Thursday, October 01, 2009 |
Author: Jacob
A while back I promised to write a post on gear, what worked and what didn't work in our first season cruising. Well, that idea got lost in the shuffle as we quickly fell back into work and other 'real-life' type responsibilities. Now though we are starting to get ready to head back to Pisces, and as part of that preparation we are buying a whole bunch of fun new stuff. So, rather than talk about all the gear on Pisces that worked well, I thought I'd talk a little bit about a brief selection of gear that we are excited about replacing or adding for this second season of cruising.
Anchors!
I am currently deep in anchor obsession mode (ask Julia). Last season we used a 45lb CQR and a 45lb Bruce, with 300 ft of 5/16" High-Test Chain. The setup worked great, and we never dragged, really it's plenty big for our boat.
But here's what I'm thinking...if a 45lb anchor works great...then a 60lb anchor would work greater! I talked to a guy the other day with a 60lb anchor on a 37' boat who called it his '60lb sleeping pill.'
I am pining for a 55lb Rocna anchor. These anchors have have been getting consistently great reviews...and it's bigger! We would most likely sell our 45lb CQR and keep the Bruce as a secondary anchor.
There are a couple complications to this lovely plan, not the least of which is that our current windlass (a vertical style older Lewmar Ocean) is pretty much maxed out with the current ground tackle, and has some major problems such as no manual mode. If the purchase of a new anchor also necessitates the purchase of a new windlass, things get very pricey very quickly. When we left Pisces in June we wrote ourselves a note along the lines of "No matter what, buy a new windlass, don't try to back out, do it!!" Now that we've spent a little time looking at the prices of windlasses we are seriously considering creative ways to justify backing out of purchasing a new one.
On a more technical note, I've learned some interesting things about the load ratings of various pieces of the anchoring system that might prove helpful to someone else.
- BBB Chain has a Working Load Limit (WLL) of 1/4 of its Breaking Load Limit (BLL).
- High-Test Chain (Grade 43) in the U.S. has a WLL of 1/3 of its BLL.
- Shackles generally have a WLL of 1/6 of their BLL.
So, in order to compare the pieces of the anchoring system you need to do a bit of normalizing. For instance, our 5/16" HT chain has a WLL of 3900 lbs, and therefore a BLL of 11,700lbs. Our shackles (3/8") have a WLL of 2000lbs, however they have a 6-1 safety factor and therefore a BLL of 12,000lbs. On the other hand 3/8" Proof Coil chain has a WLL of 2,650lbs and therefore a BLL of 10,600 lbs.
However, please go verify the above for yourself, and let me know if you find a flaw in my numbers! (Also, if the above isn't geeky enough for you then check out: http://alain.fraysse.free.fr/sail/rode/rode.htm for an in-depth discussion of anchoring physics)
Boat Cards!
Okay, so now that I've driven almost everyone to give up on reading this post...we are making boat cards so that we can more easily exchange info with the variety of people we meet along the way. As it was, we ended up writing our information on the backs of other people's cards (particularly Tao's cards) and feeling like everyone was way more organized than we were. We're using VistaPrint for our cards.
Outboard Engine!
Having a hard dinghy is awesome, and rowing is awesome too. Probably 90% of the time it was totally fine, but there were some instances where, due to wind/chop or sheer distance, rowing was enough of a pain to keep us boat bound. Yesterday we bought an awesome little used Mercury 2.5hp. We're hoping that this will expand our dinghy horizons a bit, without meaning that we get too lazy about rowing.
Fancy Jib Halyard!
Pisces is rigged almost exclusively with Sta-Set line that, while being durable and reasonably priced, can be a bit stretchy. This has been particularly problematic on our jib halyard. As the wind picks up we have been making frequent trips to the mast to tighten up the halyard and keep the jib shape looking good. We're going to swap the current halyard out with something fancy like T900, and hopefully we won't have to adjust the halyard tension every time the wind kicks up another 5 knots.
Anchors!
I am currently deep in anchor obsession mode (ask Julia). Last season we used a 45lb CQR and a 45lb Bruce, with 300 ft of 5/16" High-Test Chain. The setup worked great, and we never dragged, really it's plenty big for our boat.
But here's what I'm thinking...if a 45lb anchor works great...then a 60lb anchor would work greater! I talked to a guy the other day with a 60lb anchor on a 37' boat who called it his '60lb sleeping pill.'
I am pining for a 55lb Rocna anchor. These anchors have have been getting consistently great reviews...and it's bigger! We would most likely sell our 45lb CQR and keep the Bruce as a secondary anchor.
There are a couple complications to this lovely plan, not the least of which is that our current windlass (a vertical style older Lewmar Ocean) is pretty much maxed out with the current ground tackle, and has some major problems such as no manual mode. If the purchase of a new anchor also necessitates the purchase of a new windlass, things get very pricey very quickly. When we left Pisces in June we wrote ourselves a note along the lines of "No matter what, buy a new windlass, don't try to back out, do it!!" Now that we've spent a little time looking at the prices of windlasses we are seriously considering creative ways to justify backing out of purchasing a new one.
On a more technical note, I've learned some interesting things about the load ratings of various pieces of the anchoring system that might prove helpful to someone else.
- BBB Chain has a Working Load Limit (WLL) of 1/4 of its Breaking Load Limit (BLL).
- High-Test Chain (Grade 43) in the U.S. has a WLL of 1/3 of its BLL.
