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Anchor set up


ab1974

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Putting my Elliott 7.9 in the water later this month as the rebuild is finally done (all bar making up the new rigging).

 

Question on anchor set up.

 

I have a Rocna 6kg anchor. I also have 30m of good quality regalvanised 6mm chain. The anchor locker in the Elliott is quite shallow and not what I would call generous, so not sure how much chain / rode I will get in there. (I have to turn the Rocna around to face aft to get it into the locker if I don't want to leave it on the bow roller - which I have modified so it can sit there with sufficient room not to knock the Elliotts plumb bow).

 

The Elliott sits on the cusp between the 6kg and 10kg Rocna - but couldn't fit the 10kg in the locker so that made the decision easier!

 

I want to race (not a rock star) and cruise with the family for weekend trips away.

 

I have also had a look at the YNZ safety regs for Cat 3 (as I may want to do the Coastal Classic) and it says for Cat 3 I require 2 anchors, one with a boat length of chain and 60m of warp or chain and a second one with 6m chain and 40m rope.

 

I haven't purchased the rope yet.

 

So assuming I buy 100m of 10mm rope (60m primary / 40m reserve), what would people do with the 30m chain I have?

 

Would you cut a 6m length, an 8m length (for racing) leaving a 16m length for cruising or have a 6m length and just retain the remaining 24m for racing / cruiusing? Other options? Does my set up feel right? What sort of rope should I buy (polyester or nylon) and where from?

 

Thanks for everyone's advice on bits and pieces on the rebuild so far. Will post some pictures soon. It is looking sweet!!

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I have also had a look at the YNZ safety regs for Cat 3 (as I may want to do the Coastal Classic) and it says for Cat 3 I require 2 anchors

Common safe boating practice says 2 anchors as well. Only Cat 5 allows carrying only one anchor i.e go past Nth Head and the Regs along with common sense say have 2.

 

A 6kg Rocna is sweet as is the 6mm chain in the Regs, even for Cat 1. I am assuming here you'd be sub 2500kg in displacement.

 

Good idea on buying 100mts of rope and splitting it into a 60 and a 40. That covers the Regs and either length would probably do you weekend with weekend cruising assuming you don't want to anchor behind Barrier hunting big Hapukas. DO KNOT use a polyprop, get a Polyester of if you have a anchor winch get a Nylon. You need at least a 10mm to comply with the Regs but as that is smallish some do move to a 12mm just for the extra ease of handling.

 

If locker space is tight you could look at a braid or a multiplait as as they are non-rotating ropes there will be less memory issues and it should pack away nier for a hell of a lot longer. But a bog Std 3 strand does comply and will work.

 

Cut a 6mt length of the chain for your secondary. Attach that to the 40mts of rope and you'r good to go. Get a danforth pattern anchor (cheap) in the 10S or 13S size or maybe a Alloy R4 (3.1kg = nice) and it will comply and actually work pretty well. No point just complying when it's just as easy to get a system that will also work.

 

Now all you have left is 24mts of 6mm chain. The Regs require you to have 8mts (a boat length measured on deck). So the call you have to make is do I carry all 24mts (19kg) or the minimum (6.5kg) or something in-between. I'd be thinking if I take Ma and the kids away in the weekends I'd probably carry 15mts (12kg) (in fact I actually do) and just make sure all the crew have a good dump before any racing. But then 99% of us cock up at least one tack or manoeuvre in a race and I'm pretty sure that would cost more time than carrying the full 24mts of chain.

 

The golden rule is more chain works far better than less chain. One boat length is at the very minimum end of std practice, 99% of boats would carry longer, at least 1.5 time LOA.

 

One blokes thoughts.

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Thanks Knot Me, great post. Where is the best place to get the multibraid?

 

I guess changing the chain over from the 8m (racing) to the 16m (cruising) would be a pain the in the backside if doing it on a regular basis, so I would be better off just having the 16m in the locker for racing / crusing combo. Just have to decide if the additonal 8m should be retained (putting an extra 6.6kg in the bow) but better for crusing or cut it off and sit it in the garage waiting for races like the coastal.

