Anchor shackle or direct splice to chain?

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Splice right to the chain

Works perfectly.

I’ve done this for decades.

Ditto, and it actually looks much better to my eye than a complicated connection with the eye splice, thimble, shackle and shackle pin. Stows and deploys through the chainpipe much easier as it is much smaller and there is nothing to catch on.

I redid mine, after many years of use, taking apart the old one and it didn't show any sign of chafe.
BTW as long as you are doing the splice, why not get a bit longer chain? No harm in going to at least double what you have for better anchoring, and consider a heavier size if you don't mind a few more pounds forward.

[SV__Grace]

Originally Posted by thinwater

^^ This. The only reason to us a thimble is if you contemplate removing the rope from the chain. The rest is fear of discarding tradition.

• There is no chafe between the rope and chain. Think of how much easier it is for the chain to bend at the next link. The rope quickly fuses to the link.
• One less failure point (no shackle).
• No difference in strength. Either way, 3-strands go around the chain, and the small radius is not a problem because the rope is unlayed (it is 3 smaller ropes).
• Just as easy to do. No difference, and I've done a few.
• Smoother over the roller. Easier on the hands.

No, you don't have to. Of course not. But there is no actual downside other than trying something new to you.

Great response by Thinwater here. Both are easy to do (YouTube is your friend to learn how) and both are strong.

I can attest that when done correctly (tight enough) the rope does fuse to the chain and the splice is strong and seems to last forever. Cutting it off doesn't lose much of the rode if you need to change things in the future.

So without a windlass being the deciding factor, it's your choice and preference, they both are easy and work well.

[Scorpius]

I've used the long (elongated, tapered, or "shovel") splice for 30 years. No problems. It comes smoothly over the bow rollers and works fine on the windlass.

Fearing chafe, I used to cut it off every few years and re-do it - but never finding any I don't worry about it now. It only gets done when I replace the anchor chain when it starts to seriously rust.

And I anchor A LOT!

[Apollo366]

Diane, at 110 lbs, you NEED an anchor windlass!

Pulling up the anchor & chain in any breeze will be impossible for you, believe me I know, before replacing my broken windless I took 2+ hrs to pull a 22# anchor & 15 ft of chain by hand in 15 kt wind.

If you can find a used manual windless, so much the better, but new are about $1,000, if electric you'll need wiring, switches and inboard engine to run the windless under load, adds about $1-2,000 to total cost.

My old boat had a manual windless and worked fine to haul a 35# anchor & 50 ft chain with no motor.

Hope this helps and I've alway used a back splice to chain, most riggers & yards will do it for $25 or so. It doesn't chafe because it's so tight around the chain link.

Fair winds & calm seas,

Capt Wayne

[MicHughV]

I used a rope thimble for years, shackled to a chain, never had a problem.....ever !!!
Didn't have a windlass though, rode dropped straight into a hatch over the anchor locker.
Usual procedure was to motor slowly up to the anchor, while pulling the rode in.
Have this a gazillion times.

I have a fishing boat with a windlass and rope/chain splice, but once the rope/chain splice connection get to the windlass it jams.....I have to take the anchor line off the windlass and hand feed that connection into the chain locker....it's a pain in the rear end...a thimble would obviously not work in this instance..but the splice is pain in the butt.

a key issue here is the type of windlass, size of the hole and hole location, that feeds your rope/chain inside the boat. some windlass holes go straight into the chain locker...others have a bent pipe...a big shackle will not pass thru' these holes...without modification, so that may limit your options, but if you rode drops straight into a chain locker, I don't see a need for a thimble.

[Don C L]

I have thimbles/shackles because in my youth I was often disconnecting the chain from the rope for some reason and they remain. I guess I like still having the option to separate chain from rope easily. The rope to chain splice is sure a LOT smoother going over rollers or winches though. BTW, can I suggest you switch from a plow to a lighter next gen anchor or a Fortress? Your back and hands will thank you.

[Breaking Waves]

If you dont have a windless with rope/chain gypsy . . . the it really does not matter. Done properly* they are all close to 100% line strength (yes I have pull tested all of them).

OFC, if you want to be able to disconnect the rope from the chain, then use the thimble/shackle approach.

The shovel splice has a tendency to bring up a bit more mud from a muddy bottom that the other two . . but it is not a huge difference.

If you have a windless with rope/chain gypsy . . . most of the manufacturers recommend the back/crown splice. This is because it is possible in the shovel splice for a chain link to get turned a bit sideways and jam the windless (stalling it, blowing the breaker, perhaps damaging something) - they have had a non-trivial number of cases of that happening, and it is totally avoided with the back/crown splices. Again, this can be avoided with some care in construction . . but it is common enough the mfg's just suggest against it.

