There are 2 main ways to go with Anchor rode for Powerboats or Sailboats. You can use anchor line/rope or anchor chain. I was a fan for many years on the line/rope with a 20 foot length of chain from the anchor. I felt the length of chain from the anchor protected the line from getting chafed from dragging on the bottom as the boat would swing in the wind or change of tide. The chain would scrape along the bottom to a new position instead of your bare anchor line as it bumped or snagged shells, rocks, or debris on the bay or sea floor. By using the chain off the anchor, you’ve added weight which keeps the anchor line parallel along the bottom, making your boat anchor always bite deeper into the bottom.
As my cruising brought me to more areas, I noticed other new or old boats and yachts using all chain to anchor. That Clack-clack-clack of the chain going overboard is a unique sound, and as years went by, I recognized this sound more and more. You can also use much less anchor rode if you have all chain, and I noticed another factor in direct relationship between the two. With rode of line/rope, you move around on the anchor a lot more and also feel more movement when the wind picks up. With an all chain anchor rode, you seem to swing less and as the wind picks up, you also seem to just ease back slightly as the wind blows. It’s like slow motion.
When diving below the water, I have found a difference between the all chain anchor rode and the line/rope anchor rode. With the all chain anchor rode, you can see it go right for the bottom and then head in the direction of the boat anchor. As your boat eases back from a puff of wind, pull makes the chain lifts off the bottom. It is a lot of weight when the chain has to lift off the bottom, which in turn doesn’t let you move back too much. With line/rope anchor rode, that same puff of wind pushes your boat or yacht back quickly becuase there is no weight to the line/rope. It then pulls the chain by the anchor and sometimes gives you a jerk as it tugs on the anchor. Also when anchored and swinging in the wind, the anchor rode with line/rope takes on a full swing of the line you have out. With the all chain rode, its weight alone keeps you in a tight swing so you don’t feel the motion.
In bigger blows it is good to use all chain rode to keep that anchor biting the bottom, but with this kind of wind you can be putting more stress on the chain links and the boat or yacht by the jerking. Here is where you should hook a line/rope right to the chain, maybe 20 feet or so and tie the line/rope to a cleat. This section will now allow the stretching abilities of the line/rope to create less strain and stress to the boat and on the chain links themselves.
Anchor chain does come in various sizes and tensile srength to match your boat or yacht needs. There maybe some considerations to take on the storage and weight of chain, but you will find that most boats and yachts today, (even yours) are equipped with anchor windlass to aid in the ease of letting out and/or bringing in the anchor chain. When looking around the harbor, you will now see the different reactions of boats and yachts on all chain rode and line/rope anchor rode.
Douglas Malat is a licensed captain, sailor, powerboater, and co-creator of Yacht Authority.com, where you will find numerous boat services and yachts for sale in your area.
