Yachting Monthly – September 2019

The long and the short of it

Q

I currently have 45m

of 8mm calibrated

galvanised anchor chain

on my fin-keeled Moody

31. Having anchored in
    some places last year where I needed to
    anchor in 10m of water, I felt uncomfortable
    with not having any more chain to put out.
    I would have like to have closer to 60m.
    At the same time, I am reluctant to shell
    out for a new chain when mine is virtually
    new and I rarely need all of it, so most of
    the time it’s just a big weight up in the bow.
    If I were to add warp to the chain, what kind
    of rope should I use and how should I
    attach it? Three strand or octoplait and
    what thickness? Is splicing into the chain
    the best option or is a hard eye and
    shackle better? And if I’m going for rope
    rather than chain, do I need to go for more
    than an additional 15m? Paul Colley

A

Julian Anderson of rope

supplier DSM Group replies:

There are various schools

of thought on the matter,

but when talking about

anchoring it is always worth bearing in

mind that it is the catenary weight that

holds the vessel in position.

Of the options, you should really only

consider a polyester or a nylon rope as

those are both materials that sink reliably.

Some people like to have nylon because it

stretches more than polyester. Although

this is true, nylon also shrinks when it gets

wet and hardens too – I’m sure most

readers will have experienced an old bit

of nylon rope that is almost wire-hard.

It’s also something of a misnomer that

the stretch of nylon is all that useful. My

own view is that if you are in a situation

where that stretch might become useful

then it is the sort of situation you would

want to avoid and you are probably

anchored incorrectly.

In terms of the style of rope, generally

you should go for an eight-strand

square plait. In part this is because it

is laid much loser than a three

strand, but mainly it means you can splice

the rope into a length of the anchor chain

and so not create a bigger section that

could be difficult to get through a hawse or

bow roller. Once again, nylon’s tendency to

shrink when wet counts against it as it can

concertina up the length of anchor chain

where it has been spliced.

There are manufacturers like Gleistein

that produce anchor rope with particles of

encapsulated lead inside a double braid

polyester construction but in this case it

sounds like there is plenty of chain on the

boat so this is unnecessary. It is something

to consider for those who have less chain

as it adds to the catenary weight and

provides better holding.

During my time as Commanding Officer
of the Royal Netherlands Navy sail training
vessel HNLMS Urania (27m, 80 tonnes)
I had some less positive experiences,
which have certainly brought me a number
of unique insights.

One such time was in late October when

there was a steady Force 8 as we were on

the approach from the south towards the

Enkhuizen locks, which separate the

Markermeer at the south and the IJsselmeer

to the north. With 180m to go, our speed was

5 knots and I put the engine in neutral. Due

to the wind on the stern the speed did not

really decrease so I put the engine in reverse

to stop the 80 tonnes from floating into the

lock too fast. The moment I did so however,

the engine stopped and we were in danger

of crashing into the lock. A quick check

showed some kind of electronic problem and

it was clear we needed an alternative. We

made a sharp turn towards the wind, which

quickly reduced speed. Once we started

going astern, we dropped the anchor and

finally we were at anchor... less than 100m

to weather of the lock, not a good spot!

The lesson here? Aways have your anchor

ready. On a 30ft yacht the setup of the

anchor equipment is not the same as on

Urania, but what you can do is keep the

chain or rope neatly coiled and be able to

release the anchor from the bow in seconds.

With regards to letting go – fixing your

anchor on the bow with one or two ropes

makes it easier to unlock than with a steel

shackle as you can cut a rope with a knife

which you always have to hand ... don’t you?

Harry Dekkers

Always be able to drop it!

Ha

rry

De

kk

ers

THE BIG QUESTION

THE KNOWLEDGE

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HNLMS Urania at anchor in a

rather more peaceful setting

Eight strand can be spliced along

a length of anchor chain