V700 windlass retrieve issue

My solution for the anchor rope part of the rode twisting is to use all chain on the part of the rode that is used most commonly.

100 ft of 1/4 inch G-4 High Test anchors my CD most all the time, although I have 200 feet of New England Ropes 3-strand nylon back up spliced in for use as needed.

The chain most definitely doesn't like twisting, and the weight of the anchor and chain will immediately unwind/untwist itself once the anchor frees the bottom and hangs freely.

(100 feet of 1/4 inch G-4 weighs 74 pounds.)

An added plus is that with the heavy chain and a good anchor, you usually don't need the 7:1 type of ratios usually recommended for anchoring, which take into consideration all types of bottoms, storm conditions, overnight use, 180 or more (cumulatively) wind shifts, U.S.Navy Seals Operations, and the Great Final Cataclysmic Plate Techtonics Realignment.

With the chain, your boat will wander or "search" less at anchor as well, an added benefit. (Swings in a smaller radius.)

Plus, the chain will not slip in the teeth (pockets) of the windlass, period.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it! :lol:

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Sea Wolf":2g4rqrsh said:
My solution for the anchor rope part of the rode twisting is to use all chain on the part of the rode that is used most commonly.
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I've always used all chain in the past, but so far on my 22 I have 200' of rope and 25' of chain (subject to change though). I have a question for you which is how do you snub the rode when it is deployed? (I figure with all chain you must snub.) Have you added chocks for a rope bridle? A single line to the bow eye? Or...?

Looking for ideas for when I add a windlass and it sounds like you have your system "down."

(For the Powell [first] trip I "got away with" just running the rope back up through the anchor roller, but.... it was not ideal and I definitely want to come up with a way to properly snub it. Even moreso if I shell out the bucks for a windlass.)

Thanks,
Sunbeam
 
I just use the bow cleat with the rode coming back from the anchor pulpit. Not ideal since the windlass is in line but it seems to work just fine...and I can cleat the rode by reaching out the bow hatch.
 
Sunbeam":14r0y2c8 said:
I definitely want to come up with a way to properly snub it. Even moreso if I shell out the bucks for a windlass.)
Thanks,
Sunbeam
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The method I use is a 5 foot line secured to the bow eye with the distal end secured to the rode with a rolling hitch....works great!
 
DaveS":242q04l7 said:
Sunbeam":242q04l7 said:
I definitely want to come up with a way to properly snub it. Even moreso if I shell out the bucks for a windlass.)
Thanks,
Sunbeam
Click to expand...

The method I use is a 5 foot line secured to the bow eye with the distal end secured to the rode with a rolling hitch....works great!
Click to expand...

That's what I've been thinking I would do -- good to hear that it works for you. Good old rolling hitch :thup Chocks might also be nice, but then I would have to figure out exactly where I wanted them (for which more time on the boat would be a good thing); whereas the bow eye is already positioned.

(I will probably replace the bow eye prior to using it for that, but with the same basic size/position. Not that there is anything obviously amiss, but the inside ends (nuts) are "factory" buried in a mound of caulk that was then gelcoated over -- and I'm not fond of hidden, oxygen-deprived stainless. So, I'll dig that out and re-install with a new, rated eye and a backing plate.)
 
At present, I tie off to the cleat as Colobear described.

DaveS, to take strain off the windlass do you let rode out after you have hitched into it?

Sunbeam I think you mentioned earlier you do not use a swivel. I am curious why not?

This Away you mentioned you use 50' of chain. Can you explain why you like this amount?

Sea Wolf I like your story and sticking to it.
 
We don't use a swivel either. When we are retrieving the anchor using the windless as soon as we get the chain (25') to the windless we just bump the up switch ON AND OFF which helps let the twists come out a little better than if you just lay on the up switch until the anchor is in the roller. We just use three strand rode, but if I would replace it I would go with what Lewmar recommends. The fabric softener trick works well.
D.D.
 
We use New England 3 strand ion the Lewmar H700. 45 ft 1/4 g4 hi test and no swivel. I like the fewest links in the system. Like others on retrieve we like to let the chain unwind on the way up. We'll motor ahead to take the pressure off and just let the windlass lift the gear. I rarely snub the rode anymore as we run a 22 lb Lewmar anchor. I have yet to see us drag. If in real shallow water I'll run a rolling hitch on the chain and tie off over the windlass to the cleat. In deeper water same deal rolling hitch on the rope rode. Loads go to the windlass. No chocks up front as I use the bow eye for forward mooring line( always attached) , I have run the anchor loads to the bow eye to experiment in gusty conditions. Seems to settle the boat down in swinging. I also will put a bungy cord on the rode to the bow eye for the same reason at times.
 
primative":1bule943 said:
Sunbeam, where did you buy your line ( yale brait, 8plait, single braid line)?
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If I remember correctly, I ordered it from Fisheries Supply. If it was not that it was Defender. So far I'm very happy with it (no windlass yet however).

