Anchor Chain Weight Chart South Lake Tahoe Boat Salvage
All chains are the same, right? Well, no. There’s actually a variety of types and grades that cruising sailors should know about. What follows is a primer on understanding anchor chain and how to use it properly.
The most popular varieties of galvanized-steel windlass chain include high-test or grade 40 (usually marked HT, G4, or HT4); triple B or grade 30 (marked as BBB or 3B); and proof coil, also grade 30 (often marked PC, PC3, or G3). Each has attributes and shortcomings. BBB and proof coil are made from low-carbon steel; heat-treated high-test is made from a high carbon-manganese alloy.
HT chain is widely used because of its “strength-to-link” factor: Its working load limit is near twice that of BBB, and it has the highest weight-to-working load ratio. In other words, it allows the use of a thinner link, which means more chain can be stored in a given chain locker. Its links are also windlass calibrated, which means that they should fit any wildcat with an “HT” designation. Such links also tend to resist tangling in the locker.
Most PC chain is designated as “non-calibrated for windlass use.” This means it’s not designed to be used with a windlass wildcat. Period. Unfortunately, this caveat is unlikely to be stamped directly on the chain, so you can never be certain if the chain falls into this category. (If chain is verifiably approved for your windlass, it may be used for anchor rodes.)
PC chain has roughly the same working load as BBB and the same number of links per foot as HT; for the 3/8-inch chain, the ratio is 9.8 links per foot of chain. It’s worth noting that some windlass manufacturers, for obvious reasons, don’t offer a PC wildcat. If someone offers you a pile of cheap PC chain, beware.
At one time, though not the strongest option for a given link size, BBB was the most popular anchor chain because it’s specifically calibrated for windlasses. But its primary attribute is its weight. A 100-foot length of 3/8-inch BBB weighs approximately 165 pounds, while identical lengths of HT and PC weigh 153 and 140 pounds, respectively.
With anchor rodes, weight is critical. Every additional pound increases a chain’s catenary, the sag induced by the deployed chain. Still, many builders and sailors choose HT over BBB because, for the same tensile strength, they can fit more of it into cramped chain lockers. And, again, it’s less prone to tangle.
Inspect your chain carefully and regularly. Make certain that the links fit evenly into each recess of the wildcat and that the wildcat is equipped with a stripper, a steel bar that separates tensioned chain from the wildcat as it’s being retrieved. If the stripper is absent or bent, jams are more likely to occur.
Finally, be sure that the bitter end of the chain is attached to the vessel via a spliced-on section of line that’s long enough to reach the deck. The splice should fit easily through the chain hawser. If you’re dragging onto a lee shore or you’re about to be run down, this line acts as a safety valve allowing you to quickly cut the boat free from the ground tackle.
How to Size Anchor Chain?
Instructions for Sizing an Anchor Chain
- Determine the length of your boat. The boat’s specification sheet and sometimes the owner’s manual will have your boat length listed. However, if you’re unsure of your boat length, measure the hull, from the tip of the bow to the center of the stern. Be certain to use a measuring tape that will not stretch, such as a steel tape. Also, do not include the bowsprit or any other fittings that may have been added to the hull.
- Determine the weight of your boat. Again, the boat’s specification sheet and sometimes the owner’s manual will list the dry weight of the boat. If you’re still unsure of the weight of your boat, you can use a weigh station at a local truck stop. Just be certain to subtract the weight of your boat trailer.
- Use nautical charts to determine the estimated depth of waters at your anchorage site or sites.
- Determine the diameter of chain to use. Use the following chart to determine the minimum diameter of chain to use, for your boat.
- Determine the length of chain to use. Your total “anchor rode” (the nylon rope and chain combined connecting the anchor to the boat) should be between four and seven times the expected anchorage depth, depending on how crowded the anchorage. More crowded anchorage sites typically mean using a shorter rode, because boats don’t have as much room to swing. To determine the chain portion of the rode, again refer to the length of your hull. Your chain should be no shorter than the length of your boat, as the chain’s weight will help set the anchor.
Boat Length: Boat Weight: Chain Diameter:
20 to 25 feet —– 2,500 lbs. —– 3/16-inch
26 to 30 feet —– 5,000 lbs. —– 1/4 -inch
31 to 35 feet —– 10,000 lbs. —– 5/16-inch
36 to 40 feet —– 15,000 lbs. —– 3/8-inch
41 to 45 feet —– 20,000 lbs. —– 7/16-inch
46 to 50 feet —– 30,000 lbs. —– 1/2-inch
51 to 60 feet —– 50,000 lbs. —– 9/16-inch
Tips & Warnings
- Not only will the chain on the anchor end help set your anchor, but it also helps sink the rode following each surge, keeping the anchor at the best angle for the flutes to secure to the bottom.
- For the nylon portion of the rode, use braided nylon for the best strength.
- Remember: No anchor is ever guaranteed to hold. In rough seas especially, make sure to maintain an anchor watch.
Chart for anchor chain weights
Boating South Lake Tahoe is great fun for the day cruiser, skier, boarder, and fishermen. Exploring its shores and it beautify shoreline. From the lake, surface looking at the mighty mountains surrounding the lake itself it doesn’t get any better.
To get a better idea of the importance of boat anchor chain and shackles it helps to understand how an anchor actually works. Anchoring a ship is an important function to keep a boat or ship stable in the water. Anchors are used when the boat engines are turned off.
First, the location must be chosen, the boat slows down by reversing the thrust and the anchor is dropped. Anchor chain and shackles must be strong enough to carry the weight of the anchor and be long enough to ensure that the anchor reaches sea bottom.
Next, the boat must be reversed. This is called going astern so that the anchor digs into the seabed and the boat position is secured. Once the ship is anchored, the chain must be able to withstand additional force from rough weather to ensure the ship does not drift.
When it is time to weigh anchor, the chain is put under greater force than when the anchor had been dropped.Purchasing boat anchor chain and shackles with sufficient strength to support every aspect of anchoring is essential to this important process. As part of routine maintenance, both anchor shackles, and chain should be inspected for rust and cracks.
When it is time to replace these components, know that B.J.’s Barge Service carries anchor chain in varying tensile strengths to ensure safe anchoring time after time. A place that can be located in the city of Homewood, near South Lake Tahoe.