dyneema anchor rode

[Don C L]

Sounds like you don’t need a snubber for your conditions. And this may be one of those rare times when a kellet is a good idea to keep the line down away from passing props. A 2 gallon chemical sprayer makes a cheap and handy way to wash down the rode , though in your case I might just haul a bucket to the bow and dip the rode as it comes up and squeeze it through my hand as I feed it back

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by Foswick

If a person were to use a floating rode, I think a better solution would be to use a kellet near the boat-end of the rode. Better to try to sink the rode than to help it float.

A kellet would bring its own set of risks, though. I can see a situation (with shifting currents/winds/tides) where the kellet is dragged close enough to the anchor that it creates slack between the kellet and the anchor. If this slack floated it could foul a prop.

The OP has a similar situation that one has when anchoring amongst coral. In the case of coral the object is to prevent the rope part of the combination rode from chaffing on the coral. When arranged like this the rope between the buoy and the boat is almost always in a direct line it does not float randomly as would be the case with a floating line. In the case of the OP he is trying to prevent the rope part of the rode being fouled (contaminated) by the sticky mud bottom an identical situation for all practical purposes.


Sliding kellets are used to increase the holding power of an anchor, not something the OP requires. Further it would probably cause more fouling (contamination) of the rope in the mud in fact all of the rope between the kellet and the chain would be forced to sit in the mud.

[thinwater]

Through technically floating, it's not like polypropylene water ski rope. It is 5 times less buoyant. When woven as a floating rope, for dinghy painters for example, it is usually blended with polypropylene to make it float. Used as a floating riser from an anchor, with any tide at all it sinks. It is NOT like polypropylene.



Material SG
Dyneema 0.98
Polypropylene 0.90
Nylon 6/6 1.15


It would be more fair to say that Dyneema is neutral. ANY tension on the rode, even a few ounces, and it will pull straight.



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I think this is an interesting idea, worth the discussion, but there are too many practical problems that have not been ironed out.

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

Not the best idea because it will float, presenting a tangle challenge to your and other boats. And it won't solve the problem since the chain is going to come up a mess regardless of type of rode involved. I see a bucket in your future.

[nfbr]

My secondary on a large cat is anchor, dyneema w chafe guard, rope, then bridle. It floats mid water and is as strong as chain
Chain has very little stretch, but does dampen with catenary
You need some damping, nylon is your friend

[pbmaise]

In theory, a 180 degree wind shift would move the boat directly over the anchor in which case the rope might float to the surface and tangle the prop. However, the odds of a perfect 180 wind shift are close to zero.

[CarlF]

In Maine lobster pots have an extra buoy called the toggle to keep the rope out of the mud in 12ft tides.

Keep your current line but attach one or two buoys as you let out the anchor line. . The buoys should be clearly visible on the surface but have sinking lines tied at the right length to keep the anchor line off the bottom but well below passing boats. The line should not be so short that the buoy is ever pulled below the surface. They will be much closer to the boat than the anchor - only be a boat length or two in front of your bow so no one will should be anchoring there anyways.

[Cpt Mark]

Curious where you are anchoring. The only location I know of that seems right would be at Treasure Island. In there, on a calm day you could just put the chain out and anchor in shallow water.

SF Bay mud is very sticky, gooey. It is what it is. I just washed it off with a hose when I got back to my slip.

[At Peace]

Originally Posted by rpackard

I occasionally anchor my 5500lb sailboat on SF Bay. The seabed is a very sticky mud that makes a mess on deck when retrieving the rode. i have no wash down pump and do not wish to install one.Where I anchor there is no wave action and very little wind.

I am thinking about making a rode consisting of 25ft of chain backed by a suitable length of 1/4" dyneema. The dyneema (actually amsteel) is slightly less dense than water so would float off the bottom yet not really lift the chain. The working strength is more than strong enough. Since there is no wave action and not much wind there is no need for elasticity.

The only negative I can imagine is that another vessel crossing in front of me might have its prop get caught in the floating line.

Can others comment on this plan.

For the price you will pay in dynemma, you could probably pay for 3 wash down systems. Other than that, dynemma defeats the purpose of anchor rode.

[rpackard]

Thanks very much for some useful comments. Even the unuseful sarcastic one. is useful to help to normalize the human race.

[Bill_Giles]

A bucket and a stiff hand brush we’ll clean mud off.

[barnakiel]

There must be a reason why people do not do it ?


b.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by rpackard

Thanks very much for some useful comments. Even the unuseful sarcastic one. is useful to help to normalize the human race.

[fall down laughing]


Another thing that helps is to pull the rode in by ~ 20-foot or so increments, and wait. The wave action will flush a lot of the mud off. Works on chain too, depending on how sticky the mud is. I frequently pull in to very, very short scope, and then wait. This can also help loosen the anchor depending on how short and if there are some waves. If you give it 10 minutes the chain will often come up clean. Old school.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Foswick

If a person were to use a floating rode, I think a better solution would be to use a kellet near the boat-end of the rode. Better to try to sink the rode than to help it float.

A kellet would bring its own set of risks, though. I can see a situation (with shifting currents/winds/tides) where the kellet is dragged close enough to the anchor that it creates slack between the kellet and the anchor. If this slack floated it could foul a prop.

A kellet is deployed so as to not be able to reach the bottom, it should only reach partway down the rode a short distance from the boat. It will only sink the rode length that does not have length enough to float to the surface.

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by rpackard

I occasionally anchor my 5500lb sailboat on SF Bay. The seabed is a very sticky mud that makes a mess on deck when retrieving the rode. i have no wash down pump and do not wish to install one.Where I anchor there is no wave action and very little wind.

I am thinking about making a rode consisting of 25ft of chain backed by a suitable length of 1/4" dyneema. The dyneema (actually amsteel) is slightly less dense than water so would float off the bottom yet not really lift the chain. The working strength is more than strong enough. Since there is no wave action and not much wind there is no need for elasticity.

The only negative I can imagine is that another vessel crossing in front of me might have its prop get caught in the floating line.

Can others comment on this plan.

Floating anchor rodes can get entangled with your rudder or prop in case there is no load on the rode.. When there is no wind between change of tidal flow direction.. And your vessel floats around