Kangaroo wrote in message
...
I currently have 100 feet of 5/16 anchor chain and a Lofrans
windlass. I
am/was planning on adding an additional 100 feet of chain. I
purchased a
connecting link that looks like a regular link cut in half.
When joined
there are 4 pins that get peened over. So my questions a
Has anyone used one of these
links ( they are rated at 1900 lbs ) ? Will it go through my
windlass? Are
there any problems associated with the connecting links?

I've used 80m (250ft) of chain for 8 yrs on a 10ton 40ft yacht.
It's joined in two places by these links. They work fine over the
winch (originally a Lofrans, now a Horizon Express 1500w) with no
sign of wear compared to the regular links. I re-galvanise the
chain every four or five years and there's no sign that the
galvanising wears off the rivets first.

This chain has been used twice in extreme conditions (2.5m waves,
45kts, 10m anchorage) with no damage to the links, but I do use
20 - 24ft of 20mm diameter nylon snubber line. The galvanised
hard eye of this snubber line was elongated on one of these
occasions.

The reason for adding the additional
chain is for setting a second anchor. I would back down on the
chain drop
the second anchor and use the windlass to pull the boat
forward. If ever
the situation arose that I had to ride on more that the first
100 feet, I
was planning on shackling on a small piece of chain where the
connecting
link would be located.

Having blown one winch by overstressing it, I'd never risk
pulling the boat forward on a winch again. I always use engine,
and just take in the slack with the winch. I guess that's what
you meant anyway!

I've never considered carrying spare chain to help dropping a
second anchor. Seems expensive and heavy. If I did, I guess I'd
add a rope tail. Instead:

If I'm mooring for a reversing current (one anchor astern, one
forward, both led to the bow) then I drop the big one with more
chain than I need, then load the other (it's only got 20ft of
chain, then 200ft 18mm nylon) into a dinghy and paddle off down
stream and drop it from the dinghy.

If I'm mooring with two anchors splayed forward to reduce lateral
sheering, then I just motor round the first anchor, helm hard
away from it, til I can dump the kedge. Though sometimes I use
the dinghy.

JimB