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Knot Me, could I use a 'chain link' to join the 16m and 8m chains in the event I was going away cruising and wanted to have a bit more chain for security? If so seems that would give me the best of both worlds?

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I, like many, had the lofty ideal of having a cruising length and a racing length of chain and swapping as required. In reality it doesn't quite work out that way. There is usually enough other bits going on swapping the chain is a just a pain in the arse :)

 

But say setting the primary up for racing and adding the extra chain as part of the 'swap too cruising mode' programme is a perfectly valid and good plan. It's probably what I would do myself if I wasn't so lazy. A simple shackle would work fine. I am assuming a anchor winch would be a rare sight, at the very least, on a E7.9, so no worries with a shackle. Don't worry about the shackles strength as you have one just the same between the anchor and chain, something many seem to forget ;)

 

 

Where abouts are you so I can aim you at a multiplait place.

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Yep, don't want to make things too complicated. Will use the 16m chain for most of the year as can cruise and race with that. Will only add the 8m if were cruising and it looks like it is going to blow up.

 

No anchor winch on the E7.9 - was contemplated briefly but dismissed in preference of a decent fridge to keep the beers cold!

 

I am located on the North Shore, but work in the CBD and boat is in a shed in West Auckland - so can go anywhere to get the rope.

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-No anchor winch on the E7.9 - was contemplated briefly but dismissed in preference of a decent fridge to keep the beers cold!

 

Did the exact same myself and have never looked back. The cold beers easily overcome the pain I get watching the missus or crew pull the anchor up :) :)

 

Re the Braid - probably knot. Most chandlers sell and stock only the faster moving gear especially in these financially challenged times for them, they are watching cashflow very carefully just like everyone. The braid will cost you probably twice if knot more than a 3 strand at most places, just a volume thing where for every mt of braided made about a gazillion metres of 3 strand is. I'm heavily leaning towards saying just use a nice 10/12mm polyester 3 strand, it'll stay softer and would go the hard wire like route Nylons tend to after a while, fall into the locker nicely and save the beer tokens. It sounds like you have poured enough of those into your beast of late anyway :)

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Thanks Knot Me, will look out for a good deal on some 10-12mm polyester.

 

Every $ I can save now is important, though I must say the horse has well and truely bolted..............

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KnotMe have you seen this stuff?

 

Polysteel.

 

Polysteel ropes are 40% stronger than standard (monofilament) polypropyelene and 20-30% lighter than nylon, with less stretch. The ropes are UV resistant, with superior handling that softens with use and does not harden with age. There is no loss of strength when wet and they float.

 

http://cancord.thomasnet.com/viewitems/ ... |1051|1056

 

 

Sounds a bit like me.....

 

softens with use and does not harden with age :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

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floating line? might be alright for dock lines (whats the point with the weight saving then?) but ya wont catch me using floating line on an anchor. i like the line pointing down so others don't snag it.

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KnotMe have you seen this stuff?

 

Polysteel.

 

Polysteel ropes are 40% stronger than standard (monofilament) polypropyelene and 20-30% lighter than nylon, with less stretch. The ropes are UV resistant, with superior handling that softens with use and does not harden with age. There is no loss of strength when wet and they float.

 

http://cancord.thomasnet.com/viewitems/ ... |1051|1056

 

 

Sounds a bit like me.....

 

softens with use and does not harden with age :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

Yeap, knot new and just a fancy polyprop. Comes in many names and is available in NZ.

 

In a word 'flash sh*t' and knot in the good way.

 

If you want really super duper flash polyprop by Dyneema or Spectra, they are also in the 'poly family' just at the Gucci end.

 

Or for you Aussies watching you can buy 'Silver'. That is also in the 'Poly family' but is even more sh*t than Polyprop. NZ makes a lot of it but as we aren't brain dead all is exported to Aussie. We are starting to see a bit sold here but only because of a Aussie company having a crack in NZ and going hard out to dumb down our market toe the level Aussies it, BLA. It's polyprops very evil cousin, stay well clear. Also know as Polyethylene or 'PE'. Often has a furry look, which is intentional.

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