anchor chain - search results

I sail an Areodyne 38 in New England, primarily on weekends and a two-week annual cruise. I use 25 feet of 5/8-inch chain with 200 feet of oversized braided rode and a 35-pound Bruce anchor. In 12 years of cruising this boat, the setup has dragged only once, yet I’m still unable to relax at anchor. I’m considering going to all-chain. Also, because my boat is pretty light with a fin keel and bulb, the rode wraps around the bulb when the current is stronger than the wind, requiring diving to free the mess. This is manageable in July, not so fun in October. Can you recommend a type, size, and length of chain given my criteria? My boat weighs in at 10,000 pounds, and I am the windlass.

Anchor lockers are a convenience to coastal cruisers but no friend to offshore sailors. Passagemakers often forgo a deck-clearing locker for a belowdecks anchor-chain well. An angled spill pipe leads the anchor chain from the deck to the well, which often is under the forepeak and behind a watertight bulkhead. The setup not only eliminates the flooded-bow worries inherent with an on-deck locker, but it also moves the chain and anchors’ weight lower and further aft, where it should be to avoid hobby-horsing.

When we think of anchoring a yacht we think of the obvious—deploy and set an anchor from the bow with a single rode. Our...

In order to minimize the strain on our anchor, we expect the rode to absorb impact forces imposed by waves, yawing and gusts. These...

The word "drudging" can be traced to the middle-English word for dragging. It is the practice of using a chain, heavy weight, or anchor...

At first I thought that standing on the V-head toilet and climbing awkwardly into the chain locker was funny. I tried not to think...

For as long as I can remember, and probably for generations, it has been Chesapeake Bay lore that the longer an anchor soaks the...

In the midst of discussing bridles, snubbers, and rigging multiple anchors, ten years ago we introduced the idea of an improved bridle plate—see “Adjustable...

My wife Amanda often asks fellow cruisers the question: Would you prefer to sail with an experienced mechanic who knew little about sailing, or...

In general, many cruisers prefer the freedom of snorkeling to scuba diving, yet there are situations when extending the time you can spend underwater becomes a safety issue.