So believe it or not this past weekend was the first time I've dropped the hook on my new boat. I noticed there is only 10' of chain and the rest of the rode is rope. I'd prefer a longer chain to ease the anchoring process.

After some research it looks like my Maxwell 500RC windlass uses 1/4" chain and 1/2' rope. The current rode has the rope spliced onto the last link of chain. How hard of a job is it to remove the existing chain and splice a longer section on?

Would moving from 10' to say 30' chain make any difference in normal conditions with my 30' boat?

Got room in your anchor locker?

Was it a factory package? They are hard to extend the chain.

You could get the weight benifit of a 20' - 35' chain by pre-filling a empty Clorx bottle with cement using a eye hook in the cement to make a tie-on point.

Pay out the chain till near its end, but before the line, attach the cememt clorx (sp) to the chain at a point past any restrictions. Its weight will drag down the anchor rode about the same as extra chain would.

Most anchors hold best when their angle to the sea floor is narrow.

I've done the same with a 10# mushroom. Makes a tremendous difference in holding power.

Extending the chain would be a matter of removing the shackle from the anchor end, cutting the last link open with a hack saw, spread it enough to get the new chain in it, and bend it back, and then welded. You'd have to get it all off the boat tho.

Or, buy a new chain and learn how to splice rope.

Did the anchor not take a set well, or is this a comfort-level thing?

Both good questions...

1. Not sure about locker room, but with a 160' rode I'd imagine there should be room

2. Yes it was factory.

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I thought of your idea, but I don't have a welder. It probably would be a lot easier then splitting new chain onto the rope.

That's why I said you'd have to take it all off the boat- to get it welded.

It's probably not designed for just any 1/4" chain. It probably calls for 1/4" G40 or HT chain, just an FYI.

You need to buy a 30' length of new chain and then make a rope/chain splice to it. There is no other way to this right. Fortunately, it's not hard to do and you'll learn a great skill.

See: http://www.animatedknots.com/chainspliceboating/index.php?LogoImage=&Website=

eBay often has great deals on pre-spliced rodes that may be so reasonably priced that it will not make economic sense to buy new chain and make the splice yourself. I got one with 15' of ACCO G40 HT chain and 250' of 1/2" nylon rode for less than the list price of 30' of ACCO G40 HT chain. 15' of chain has proven plenty for my boat and my 22lb Delta. I never worry about my anchor dragging.

Use as an overnight hook or storm hook?

Would you say your windage is about half of a Four Winns 298?

Thanks for the good advice so far. This is the factory installed Windlass on my boat, RC500.

http://www.maxwellmarine.com/gen_freedom.php?sub=dimensions

I'm not too concerned with dragging but on my last boat(25' Crownline) I installed 30' of chain and it was a lot easier to set.

Part of the reason for this project is just that, I want another boat project.

Both overnight and as a storm anchor. I've hunkered down for a couple of serious storms on Sebago Lake with this anchor/rode combo and had no issues at all. I sleep well overnight knowing it's there.

My boat is a lot smaller than a FW298. My anchor, however, is very much oversized for my boat, and could very well be the same size as the OEM anchor on the FW298. It looks the same in photos.

More chain IS better, but perhaps one would pass the point of diminishing returns going with 3X more than Four Winns thinks is necessary. I have 4 seasons of experience successfully using 50% more chain than Four Winns uses, on likely the same anchor, and frankly, I'm convinced it's overkill for my boat.

I would think that Four Winns sources a "package" from a supplier on their rope, chain, and anchor that is a fair fit for several of their boat models and for most cruising grounds that they sell boats into. Keeps the parts room simpiler and the SKU count down.

Again, personally, I would hang a weight first before making a project out of going with more chain on a factory se-up, but that's me.

I forget if I am right on this, please check me, but I seem to recall the as windage changes - the forces change by the cube, or something like that.

Force generated by speed is not linear.
force due to area is linear.
Does that make sense?

I have a 22lb delta plow anchor on my boat. It was oversized for my old boat and brought it over to the FW.

WaterMutt, its not my best day. See my spelling, today, for example.

Do you mean that increase the sail area by double and you increase the force on the anchor rode by double?

Maybe I am remembering loads by wind and conditions...

a 30' boat might need about 175 lbs. pull resistance for a lunch hook - 700 lbs. for a working/overnight anchor set-up - and 1,400 lbs. for a "storm" anchor set-up, or something like that.

Wind pressure, q, is proportional to the square of the wind velocity, V.

q ~ V times V. All recreational boats are low to the water, relative to the height of the atmosphere, so there isn't much change in wind pressure due to differing heights of recreational boats.

That would be correct, but if wind speed increases by two times, force on the anchor will increase four times.

Yes, a certain wind speed will double the "pull" if comparing two boats, one with half the available sail area.

If you are talking about the same boat but two different wind speeds, it isn't linear. What factor it does have, i am not sure.

Deep beat me to it.

i say set the whole thing up on a conveyor belt and test it properly.

I believe what you need is a "taper splice". I could never figure out how to do one, so I purchased my chain-rope in a package deal.

Some windlasses actually require a metric chain and rope, and when you buy the pre-spliced rode, you can sometimes have it made for a specific windlass.

If your windlass is supposed to use metric rode and you substitute a slightly different US size, I don't know if it will jamb or not.

What Seabuddy is described is called a Sentinel (or Kellet), and if you joined the Power Squadron, you'd know that...

After all these equations I think I'll just keep what I have

For what it's worth here is the info from Maxwell

Model RC500
Maximum Pull 227kg/500 lbs
Chain Short Link 6mm/7mm or 1/4"
Rope Size (Nylon) (8 plait recommended) 12mm
(3 strand or 8 plait) 1/2"


Oh yeah I forgot to mention when I sold my Crownline I had done my own splice with a flathead screwdriver and bic lighter. I hope they haven't lost their anchor

I like the Clorox bottle idea. Make sure it's rinsed real well as bleach aggressivelly attacks concrete.

Found a winner...

http://www.boatersland.com/lewhm30ht200px.html