The best holding would be something like 250 feet of ½” chain, but then your boat would float bow-down. For decades we had 6 feet of ¼” inch chain. This was pretty much standard issue for racing. It did work, we made up for lack of chain catenary by using 7:1 scope. The problem I had with it was that while all the cruisers were on 3:1 all chain scope, I would have to find a much bigger spot to take into account my scope and my boat would dance around much more than their boats. Eventually I went to 30 feet of 5/16” chain. This works much better, I need less scope, and the boat does not tangle in the rode in reversing currents. I usually am anchored in 8-12 feet of water, so all the chain and about 10-15 feet of line works well. For the Chesapeake 50 feet of 3/8” would be considered overkill for a 33 foot boat! I am not sure where you are, but unless you are dealing with coral or rocks that will cut anchor line, I would think about less chain for that big Bruce. 30 feet of 5/16 would IMHO be plenty or even ¼. I have yet to use the anchor, but one of its good points *I hope* is they set easily. Joe Coquina
From: Dave S via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Sent: Friday, August 27, 2021 6:50 AM To: C&c Stus List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Cc: Dave S <syerd...@gmail.com> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Stus-List Bruce anchors again - and chain So, after the recent discussion on anchors I too grabbed 15kg genuine Bruce on Kijiji for use on my 33-2, which currently has 50' HT chain (3/8| I believe) and a 10kg bruce, a setup that has never failed me. This anchor and chain weighs around 100lb. I bought the second Bruce as a backup for cruising as \i have none, and I have no windlass. The 15kg bruce is of course 50% larger than the 10kg but it feels around 3X as awkward on the foredeck, though it does fil and just as well. My sense though is that it, along with the 50' of chain, will be extremely secure once set but at or a bit beyond my comfort level for hand retrieval. If I reduced the chain to 40' from 50, the anchor and chain would again weigh around 100lb. Retrieval becomes progressively easier with progressively less chain. So, with the weight constraint of hand retrieval, Anchor size vs chain quantity becomes a tradeoff.. (clearly this makes a powerful case for super high holding power anchors) For optimal holding power, how much or how little chain is optimal? There are likely diminishing returns in this formula but where? Thanks for any input or musings! Dave Windstar, 33-2
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