* The main key to 'properly done' is to make sure all the strands are evenly tensioned throughout the splice. This is perhaps a bit easier with the back splice than with the shovel splice, but can be easily done with any of them if you just take care at each tuch step to get even tension on all the strands.

[rslifkin]

In my mind, splice for any rode that may go through a windlass. For a secondary rode that won't go through a windlass, I typically go for the thimble and shackle option. But that's more for flexibility in case I want to borrow the chain for something or want to use the line portion of a secondary rode for another purpose temporarily.

[MicHughV]

these anchor threads never arrive at any meaningful conclusion...every boater out there has his or her particular anchor setup, invariable arrived as a result of a myriad of reasons, type of boat, type of sailing, etc, ad infinitum.

I'm not likely to change the way I've been doing things for decades any more than anyone else.

I've sold three of my boats now. In each case, each of my boats had what I would consider as the "perfect" selection of anchor, rodes, chain, etc...

In each case, the new owner removed my "perfect" anchoring setup and installed his " perfect" anchoring setup.

On my next boat, I too, will remove the previous owner's "perfect" anchor setup to install and setup my "perfect" anchor setup.

...and so it goes....

[Mike Banks]

I would never splice directly to the anchor, but I have often spliced to chain. The splice is a back-splice replacing the crown knot with the link, two strands in one direction and one in the other for three strand nylon cable, and at least six tucks. Check the splice every time you hoist the anchor. I splice my nylon to about a half metre of chain, and connect it to the main bower chain using moused keystone links. They pass through most pipes and are very strong--but they will rust if not painted, so I only add nylon very infrequently. I also keep kellets aboard


I like to have at least as much chain as the depth of the water in which I usually anchor, about thirty feet or so minimum and fifty is more usual for small sailing boats under thirty feet.

The most chain on each anchor I had on my vessel was 200 feet of half-inch chain on the main 60 pounds Manson bower anchor, more often than not, and one hundred feet of ten millimetre chain on a thirty pound Manson for my stern anchor. Additional nylon was added, 20 mm for the bow, 16 mm for the stern as required.

This gives the anchor a better angle to the vessel, and protection to some extent against a rope dragging on the sea floor or catching on coral, iron wreckage, submerged logs or rocks.

At the anchor shaft coupling, I use a few links of chain then a swivel. A BIG swivel--since it does not have to go through a hawse or spurling pipe, and it has to ride OVER the bow roller without jamming in the cheeks. I do NOT use soft shackles on anchors, I use galvanized steel, preferably Sheridized, and I do not use cheap ones either. I set the pins using clear nail varnish in the threads, and I mouse the pins using stainless or galvanized tie wire, replaced as it shows wear or corrosion. Putting a zinc on an anchor to preserve the galvanizing on anchor and chain might be worth a try although I have never done it, preferring instead to disconnect the anchor windlass electric cable both poles when not in use.

I know it is superfluous but I will say it anyway--Your anchor system is your best vessel and life insurance, for the days when it hits the fan--so pay the premium with a smile and get only the best. You simply can not afford to have less...

[copaco]

I cannot paste an image but has any test been done on ''weaving'' into chain technique.

[HopCar]

The only reason to splice chain to rope is if it needs to pass through a windlass. If this is not an issue, use a thimble and shackle.

[copaco]

This ''weaving'' into the chain seems to be the ' shovel splice' whitch is not recommended following tests.

[Sailboatuser]

I would consider longer chain to start with. Longer chain gives it much needed weight which would keep the anchor pointed more horizontally and therefore holding more reliably. Especially when there is not too much room for your long rode in the anchorage (which is most of the time). It is also less likely to get cut by the sharp rocks, etc.

A good electric windlass might save your back (many times) and boat(s) one day.
A shackle will allow changing rode or chain much easier and therefore much sooner, when it is actually required (we all people, can find excuses).

[MicHughV]

I tried an anchor rode to chain splice one time...I found that in slack conditions, that the rode/chain connection point would lie on the seabed and attract small creatures to latch on to the rode/chain connection and build their various shell homes....which would be small and sharp.....
using a thimble and splice connection would also promote the same growth if lying on the seabed...but because the splice connection was thicker than the the rode/chain connection, I felt more confident that potential marine growth would be less harmful to this connection....this remains my personal preference today.....
the thimble/spice connection I deal with in my own way....going into the chain locker...