How much is too much chain?

[Len]

Diapensia,

Prior to getting the 275' of chain you may have paid little attention to the bottom of you chain locker (probably a piece of wood fiberglassed in). There may be lots of space below that false bottom that you may be able to use for chain storage. I have nothing forward of about the middle of the v berth,so my chain falls past a whole cut in the false bottom to the top of the keel(almost)
That location would have minimal impact on trim. Check it out.

[John Danicic]

Oh, I got to chime in here if just to shake off the old year's dust (which is currently in the form of snow) from my brain.

Russell and Greg notwithstanding, most of us lakers and coasters don't need to carry a full chain rode on our Cape Dorys. If you feel you do need to carry it there are options to led the chain aft as Len suggested.

On Mariah, We subscribe to a "mostly chain" rode, 125 feet 5/16 tied to 250 feet of 5/8 brait. Since the great majority of our anchorages are 10 to 25 feet deep, I always just drop 120 feet with a snubber after setting the hook. If we find our self anchored in a thunderstorm there is lots of rode available to let out if there is room, all with a built in snubber. So far, we have not needed to do that. The brait lives in a pile in the peak ahead and separate from the chain which lives directly below the windlass. This separation keeps the brait dry and the chain in a tidy pile ready to go in and out.

I got 125 feet because that is the maximum length of 5/16 chain that UPS will ship before expensive freight charges kick in. Defender has the best chain prices but shipping can negate that advantage.

Hey, Happy New Year to you all and send some warmth up our way. Lake Superior has the possibility of freezing over this winter.

Sail on

John Danicic
CD 36 -Mariah- #124
Lake Superior

[Shipscarver]

I currently have no chain on my CD 27.
What is the optimum chain/line size and length combination for her? How do I compute the variables? Will 30 ft of 3/8 inch steel chain from the anchor with 150 ft of rode total be sufficient and correct for my 27 here in the Gulf and Keys?

[jerryaxler]

I have 180' of chain and 300' of 3 strand nylon on my primary anchor and 36' of chain and 200' of 3 strand on my secondary set up. We try to anchor in 10 to 20' of water on the east coast, so I rarely use more than 100' of rode. On a few occasions where storms were eminent we put out almost all the chain, but I have yet to use any of the 300' of nylon. We also use a chain hook with 15' of 3 strand nylon as a snubber.
The secondary set up is used for lunch stops and as a kedge when I have run aground. It is a lot easier to dinghy out the secondary.