat came with 320feet. About half was in the bow locker and the other half was pulled farther aft in a more central and lower locker but still connected and available.

If I were designing a monohull today inch diameter PVC vertical pipe locker with the hawse pipe and windlass just in front of the mast so the chain was low and centered. Chain would run from the bow to the windlass in a SS channel.

We cruise the Caribbean and might use most of that chain in a deep anchorage. Do the math on scope. As to the hardware, we have a ROCNA as primary, Bruce as secondary. I have two more anchors stored. In three years I have not used the secondary. It’s just more mass on the bow.

You are handling much lighter tackle than we are so you have a few manual options not available to us.

[barnakiel]

Your kit looks nice. Make sure you have a way to row off at least one anchor in haste. Any anchor does from a hard dinghy but sharp ones are bad for an inflatable ... in haste ...


Nice picture. I already like your chain.



Cheers,
b.