- Shackles generally have a WLL of 1/6 of their BLL.
So, in order to compare the pieces of the anchoring system you need to do a bit of normalizing. For instance, our 5/16" HT chain has a WLL of 3900 lbs, and therefore a BLL of 11,700lbs. Our shackles (3/8") have a WLL of 2000lbs, however they have a 6-1 safety factor and therefore a BLL of 12,000lbs. On the other hand 3/8" Proof Coil chain has a WLL of 2,650lbs and therefore a BLL of 10,600 lbs.
However, please go verify the above for yourself, and let me know if you find a flaw in my numbers! (Also, if the above isn't geeky enough for you then check out: http://alain.fraysse.free.fr/sail/rode/rode.htm for an in-depth discussion of anchoring physics)
Boat Cards!
Okay, so now that I've driven almost everyone to give up on reading this post...we are making boat cards so that we can more easily exchange info with the variety of people we meet along the way. As it was, we ended up writing our information on the backs of other people's cards (particularly Tao's cards) and feeling like everyone was way more organized than we were. We're using VistaPrint for our cards.
Outboard Engine!
Having a hard dinghy is awesome, and rowing is awesome too. Probably 90% of the time it was totally fine, but there were some instances where, due to wind/chop or sheer distance, rowing was enough of a pain to keep us boat bound. Yesterday we bought an awesome little used Mercury 2.5hp. We're hoping that this will expand our dinghy horizons a bit, without meaning that we get too lazy about rowing.
Fancy Jib Halyard!
Pisces is rigged almost exclusively with Sta-Set line that, while being durable and reasonably priced, can be a bit stretchy. This has been particularly problematic on our jib halyard. As the wind picks up we have been making frequent trips to the mast to tighten up the halyard and keep the jib shape looking good. We're going to swap the current halyard out with something fancy like T900, and hopefully we won't have to adjust the halyard tension every time the wind kicks up another 5 knots.
Gratuitous wood boat photos:
6 comments:
Jacob,
The rule of thumb for sizing an anchor is that if it seems to be too big and everyone comments on why do you have an anchor that is so large then you have the right sized anchor. The #55 Rocna would be my dream anchor but they cost a fortune. It is awfully hard to leave something like that on the bottom if you ever have to slip the hook. Consider a high quality manual windlass which will save juice. Electric things tend to break at the worst possible time. Chain, shackles, swivels, and rode should be matched by breaking strain not working load. Shackles and swivels should be one size larger than the chain as a rule. Don't underestimate the importance of a snubber to act as a shock absorber to take the load off of the windlass and to keep the anchor from getting jerked out. Be sure to wire or cotter pin shackles and swivels for peace of mind. Scope the chain 6 to 1 vs. depth. Good Anchoring.
Greg
Hi Greg,
The Rocna is expensive, but so is any anchor in that size.
We are considering manual windlasses, but really I think the best situation is an electric with a good manual mode. Plus, we really need a vertical windlass (again due to roller geometry), and the options for hefty vertical manuals is...none. Except for the occasional used Anchorman windlasses, which in my opinion aren't really big enough to handle our day-in-day-out anchoring while cruising (again just my opinion...you have an anchorman right? :).
You can actually get a Simpson Lawrence SeaTiger 555 brand new these days! Unfortunately cost is up in the same ballpark as some of the Maxwell electric + manual windlasses (very sweet looking), leading back to the beginning of the 'new anchor->new windlass->manual windlass' loop.
Jacob
Jacob,
The anchorman has worked well for me using 5/16' HT and a #45 CQR. It is a one to one so to improve leverage the lever or winch handle is lengthened. What I do is get right over my anchor straight up and down then let the swell break out the hook. In your case an anchorman could be installed as a backup. I got mine for $250 on ebay new. There is nothing wrong with an electric just don't try to pull your boat with it when retrieving the hook. Be sure to have the engine running in neutral at 1500 rpm to help with the amp load.
Greg
Jacob, just e-mailed you. However when I was doing my refit at Svendsens I was going to replace my Simpson Lawrence Tiger 555 with an electric windlass and the pros there at the boat yard recommended I keep the manual one. They said what Greg says, electric things break. The former owners cruised Astraea for seven years and Ingrid, the wife, was the anchor person (funny how that works) and she said she never had any problem with it in seven years in Mexico, Caribbean and the Bahahas. I find that with a typical 125 feet of 3/8 chain out (I carry 350 feet)and my 45 CQR that when I am solo I can weigh anchor in just a few minutes. And as you know I am NOT that young anymore. I consider it my onboard workout system. Anyway, it is surprisingly fast.
By the way, I know what you mean about spending like a drunken sailor. I am on a first name basis with the staff at Downwind now.
Damn. The old salts (meant in the most complementary way :) are coming out and making me look lazy with my preference for an electric windlass.
Oh well, at this point we are pretty sure we are not going to do any windlass replacing, so, electric it stays.
Rocnas are expensive. But boats are more expensive.
The single best piece of safety equipment we have on board our 40' Caliber is our 72lb. Rocna. I love it. We got clobbered anchoring outside of Port Townsend, WA in a 35 knot southerly with three to five foot chop coming through the anchorage. Three other boats washed up on shore that weekend (including one up on the rocks) while our Rocna and 300' of 5/16HT chain held fast.
I'm sure plenty of other anchors would have performed similarly but I can't tell you how good it feels to know that your anchor is drastically oversized when the stink kicks up.