Optimal length of all chain Anchor rode for Bavaria 38 Ocean?

[Jeffatoms]

We are wrapping up the replacement of our 23 year old Simpson Lawrence Sprint 1000 windlass with a new Lewmar V1.  We are also replacing the 45 pound CQR with a 20 kg Rocna. Finally we will add a chain counter and a secondary up/down control at the helm.

Previously we had  166 feet of all chain but are contemplating increasing it to 250 feet (or more) of 5/16 HT all chain.  With our prior set-up the chain would bunch up in the well at the windlass' hawse hole and we would have to stop the haul up and reposition the chain forward to get it to fit without backing up on to the gypsy.   I am not concerned about weight as much as i am about possibly buying too much and it not fitting well.  We would also like to stay with all chain unless convinced otherwise.

We sail the extent of the Puget Sound & Salish Sea (Washington State and British Columbia) and plan to take our Ocean 38 around Vancouver Island in the next couple years and eventually plan to sail from Seattle to Prince William Sound (Whittier, Alaska) for a summer or more.

We are curious if we are unwise to not consider chain/rope to possibly 300 feet or if we can even get 250 feet of chain to fit well in the locker?  Wondering what other Ocean 38's and 40's have in their locker and if you are happy with the set-up or would advise otherwise?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and guidance!

Jeff & Sue
SV Zephyrus

P.S.  the jugs of fresh water in the photo are our poor man's wash down system.  They will be replaced with a proper wash down one of these days which we purchased but have yet to install.

[symphony2]

The amount of chain you have depends primarily on the depth of water you anticipate anchoring in and the amount of scope you might use. For example in much of UK ad Europe coastal anchorages are usually less than 10m at high tide so 50m of chain is commonly fitted (that is what Bavaria and other builders supply on new boats). Anchor lockers tend to be sized to contain this amount and 8mm chain is standard for boats up to about13m. Some people add 30m of rope, or keep a 30m length ready to shackle on.

Of course if you anchor in greater depths then you might want more chain, but as you have identified weight and space becomes an issue. Moving down to 7mm (5/16") helps on both weight and space and is plenty strong enough. Your proposed 70m+ mat well cause greater piling up and if it were my choice I would not have that much unless I really did need to use it all regularly. On my first Bavaria which I kept in Greece we often found 50m was a bit short and would have preferred an extra 10. I added 20m of 12mm tope spliced on but not a good idea as it bulks up and sits in the bottom of the locker wet and dirty. So for my next boat I stayed with 50m and had a 30m rope ready to shackle on (the end of the chain was easily accessible shackled to an eye at the top of the locker).

So, unless you really do think you will use the longer lengths regularly, suggest you compromise on 60m chain and tope to shackle on. The original chain was 50m of 8mm so your 7mm will take up much the same space.

Apologies for using metric but even oldies like me have learned to think metric now!

[Yngmar]

The anchor locker on the 40 Ocean fits 75m of 8mm chain easily. There's room for more, but as the galvanizing wears you do have to knock the pile over on retrieval, else it stacks up and jams under the windlass. I'm however not sure if the 38 Ocean has the same size anchor locker - the shelf looks different at least.

In most situations 50m would've sufficed us (depends on sailing area of course), but we were glad to have the 75m on occasion, more so lately as we discovered the benefits of anchoring further out in deeper water (less busy than up front and no charter boats, except the ones drifting past). Extending with rope would've been possible in every case, but it's definitely a convenience to just reel in the chain. Splicing chain to rope I can't recommend either, makes the chain rust like crazy.

I hope there's a cover for those electrical terminals on your new windlass motor!

[Jeffatoms]

Thank you both.  Good tips!!!

Wiring it up this weekend.  New chain and anchor will be ordered next week.

I think we'll go with 250 feet and try it and reduce it 25 feet, using the extra on our back-up anchor if it comes to that.  We have a 300 foot spool of three strand that we will use for the extender, if needed. 

FYI-Our tidal range here is about 12 feet with 14 feet further north.