[C320-list] Anchor Rode and Filter Wrench

[Scott Lagerquist]

West Marine has a good online anchor recommendation section that discusses size of anchor, chain and line for various boats based on length and displacement.  For this discussion West Marine recommends one boat length of chain attached to the anchor.  My first boat was a Catalina 30 and it had about 6 feet chain between the anchor and rode when I purchased the boat.  The anchor did not hold well and often dragged.  I added 24 feet of chain and noticed a big difference.  No more dragging and the Danforth held really well.  My Catalina 320 has a 33 pound Bruce plow anchor with 120 ft of chain and 200 ft of half inch nylon rode.  This anchor has really performed well and may be overkill.  I do not intend to change the set up.  

I hope this might help those in search of an appropriate anchor chain length.  

Cheers.  
Scott Lagerquist 
1994 320 “Sea Esta”
San Diego, CA

Sent from my iPad

> On Dec 22, 2018, at 5:09 PM, Brian McLamb <bjcnmclamb at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I have approximately 15 feet of chain with 300 feet of rode with a Delta
> plié anchor. It works well in my area of Pamlico Sound and Cape Lookout. To
> keep it stuck I also use a kellet made from a mushroom style dinghy anchor,
> a clip on caribener, and 60 feet of small diameter line like you use for
> pennants. Once I feel the anchor is set well I clip the caribener over the
> ride a slowly slip it down to the sea bed and slowly raise it a few feet.
> This keeps the chain and anchor on the bottom and acts as a s Uber to
> absorb wave action. Just my two cents for the group. Brian s/v Serenity.
> Merry Christmas to all.
> 
> On Sat, Dec 22, 2018 at 8:00 PM jackbrennan <jackbrennan at bellsouth.net>
> wrote:
> 
>> Hi all:
>> On the other hand, around 2001, my family and I anchored our new to us C&C
>> 25 in Biscayne Bay one night when a big cold front rolled through.
>> It had a big Danforth and eight feet of chain.
>> When we woke up, we were about a quarter mile into the Bay instead of near
>> Sand Key.
>> The chain was not enough to force the anchor to dig in after it pulled
>> loose. Admittwdly, it was a Danforth, a questionable anchor.
>> In my opinion, easy to pull up means easy to dislodge. A really good
>> anchor will likely dig in again at some point soon, but more quickly with a
>> lot of chain.
>> Just my two cents.
>> Jack BrennanSonas, 1998 Catalina 220 Tierra Verde, FlDolphin Cruising Club
>> of Tampa Bay
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
>> 
>>  On Sat, Dec 22, 2018 at 4:38 PM, Warren Updike<wupdike at hotmail.com>
>> wrote:   Chris is right, if too much chain for typical anchorage you'll
>> have the chain on-deck to secure rather than the rode. You can attach a
>> line from the overboard chain to tie to a bow cleat. This can be a PIA
>> should you have to adjust the rode, esp. in middle of night and/or in
>> weather. The issue really is how much chain is necessary to create a proper
>> catenary? I don't have a proper answer to that one; but, the original
>> (smaller) anchor had only 8' and was not a problem.
>> 
>> In a related matter, the windlass should not be used to break-out an
>> anchor. I'm told it's not designed for that load. I will use the windlass
>> to pull up to the anchor, then pull up the slack by hand as much as
>> possible and secure on bow cleat. Be patient and let the waves stress the
>> line. As the line slacks, remove slack and re-cleat. The anchor will
>> gradually break out, then use the windlass. Even in a calm, this will
>> usually work. This offered from the Chesapeake Bay were 99% of anchorages
>> are in mud, soft and hard.
>> 
>> Warren & Pattie Updike
>> C320 1994 #62 “Warr de Mar”
>> Middle River, MD (Chesapeake Bay)
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Chris Burti <clburti at gmail.com>
>> Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2018 11:38 AM
>> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
>> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Anchor Rode and Filter Wrench
>> 
>> Larry, we have 25’ of chain and anchor mostly in shallow water. This
>> usually puts the chain at the drum before the anchor can be freed easily
>> with the engine or the windlass. I have added a ‘snubber ‘from the anchor
>> to the end of the chain as a work around but it is really messy in the mud
>> even with a washdown hose in the anchor well.
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> Chris Burti
>> Commitment #867
>> Farmville, NC
>> 
>> From: Larry Frank
>> Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2018 11:20 AM
>> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
>> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Anchor Rode and Filter Wrench
>> 
>> Hey Warren,
>> 
>> I understand what you are saying about not needing more that 12¹ of chain.
>> However I don¹t understand why 18¹ could be too much.  Can you explain
>> what problem this creates?
>> 
>> Larry Frank
>> WindSwept
>> C320 #246
>> 
>>> On 12/20/18, 3:36 PM, "Warren Updike" <wupdike at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> On the basis that opinions are like noses, everybody has one, I'll
>>> offer something. The amount of chain vs rode is a variable and depends,
>>> partly, on where you typically anchor. Here on the Chesapeake we often
>>> anchor in
>>> 10-15 feet, and often less, not very often more. Advice I received from
>>> an old salt whose opinion I value is that more than 12' is not necessary.
>>> On our current rode there is 18' and often I find that too much.
>>> 
>>> Warren & Pattie Updike
>>> C320 1994 #62 ³Warr de Mar²
>>> Middle River, MD (Chesapeake Bay)
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Michael Leschisin <mleschisin at imagestudios.com>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2018 12:14 PM
>>> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
>>> Subject: [C320-list] Anchor Rode and Filter Wrench
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> - A couple quick questions for discussion on a wintery dayŠŠ
>>> 
>>> What are y¹all using for anchor rode?
>>> 
>>> The standard 250 feet of 1/2 inch three strand nylon (with 50¹ of chain
>>> up front) that came with the boat is what I have onboard now, but my
>>> boat turns 15 years old this summer, so I¹m thinking its time for
>> replacement.
>>> (I¹m guessing the previous owner never replaced)  Half inch seems
>>> pretty skinny to me, but it is what Catalina supplied with the boatŠŠ
>>> I'm thinking of upgrading to 5/8 but wondering if this is overkill.
>>> Any opinions?
>>> 
>>> - Secondly, has anyone found a good tool for unscrewing the inline
>>> Yanmar fuel filter housing? (The filter thats attached to the engine
>>> block, not the Raycor).
>>> 
>>> I¹m thinking of picking up a 2 1/2 inch spanner wrench but it looks
>>> like it might be tough to navigate around the fuel line when using it;
>>> looking for any ideas on what works best here.  I used the ³tap
>>> screwdriver with light hammer² method this fall when winterizing but
>>> I¹m not too crazy about marring up the filter housing collar over time.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Thanks for the help!
>>> 
>>> Merry Christmas everyone!
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Michael Leschisin
>>> #995, Wild Blue Yonder
>>> Menominee, MI
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
> Brian McLamb