Most of the places we anchor, whether it's for a few hours or overnight, are 10'-20' and there's usually a 2-4kt current plus some wind but the bottom is usually mud.

I have about 330' of all chain (3/16" galv links) and lay out about 100'. That usually will hold. If there's a threat of winds I'll drop out another 50'-75' just to be on the safe side.

+1 to the comments about not wanting boats around me to drift. Go somewhere else, thank you very much.

Really, clove hitch?
"Uses: The Clove Hitch (ABOK # 1245, p 224) was, originally, included here with the intention of condemning it. It does have two major failings: it slips and, paradoxically, can also bind. However, it does have at least one excellent application (though NOT in boating!):"


I havn't had the need to do so, but always thought if I needed to lenghten my rode by adding more rope, I'd use the Double Fisherman .


I'm not saying I'm right. Just going by what I've read.

I'm not a boy scout anymore, but I thought the clove hitch was for temporarily attach a line to a post.

I would use a sheet bend to attach two lines together, which is what that Knot is meant for. The beauty of a sheet bend is that when you want to untie it it usually comes right out, but it would be very unlikely to come undone in use.

BTW, I have 100 feet of rope and 4 feet of 3/8 chain attached to my anchor. We usually hook up in about 25 feet of water with very little current, for this I use about 50 feet of my rode, letting out about 35 feet and getting a "hookup" then let the rest out. This usually holds well.

And +10 on not dragging your anchor near my boat, this would cause me to become rude and possibly beligerent!

For a short lunch/swim anchor I'll use about 50'-70' of rode in 15 to 20 ft of water. Don't really measure just let it out until it seems about right.

Never had to tie two pieces of anchor rode together but often tie 2 or 3 ropes to be a shoreline when camping because of low water level. I've always just tied them together with two small interlocking bowlines. Quick, easy and easy to untie when leaving from weekend of camping.

Since we're talking about rodes, I thought I'd pass on something that makes our "non-windlass" life a bit easier. We've been using these for a few years to keep the anchor locker nice and neat and to prevent any knots in the rode... Extension cord reel

Our 100 footer fits easily and I was able to make our spare 150 footer fit on one also...

I have done the exact. One thought is with out you having a windlass dragging in 300' and 30' of chain would hurt most men. My case in point is my back up is a large box anchor with 150' of rope on it. I broke loose one night in a storm and read my depth wrong and dropped it over and its a good thing it was tied off cause it never hit bottom. That was a pain in the (?) to pull that beast up from that depth in a hurry with the boat drifting. Just another boating oops! As it was stated unless yo have a large boat like mine or in very fast current 300' would be excessive but provide you more peace of mind. My dealer tried to sell me 150 of chain so that i would never break a rope. Yes I broke my anchor rope once and had to have diver friend of mine retrieve the anchor form lake mead in 30' of water and no I will not tell you what kind of rpm's it took to do that, its was only my second time out with the boat and man what a shaking that caused.

I have 30ft of chain and 500ft of rode if needed. If anchoring offshore I have 2 bow anchors and sometimes 1 stern anchor. That sucker is not going anywhere.

Mark

This thread reminds me of a guy in a 34 foot Sea Ray that I encountered a couple of years ago. He appeared to be somewhat of a novice at anchoring. . . he would lower the anchor (via windlass of course) until it touched bottom and then stop. He wondered why the anchor wouldn't hold.

I hollered over to him, "let out more scope" . . . he replied "more what?"

A scope of 1:1 just wasn't going to cut it for this guy.

Did he dump some mouthwash into the water and then thought you were the knucklehead for suggesting he do that.

Thanks for all the comments, the double fisherman knot is similar to what I use to connect my "rope" to the anchor. I think I can say rope since it is not a rode until it is connected to the anchor

I use, (what else?) a bowline knot to attach the line to the anchor shackle.

BRAIN CRAMP . . .

Sheet Bend, I meant to say.

old age will do that to you . . .

Rarely, if ever, do I have to toss more than 100 feet of rode out.

I have 150' of rode on my danforth and 250' on my box anchor. Depending on the place I am boating I constantly adjust my requirements. We generally boat on a river with a current requiring more rode than most of the lakes we boat on. That siad most of the laskes are substanially deeper than the river.

Is the rope on your boat? If so, wouldn't it be a line until you connect it to the anchor?

I bought a 100' or 150' spool of anchor rode that came with the end loop splice and plastic protector do-thingy already on it. If not, a bow line as mentioned or perhaps a bowline but double the loop over the shackle pin.

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Is the rope on your boat? If so, wouldn't it be a line until you connect it to the anchor?

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Yes, on a boat rope is made of wire (according to the US Navy anyway)a line would be made of natural or synthetic fiber. Anything attached to an anchor (rope, line or chain) would be a rode.