Forums, Engine, Gearbox, Stern Gear, etc, Max length of anchor chain

Resolute635 at 18/02/2017 11:27:11
I’m wondering what the total length of chain members find can be got into the anchor locker? For a trip to the Hebrides I want as long a piece of 8mm galvanised chain (I have no windlass) as possible – the Clyde Cruising Club guide mentions 60m! I’ve got a 10kg Delta. What’s the longest chain members have found they can use given the size of the Contessa anchor locker?

Thanks for any advice.

Brigitte at 18/02/2017 14:04:09
Our boat was extensively cruised in Scotland by a previous owner. We inhererited 55m of 9mm chain in the anchor locker and IIRC, a 16lb Delta anchor which we believe will not fit in the locker although we’ve never actually tried. In addition we have 30m of nylon rode although we’ve yet to use it. We could get more chain in if we wanted but we think we’ve got quite enough weight up there already.

It sounds like a lot, but when you’ve got a 7m tidal range and a windswept anchorage, suddenly it starts to make sense.

We have yet to drag our anchor though :-D

Edited: Brigitte on 2017-02-18 19:28:39

Resolute635 at 18/02/2017 14:44:17
Thanks very much. Is there room enough for a smaller anchor once you’ve got all that chain and warp in the locker?

Brigitte at 18/02/2017 16:29:48
I wouldn’t like to say. There’s the volume, the problem is the shape of the anchor. A Danforth maybe but not a Delta.

But our 9mm-ish chain(it might even be 3/8") requires more space than a similar length of 8mm chain would (back of fag packet calculation suggests it represents in increase of cross sectional area of nearly 1/3). It really is noticeably chunkier than 8mm.

We’ll be going to the boat next weekend, I could take a photo for you.

Edited: Brigitte on 2017-02-18 16:30:34

Colin Pritchard at 18/02/2017 18:24:09
We sail on the west coast of Scotland. We have 40m of 8mm chain and 30m of nylon warp. We also separately carry a 20m extra length of chain which after many years have only used a couple of times to piggyback an extra anchor. We also carry 2 lengths of nylon warp, each 30m, but have only used that once in very deep water in Norway. At the start of last season we changed our ancient 25lb CQR for a shiny new 12kg Rocna Vulcan. The Vulcan is a wierd shape but it goes into the locker ok with the chain. The chain needs to be carefully laid in the locker to do it, and by the end of last season we were getting used to it. We anchor nearly all the time when cruising and the Vulcan has been remarkable. It has set solidly every time, as soon as we’ve pulled back on the chain, and it never dragged at all. The old CQR usually took 2 to 3 goes to get it to set and frequently dragged.

Hope this gives you food for thought.

Colin Pritchard

Resolute635 at 18/02/2017 18:36:02
Very helpful. I’ll have a look at the Vulcan.

doug at 23/02/2017 18:57:24
I have 45m of 8mm chain which fits easily with my 10kg Bruce, I am sure I could fit in 60m with a bit of care. I do have extra warp but stow it in the cockpit locker, as it doubles as long mooring line. 45m has been fine most of the time but I have used extra stuff, esp in the Channel Isles.

George Isted posted a photo showing his boat with 18m chain, 30m rope and a 10kg Rocna, here:

http://www.co32bb.org/anchors-revisited-rocna_topic44.html

Resolute635 at 03/03/2017 16:49:43

I’ve become very interested in the Vulcan – how did you arrive at that choice given the options out there?

Thanks. Peter Jarrett

Colin Pritchard at 04/03/2017 18:05:00
Choice of the Vulcan wasn’t very scientific. We wanted a more up to date anchor than the CQR and one which would fit into the locker. A Delta seemed the most likely, based on other member’s experience, but the test results for other modern anchors looked better, if we could find one which would fit. We keep the boat at Ardfern who are dealers for Rocna, they suggested the Vulcan and they tried fitting different sized anchors into the locker for us. The 12kg one went in ok, we convinced ourselves that the test results were reliable, and Ardfern offered us an attractive deal. We’ve had no regrets.

Colin Pritchard