The splicing wasn't too difficult, although the instructions were a bit confusing to me (i.e. they made it seem harder). I made a rope-to-chain splice so it would work in a (future) windlass.
 
ghone":32367uzv said:
We use New England 3 strand ion the Lewmar H700. 45 ft 1/4 g4 hi test and no swivel. I like the fewest links in the system. Like others on retrieve we like to let the chain unwind on the way up. We'll motor ahead to take the pressure off and just let the windlass lift the gear. I rarely snub the rode anymore as we run a 22 lb Lewmar anchor. I have yet to see us drag. If in real shallow water I'll run a rolling hitch on the chain and tie off over the windlass to the cleat. In deeper water same deal rolling hitch on the rope rode. Loads go to the windlass. No chocks up front as I use the bow eye for forward mooring line( always attached) , I have run the anchor loads to the bow eye to experiment in gusty conditions. Seems to settle the boat down in swinging. I also will put a bungy cord on the rode to the bow eye for the same reason at times.
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ghone, I do not understand why you said "Loads go to the windlass." I thought the idea for the extra rope hitched to the rode and tied to your cleat was to relieve windlass strain. The forward mooring line that you keep attached to your bow eye is not the same line you use for hitching into your rode, otherwise you would not be able to tie off at the cleat, correct? It's a bit confusing because I think DaveS said earlier he uses a bow eye line to put his hitch onto the rode which would mean you do not use the cleat. Are you saying you do this too, sometimes in gusty conditions?

I was surprised to hear you and others do not use a swivel. I thought it was an anchor rigging standard to help prevent line twist.

Sunbeam, thanks for the contacts.
 
Sharp eye Primitive! Typing boo boo. Meant to say "loads don't go to windlass". Windlasses aren't designed for more than the rated pick up load. Our little boats could probably get away with letting the windlass hold things but a day would come... I have used the bow line to the rode a few times mostly to see how the boat lies. So far I don't see much difference but maybe less swing when gusty . I still tie to the cleat just pull a bunch of slack keeping the load on the bowline and tie off in the normal way. In case the rolling hitch were to slip. In my time in the marine retail business I saw too many broken swivels to trust them. Try a Google search on putting swivels in anchor systems. Lots of reasons why not to have them and few to have them. Sorry for the confusion. My IPad still puts words I didn't want sometimes. Self correcting robot thingy! George
 
" I still tie to the cleat just pull a bunch of slack keeping the load on the bowline and tie off in the normal way. In case the rolling hitch were to slip."

Thanks George. Don't mean to be tedious, just want to be understanding correctly. When you say in the above quote ""pull a bunch of slack", you are talking about extra line from the anchor locker and that is going onto the cleat for back up safety in addition to a separate load absorbing line that is hitched to the rode in front of the bow roller bracket and then also tied to the cleat?

Also thanks for the swivel info.. I have not done any research other than what I was told to do at the local marine supply years ago.

Tom
 
Close. I just tie the rode to the line attached to the bow eye with a rolling hitch near it's end and drop it in the water. Then just tie the rode off with some slack to the cleat by pulling a little out of the locker. Isn't very scientific mostly just experimenting. Usually just bring the rode back over the windlass and tie off. George
 
primative":34898m6l said:
DaveS, to take strain off the windlass do you let rode out after you have hitched into it?
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.

Deploy and set your anchor, then secure one end of the 5 foot line to the bow eye. Then hand pull in several feet of anchor rode, attach your rolling hitch to the rode then ease the rode out so the strain is taken on the 5 foot line and bow eye and no strain is on the winch. If I know I am going to anchor frequently on a cruise I keep the 5 foot line secured to the bow eye and when not at anchor I secure the line to the bow pulpit and it is ready to use at the next anchorage. This same line can be utilized on a mooring buoy. (If used for that you might consider a longer line).
 
Sea Wolf":2b9jpvlb said:
I have a question for you which is how do you snub the rode when it is deployed? (I figure with all chain you must snub.) Have you added chocks for a rope bridle? A single line to the bow eye? Or...?

Thanks,
Sunbeam
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For overnight anchoring, I use a rolling hitch and bring the new snubber line back over the bow roller and tie it to the center bow cleat. (The roller has a bail which secures the rode or new line down.)

During the day, I just leave the chain under load, around the windlass gypsy, and led down into the locker. No problems in 8 years, but of course, I boat mostly on inland lakes, not the open ocean/bays.

IM001284.jpg

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
George
Just got off the animated knots site and it suggests using a little smaller diameter line for the rolling hitch onto the main line so it is less likely to slip. Makes sense.

Dave S, thanks for the clarifications.

Tom
 
Nylon plaited line/rope/rode has a slightly higher average tensile strength than 3 strand nylon: for 1/2" plait: 8300#, 3 strand: 6300#. Since the equivalent cross sectional are is what gives line it's strength, for the same material, it's seems reasonable to assume that the plait , though nylon, doesn't stretch as much.

I changed from 3 strand to 6 strand plait and I certainly can't tell the difference. I got the plait because it's more flexed and Lewmar recommended it for the V700. I finally changed the capstan back to the V600, since it works better. They're interchangeable.

Boris
 
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