West Indies wrote:
Gordan - does your question point to a specify boat or type of boat?

Yes chain and chain/rode combo will dampen the boat's action but will not
stop the swing at anchor unless its calm.
Nothing wrong with all nylon if the rode is long enough and the bottom
conditions will not damage the rode.
Draw back to all chain, in a hard blow the chain has no give and will be
violent when the boat is swinging/sailing around. Most cruisers with all
chain will have a nylon snubber 10 to 15 feet which hooks into the chain and
absorbs the shock.

Swing at anchor is normal. Some boats swing more, some less. Some boats
will have a steadying sail to keep them pointed into the wind. This sail
can be a reefed mizzen sail or a small sail hooked to the backstay. If a
boat swings too much, most likely there is not enough scope out.
The length of rode out doesn't determine whether a boat swings or not,
just how big an arc it will cover. If the boat has lots of windage
forward (high bow, furler etc) then the bow wants to blow downwind.
That is why riding sails work, they move the windage aft. Fin keels
also tend to hunt more than boats with a deep forefoot. The difference
between the chain and the rope rode is how much space you need for the
sailing at anchor. A rope will drag all over the bottom even if the
anchor is well set, a chain won't except in much stronger winds. Also
the scope of rode out is much greater for rope than chain so you are
going to be all over the anchorage. That is why the anchor gurus
recommend you anchor in an area of the anchorage with boats with similar
rode and swing characteristics. A chain rode boat beside a rope rode
boat is gonna get nervous.

I think your question is an observation regarding how much scope an all line
anchor rode required vs. chain/rode or all chain. More scope equates to
more swing and this is not preventable unless you get into mult anchors.

I had anchored a few times, then a big blow would come through. Yes my boat
would swing/sailed at anchor. I would let out all the chain I had and put
the snubber on. At 30 to 50 kts of wind my boat and all the other boats
will swing/sail at anchor. I was more concerned about dragging.

Sailing and swinging at anchor can encourage dragging. It is best to
figure out how to minimize swing so that no sideways loads come on the
anchor.

stu


"Gordon" wrote in message
...

How do all you cruisers keep your boats from walking all over the place
when using brait or nylon at anchor? Chain lays on the bottom and pretty
much holds you in one place but line lets a boat roam at will. How do you
prevent that?
Gordon

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