How much anchor chain?

Happy Dayz

Happy Dayz

Active Member
Jun 26, 2017
543
Sarasota, FL
Boat Info
'06 260 Sundancer, 6.2, BIII, Kohler 5kw
79' classic Kona Family Cruiser jet boat..
Engines
6.2 w/ BIII, 502 w/ Berkekley
FYI - anchor chain on sale for Fathers Day at WM, 25% off...

on my 260da - original owner has about 6" of chain on the anchor, no windlass... it often is a bit*h getting hooked and has lost hook too... even with a lot of scope... no good for we spend most weekends on the hook!

so time for chain.. how much length of 3/8" you think? i have heard, boat length but wife could never help...

im thinking 12' ...

thanks in advance... come on weekend!
 
The more the better... my 310 came with 25' of chain (I went to full chain 2 seasons ago).
 
I just added 50 feet to the existing 30 feet of chain. Where we boat you'll never need any more unless you're planning an offshore trip to deeper waters. The added weight helps the boat plane faster and I don't have to worry about ropes tangling up.
 
i understand but both have windlass... i dont.. i would have all chain too

most depth 15-20', mostly overnight is 3-5'... flat Florida

can i get situational recommendations for no windlass please... thx...
 
I got the 5/16" x 20' of chain with 200' of 9/16" line from West Marine when we had our 260DA. Also had a 22lb Delta. It was the best combo ever. We anchor for the day in 4' or overnight in 8-10'.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west...-for-windlasses--P005_150_001_004?recordNum=3

3/8" is too much.

Wife was fine hoisting up that rhode, but it was a challenge. She weirdly enjoyed it though. Get her some fabric gloves with rubber palms to help with grip. Or, teach her how to drive so you can pull it in.


Edit: I can't seem to get the links to work without taking you to a STUPID viglink page. ARGH! anyway...here are the details of the rode package I got - just search on www.westmarine.com
Model # 151897 | Mfg # 5/16HT-200-9/16 | UPC # 25282151899
 
Last edited:
importmonkey said:
I got the 5/16" x 20' of chain with 200' of 9/16" line from West Marine when we had our 260DA. Also had a 22lb Delta. It was the best combo ever. We anchor for the day in 4' or overnight in 8-10'.

3/8" is too much.
Click to expand...

why is 3/8" too much..? i figured a little heavier chain for shorter length than "standard"

isnt the whole idea that it keeps the anchor from moving while boat bobs... at some point more isnt any better...
 
I would go for 5/16 so you get longer chain for the same weight. You want the chain to hold the scope of the rode low to the bottom so the anchor shank is held down and it sets into the bottom better. You are not using the weight to hold the boat, its to hold the scope low.
 
3/8" is too much weight to be hauling in by hand. 1/4" is plenty strong enough and will do the job very well. The 6" you have there currently is pretty much useless. I'd put at least 6 feet on there - believe it or not, that will help. From there, just let out more line. If the anchor is going to get snagged on something, it's going to get snagged whether you have chain or rope.

The problem you run into is that without a windlass it starts to get cumbersome hauling in the chain without scratching something. Do you at least have an anchor roller and does the anchor stay in the roller all the time? That would make it easier, at least. And then you could add more chain as it's easier to retrieve with a roller. The other thing is that if you're using all (or a lot of chain in shallow water) chain, you'll also need to use a snubber. If you keep the chain to say, under 20', you won't need the snubber.

You can't really "go wrong" with more chain, but it's pain in the butt without a windlass.
 
Lazy Daze said:
3/8" is too much weight to be hauling in by hand. 1/4" is plenty strong enough and will do the job very well. The 6" you have there currently is pretty much useless. I'd put at least 6 feet on there - believe it or not, that will help. From there, just let out more line. If the anchor is going to get snagged on something, it's going to get snagged whether you have chain or rope.

The problem you run into is that without a windlass it starts to get cumbersome hauling in the chain without scratching something. Do you at least have an anchor roller and does the anchor stay in the roller all the time? That would make it easier, at least. And then you could add more chain as it's easier to retrieve with a roller. The other thing is that if you're using all (or a lot of chain in shallow water) chain, you'll also need to use a snubber. If you keep the chain to say, under 20', you won't need the snubber.

You can't really "go wrong" with more chain, but it's pain in the butt without a windlass.
Click to expand...


I added this anchor roller to a previous smaller boat....it worked very well to keep the anchor and chain from scratching the boat when deploying and retrieving the anchor....

cliff

boat anchor roller.jpg
 
I added 10' of chain to my rope and added a bow roller to keep it off the hull. i had trouble getting the anchor to hold but since adding that chain i have had no issues and with the roller it isn't too bad to pull
 
If you have been looking at Happy Dayz's pictures, you will see that he already has a bow roller.
 
I was also thinking of going all-chain on my 98, 330 but am worried about the added weight on my Lofrans. I anchor on average about 20 feet deep and lay out about 60 ft . Any thoughts on the windless ??
 
Somer-Villa 69 said:
I was also thinking of going all-chain on my 98, 330 but am worried about the added weight on my Lofrans. I anchor on average about 20 feet deep and lay out about 60 ft . Any thoughts on the windless ??
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you mean. The Lofrans handles chain just fine. What added weight are you referring?
 
CaptRonn said:
I'm not sure what you mean. The Lofrans handles chain just fine. What added weight are you referring?
Click to expand...
I have 20 ft. of chain now and then rope so if its all chain then it would be heavier all the way down. So I could be pulling up 70 ft of chain instead of a 20/50 split.
 
Somer-Villa 69 said:
I have 20 ft. of chain now and then rope so if its all chain then it would be heavier all the way down. So I could be pulling up 70 ft of chain instead of a 20/50 split.
Click to expand...

I have all chain and pull in 70 feet or so when I anchor, and I haven't noticed any problems.
 
CaptRonn said:
I have all chain and pull in 70 feet or so when I anchor, and I haven't noticed any problems.
Click to expand...
Thanks. that makes me comfortable about changing over. Any advice on changing the screens on my porthole oval windows
 
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