All chain anchor rode

J

JeffR

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exMember
Joined
Dec 7, 2005
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19718
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277
Hey All! I own a 36 Tiara Sovran that inherently rides bow-high, even with tabs. Add to that that a good portion of the seating is far aft, and with a group of friends, it's even worse...to the point of being somewhat annoying.

I'm thinking of converting to all chain rode to simply add weight to the far bow of the boat. My first questions are what do you think about all chain rode? Any other suggestions? I can't put wider tabs on the boat due to prop pockets. I guess I might be able to go slightly longer. And then specifically about the all chain rode, how do you cleat off the chain so you're not loading the windlass when at anchor? Thought about making some kind of bridle with a caribiner (?) on it to attach to a link in the chain.

Any other thoughts?
 
Do a search for Shockles Line Snubber. I think it will fit the bill.
Scott
 
Yes, Shockles. However, you will still need a small, but strong, caribiner to attach to the chain. The ones on the Shockles are too big to fit. Now how DO you spell that damn thing??
 
I have all chain and I love it! May anchor holds tight and never drags I have never added anthing special to it either.
 
Same here. All chain. I could not imagine holding 30,000 pounds worth of boat with rope.
 
Could also move a house bank of batteries forward if you're looking to redistribute weight.
 
quote:
Originally posted by JeffR

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===============================================

I replaced the factory 9"x 22" (+,-) tabs on my 33' Trojan International with 12" x 22" WITH DROP FINS.

this was a bolt on change - no modifications whatsoever were necessary.

This made a tremendous difference when running the 454's.

Now with the diesels, she gets enough lift to keep her a$$ end more out of the water with a better running angle.

Talk to TABMAN at Bennett. He handled the issue for me, smoothly and simply.

Perhaps it's not that your bow is riding high, but your a$$ is dragging.......

RWS
 
quote:
Originally posted by jmeirhofer

Same here. All chain. I could not imagine holding 30,000 pounds worth of boat with rope.

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I haven't found that to be a problem. We currently only have about 25' of chain lead, spliced to 300' of 8-plait... and that system works well here in the Chesapeake.

I've used all-chain rode in the past and would usually prefer that... but given the mud here, it was taking too long to hose off the chain as we bring it back onboard.

In any area where pounds of mud imbedded in the links wasn't so much of an issue, cleaning wouldn't be a problem...

And all chain would usually provide better catenary.

-Chris
 
Thanks for the info. The boat actually rides "nice", doesn't squat, etc. With the diesels it pops on plane relatively quickly. It just rides bow high. I've read reviews on some of the other sizes of the Sovran line and read the same thing about them. Anyone know how to contact tabman, other than pinging him here on BE? I'd like to hear his feedback on the tabs. You'd just think, though, that a company like Tiara would size tabs appropriately. I've never had a real problem with the anchor holding where we boat, but if I can get the benefit of all chain in tough anchoring spots, plus bring the bow down a little, it might be a good approach.

I looked at the Shockles anchor snubber, but unless I'm missing something, it's only a snubber and doesn't take any load off the windlass. You guys that use all chain, how do you take the load off the windlass?

Thanks to Max for the initial suggestion...I'm sure he'll be checking in here soon!
 
I use a chain hook with nylon rope bridle to two bow cleats. A rolling hitch should also work though I haven't tried that. In calm wind and shallow water there may not be enough tension on the chain for the hitch.
 
All chain is the best for holding and it also allows you to use less scope in tight anchorages. Make sure your anchor locker is deep enough for the chain to store as often a shallow locker will result into he chain piling up and jamming the chute forcing you to make a trip to the bow to push it aside.

Most of the time, I don't use a bridle, only when it s over 20kts. The weight of the chain lifting off the bottom is enough to cushion everything.

Over 20 kts, I use a bridle. Just two dock lines with a heavy shackle in the eye and a chain hook. The chain hook is easy to slide on the chain and remove. The other end of the lines have eye (bowline) and fit over the bow cleats.

In normal conditions, I don't worry about the windlass... It's not going to self destruct unless seriously undersized...
 
I use 200 foot of chain followed by 400 feet of line. Which means that 90% of the time I'm just using the chain. If it gets really nasty, by the time I get scope out, I'm into the line and have the significant advantage it gives in adsorbing sudden loads.

I have a bridle I use when I'm just using the chain. I actually dont put it on until the wind blows up and the chain starts making a racket in the roller. Otherwise I'll sleep through a storm and not even know it happened.
 
+1 on everything said about all chain.

I enlarged The tabs on Saint Max and it made all the difference in the world. Lower RPM, less GPH & the same 22 knot cruise speed. For me, it was much cheaper to have a welding shop do them than to buy new tabs. Additionally, I could size them correctly as opposed to settling for what was available.

PM or email me & I would be more than happy to help.
 
quote:
Originally posted by jmeirhofer

Same here. All chain. I could not imagine holding 30,000 pounds worth of boat with rope.

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It will hold just fine. You are holding the boat in place, not lifting it. The anchor will pull loose before the (correctly sized and maintained) rope will fail.
 
quote:
Originally posted by JeffR

...... Anyone know how to contact tabman, other than pinging him here on BE? ....
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Well yes. Go to the Bennett website and look for customer support.
 
quote:
Originally posted by rawidman

quote:
Originally posted by jmeirhofer

Same here. All chain. I could not imagine holding 30,000 pounds worth of boat with rope.

Click to expand...
It will hold just fine. You are holding the boat in place, not lifting it. The anchor will pull loose before the (correctly sized and maintained) rope will fail.

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Maybe. Depends on how rotted you rode gets. And it may not always be visible. Chain will also lay on the bottom giving your anchor better purchase. And a better chance to reset if broke loose.

A line works fine in normal anchoring but when you are in bad weather and have a failure, do you want to trust the rope or chain to keep you off the shore?

But what do I know? I am only going by what I have read about here and other places. I have only used my anchor on this boat only a handful of times.
 
quote:
Originally posted by JeffR

Any other thoughts?
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1) A boat that requires adding a few hundred pounds of ballast to ride correctly is poorly designed. Instead of adding weight and increasing fuel consumption and decreasing performance, see if there's a way to relocate existing weight forward. Spare parts might be an option. If you want to test the effects of added weight, buy bags of sand at the home center and put them on the boat where you are thinking of adding weight.

2) Chapman Piloting (the book) will tell you just about all you need to know about anchoring and using different types of rode.
 
quote:
Originally posted by rawidman

quote:
Originally posted by JeffR

Any other thoughts?
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1) A boat that requires adding a few hundred pounds of ballast to ride correctly is poorly designed....

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Or was designed to have an all chain rode and the dealer raised the profit margin by substituting chain with line.
 
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