Proper anchor rode length, I have questions

[ciscokidd]

Hello,

I require more anchor chain than what came with my boat. I will be boating in Pacific Northwest around Vancouver BC. I will be over nighting and I would estimate most times will be anchoring in 20-35ft water.

I am considering 200ft 1/2 line with 1/4 chain 20 ft long, I currently have 10ft of chain . I am wondering if the 20 feet of chain is sufficient or if I should be closer to 30 for my 25.5 ft Doral 250SE

Appreciate all feedback, I was looking at this to just replace what I have
New 1 2"X200' Nylon Boat Anchor Rope Line w 20' Chain Shackle | eBay

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Proper anchor rode lenght, I have questions

Re: Proper anchor rode lenght, I have questions

I've always heard the rule of thumb that the chain should ideally be the same length as the boat

 

[trendsetter240]

Re: Proper anchor rode lenght, I have questions

Re: Proper anchor rode lenght, I have questions

Hello,

I require more anchor chain than what came with my boat. I will be boating in Pacific Northwest around Vancouver BC. I will be over nighting and I would estimate most times will be anchoring in 20-35ft water.

I am considering 200ft 1/2 line with 1/4 chain 20 ft long, I currently have 10ft of chain . I am wondering if the 20 feet of chain is sufficient or if I should be closer to 30 for my 25.5 ft Doral 250SE

Appreciate all feedback, I was looking at this to just replace what I have
New 1 2"X200' Nylon Boat Anchor Rope Line w 20' Chain Shackle | eBay

Hey Cisco, the line and chain you linked there is about perfect for your boat. 20' of chain should be just fine in sheltered bays that are only 30' deep. 30' of chain would be better for deeper areas or with a strong current but it can be a pain pulling that along with the anchor. Besides, if you find it isn't enough you can always pick up an extra 10' length of chain and add it if you need it.

 

[ciscokidd]

Re: Proper anchor rode lenght, I have questions

Re: Proper anchor rode lenght, I have questions

Hey Cisco, the line and chain you linked there is about perfect for your boat. 20' of chain should be just fine in sheltered bays that are only 30' deep. 30' of chain would be better for deeper areas or with a strong current but it can be a pain pulling that along with the anchor. Besides, if you find it isn't enough you can always pick up an extra 10' length of chain and add it if you need it.

Thanks for your reply, everything I have read said similar to your reply and I also heard get close to length of boat however I think I will pull the trigger and order from fleabay as it's alot more locally for sure. I figure I can add on if I need from what I already have.

Noticed you have a little collection of motors there, anything suitable for a kicker and relatively light up to 4hp?

 

[trendsetter240]

Re: Proper anchor rode lenght, I have questions

Re: Proper anchor rode lenght, I have questions

Thanks for your reply, everything I have read said similar to your reply and I also heard get close to length of boat however I think I will pull the trigger and order from fleabay as it's alot more locally for sure. I figure I can add on if I need from what I already have.

Noticed you have a little collection of motors there, anything suitable for a kicker and relatively light up to 4hp?

Yeah that vendor (anchoring.com) have pretty much the best prices on rope / chain / anchor anywhere near bc. I saw them at the Vancouver boat show last weekend and they had some great deals going. My buddy bought all new dock lines from them.

I do have a 4 hp Evinrude kicker but it's not for sale at the moment . I use it for a trolling motor when I'm fishing. It would be too small for a 25' Doral anyways. It can barely push my 17' up the fraser river on a tide change.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Proper anchor rode length, I have questions

Can someone explain to me the chain thing? Why can't you use just all line? My anchor has about 4 feet of chain on it. Just wondering what the deal is. I mostly boated in lakes, upgraded boats and will now be on the ICW.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Proper anchor rode length, I have questions

Can someone explain to me the chain thing? Why can't you use just all line? My anchor has about 4 feet of chain on it. Just wondering what the deal is. I mostly boated in lakes, upgraded boats and will now be on the ICW.

The deal with chain is that it weighs down the shank (the long bar that your rode is attached to) of the anchor, helping to hold it parallel to the bottom. When your boat pulls against the rode, it's also pulling UP on the shank. With chain attached the shank will stay down better, and the anchor flukes dig in deeper and more quickly. Overall, it increases your ability to quickly set the anchor and maintain position without dragging.

