rgano
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2007
- Messages
- 5,198
- Location
- Panama City area
- Vessel Name
- FROLIC
- Vessel Make
- Mainship 30 Pilot II since 2015. GB-42 1986-2015. Former Unlimited Tonnage Master
Rode is good and more rode usually can't hurt a thing, but...
I typically come home from anchoring out and throw upen the chain locker hatch and hose down combination rode consisting of 160 feet of 1/4" G4 chain and 130 feet of what I think is called 8-brait nylon maybe 1/2" in size. After the freshwater is done draining out, I leave the hatch open indefinitely (rain not an issue under my boat shed) to let it dry out.
Yesterday with brother labor handy, we rousted out the whole rode onto the pier to remark the chain, and I discovered that after a week the chain was resting on still soaking wet nylon causing a bit of corrosion on some of the chain and a LOT of rust on the link at the union point with the nylon. I also noted that the triangular bottom of the chain locker was holding water in the aft section in part due to the drain hole being installed in the forwardmost tip of the triangle. Some of the water retention was due in part to the design of the boatlift which cants the boat downward aft, but I figure that even in the water there is still a bit of water retained in the aft section of the locker. There was a layer of West Marine pqstic dry deck grating down there, but the water level was above it in the aft section.
So, as we sat around talking over this issue, I quickly realized that 290 feet of rode on a 30-foot boat which I will NEVER likely anchor in over 20 feet of water (5 feet to water from roller) was a bit excessive, especially in light of the ongoing corrosive environment the chain was in. 160 feet of chain, my preferred rode material, is quite sufficient.
I cut the last rusty link of chain thus detaching the nylon, threw in several more squares of dry deck grating to keep the chain clear of the water in the bottom of the ocker and called it good. The nylon will be dried out and tossed into the lazarette. If I ever needed to anchor in deep water, I would likely not use that chain due to the small sized windlass. Rather I'd break out the 200 feet of 5/8" nylon storm rode I carry, and, if necessary, add the 130 feet of 8-brait, an extremely unlikely event.
Now I need to figure out how to put an eye slice in this 8 brait stuff.
I typically come home from anchoring out and throw upen the chain locker hatch and hose down combination rode consisting of 160 feet of 1/4" G4 chain and 130 feet of what I think is called 8-brait nylon maybe 1/2" in size. After the freshwater is done draining out, I leave the hatch open indefinitely (rain not an issue under my boat shed) to let it dry out.
Yesterday with brother labor handy, we rousted out the whole rode onto the pier to remark the chain, and I discovered that after a week the chain was resting on still soaking wet nylon causing a bit of corrosion on some of the chain and a LOT of rust on the link at the union point with the nylon. I also noted that the triangular bottom of the chain locker was holding water in the aft section in part due to the drain hole being installed in the forwardmost tip of the triangle. Some of the water retention was due in part to the design of the boatlift which cants the boat downward aft, but I figure that even in the water there is still a bit of water retained in the aft section of the locker. There was a layer of West Marine pqstic dry deck grating down there, but the water level was above it in the aft section.
So, as we sat around talking over this issue, I quickly realized that 290 feet of rode on a 30-foot boat which I will NEVER likely anchor in over 20 feet of water (5 feet to water from roller) was a bit excessive, especially in light of the ongoing corrosive environment the chain was in. 160 feet of chain, my preferred rode material, is quite sufficient.
I cut the last rusty link of chain thus detaching the nylon, threw in several more squares of dry deck grating to keep the chain clear of the water in the bottom of the ocker and called it good. The nylon will be dried out and tossed into the lazarette. If I ever needed to anchor in deep water, I would likely not use that chain due to the small sized windlass. Rather I'd break out the 200 feet of 5/8" nylon storm rode I carry, and, if necessary, add the 130 feet of 8-brait, an extremely unlikely event.
Now I need to figure out how to put an eye slice in this 8 brait stuff.
