What to use for Anchor Rode
There are a few main ways to go with Anchor rode. You can basically use anchor line/rope or anchor chain. I was a fan for many years using rope with 20 feet of chain from the boat anchor. I felt the length of chain on the anchor would protect the line from getting cut up when dragging on the bay or sea floor as the boat would turn in the wind or change when the tide reversed. The chain now would scrape along the bottom to a new position instead of your unprotected anchor line as it bumped or snagged shells, rocks, or debris on the bay or sea floor. By using the chain off the anchor, you not only added weight which keeps the anchor line parallel along the bottom, it makes your boat anchor bite deeper into the bottom.
As my cruising brought me to more areas, I noticed other new or old boats and yachts using all chain to anchor. That Clack-clack-clack of the chain going overboard is a unique sound, and as years went by, I recognized this sound more and more. You can also use much less anchor rode if you have all chain, and I noticed another factor in direct relationship between the two. With rode of line/rope, you move around on the anchor a lot more and also feel more movement when the wind picks up. With an all chain anchor rode, you seem to swing less and as the wind picks up, you also seem to just ease back slightly as the wind blows. It's like slow motion.
Diving below the water, I have seen the difference between the chain anchor rode and the line/rope anchor rode. With the chain you can see it head right for the bottom and then go in the direction of the boat anchor. As your boat or yacht eases back from a puff of wind, the chain lifts off the bottom. That's a lot of weight that chain has to lift off the bottom so you don't move back too much. With line/rope anchor rode, that same puff of wind pushes your boat or yacht back till it gets to the chain by the anchor and sometimes gives you a jerk as it tugs on the anchor itself. Also when swinging in the wind, the anchor rode with line/rope takes on a full swing of the line, while the all chain rode from its weight keeps you in tight swing so you don't notice it as much.
When the wind is really blowing, it is good to use all chain rode to keep that anchor on the bottom and biting. With this sort of wind you can be placing more stress on the chain links and your boat or yacht by all the jerking. This is when you should attach a line/rope right to the chain, maybe 20 feet or so and tie the line/rope to a sturdy cleat. This line/rope will now give you stretching abilities to create less strain and stress to the boat and on the chain links in particular.
You can get Anchor Chain in different tensile and numerous sizes to match your boat or yacht requirements. Take some considerations to the storage and weight of all chain rode, but most boats and yachts today have anchor windlass to give you the ease of letting out and/or bringing in the chain. Take a look around the harbor the next time you anchor...You will see the difference as the boats move in the wind, whether they have all chain or line/rope anchor rodes.
Douglas Malat is a licensed captain, sailor, powerboater, and co-creator of Yacht Authority.com, where you will find numerous boat services and boat accessories in your area.