I have about 15' of chain that works fine for me, but if I were setting things up from scratch, I'd go with a boat length of it, too.

My .02

 

[coastalrichard]

Re: Proper anchor rode length, I have questions

Your anchor rope, by itself, will tend to float making it more difficult for the anchor flukes to "set". The proper length of chain will cause the the rode to lay flat in front of the anchor, promoting a better fluke set.

There are many opinions on the length of chain and amount of rode. Most folks will agree that the chain should equal the length of the boat and the rode length should equal 5x-7x your given depth at anchorage. Obviously, there are other factors which will influence your actual needs (wind, waves, current, etc). In areas with a "rocky" bottom, it is also useful to attach the chain to the "fluke" end and then "zip-tie" the chain to the normal eye on the end of the arm. If your anchor becomes lodged on the bottom, you can break the "zip-tie" connection, thus allowing the anchor to be retrieved by the fluke end (leaving fewer anchors on the bottom). Good Luck

 

[mpsyamaha]

Re: Proper anchor rode length, I have questions

I agree with whats been said here, particularly if you are anchoring overnight and need to be very sure. If you are just going to the local sandbar for the afternoon, then a long length of chain is not really necessary, just a 4-8 ft length is sufficient for smaller boats. The waters i boat are mostly shallow (less than 20ft, often less than 10ft). I am able to get my anchor to set nicely even fairly swift tidal currents or windy conditions with only 6 ft of chain... but again, its shallow and im not leaving it unattended. The biggest mistake i see newbie boaters make while trying to anchor is not letting enough line out. Gotta get that anchor to lay down.

 

[christroutner]

Re: Proper anchor rode length, I have questions

Rules of thumb are great... until you wake up with your boat pounding against a sandbar and the wind howling in your ear.

The honest truth is that you won't know how well your anchor hold or how much chain you need until you go up against some nasty weather. I have a 50 lb Danforth and 40 feet of chain for my 40' boat. It turned out that wasn't enough to keep me from dragging last summer. Now I'm switching to a Delta anchor and 100 feet of chain.

For all you anchoring nuts - I know, I know. Danforths suck. It came with the boat. Lesson learned.

 

[blackhawk180]

Re: Proper anchor rode length, I have questions

"it is also useful to attach the chain to the "fluke" end and then "zip-tie" the chain to the normal eye on the end of the arm. If your anchor becomes lodged on the bottom, you can break the "zip-tie" connection, thus allowing the anchor to be retrieved by the fluke end (leaving fewer anchors on the bottom). "

I strongly second that idea. Don't ask me how I know this......

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Proper anchor rode length, I have questions

another thing the chain does is help the anchor sink faster, which is helpful when you are setting the anchor in current. Don't throw it, but do drop it all at once instead of lowering it.

I am also playing around with heavier chain rather than longer chain--seems there should be a compensation of more weight/less length. Long lengths of chain are a pain to deal with, especially if you also often anchor shallow, or on beach or marsh bank, etc.

Chain can also help avoid a line being rubbed through on rough bottoms.

The "rules" of chain the length of boat and scope of 7:1 are for anchoring larger vessels unattended in severe weather. Worst case, in other words. The OP's boat is on the large size and a sail, and he's overnighting, so he'd want the right set up. But for most recreational boaters here, the two rules are way excessive. You have to have some chain on a danforth or similar anchor for it to lie down, but not a boat's length. Like everything about boating, with one exception, the "rules" are not universal.

 

[ciscokidd]

Re: Proper anchor rode length, I have questions

Some great points brought up and i agree every situation will be different when one anchors. I think i will go with the chain and line in my link and i can always add on another 6-10ft giving me chain equal to boat length. I have to look into what my anchor weight is itself and decide if i replace that or just see how it goes to start.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Proper anchor rode length, I have questions

think i will go with the chain and line in my link

WHAT - Are you TRYING to die ?!?

Kidding. Like you said, you can always add more if you need it. Another thing to consider is that the more chain you have, the more you have to LIFT. A friend with a 34' Trojan has an all-chain rode. His windlass broke one day, and there was no way he could lift it aboard. He called his towing service (don't recall which) and explained the situation. They sent out a boat with an extra hand. Took the 3 of them to get the anchor up.

He said one of them was the strongest woman he'd ever met...