That is not what I was taught. All chain has more shock absorption because of the increased sag in the rode.All chain would help but then there would be less shock absorption.
Chain is certainly heavier but you need less of it than rope line.
As far as a knowledge-base goes, the Internet is any incredible "virtually unlimited" resource that old time sailors never had the equivalent of. You bought a couple of books and talked to your dock mates. You learned by trial and error and the shared knowledge of a dozen people max. Now, we get the benefit of crowd sourcing. AmazingI’m relatively late to the game of cruising and I don’t have unlimited resources.
I like shemander's flaired ends idea. I've been aboard during a storm when the anchor rode was cut by the roller. Not a good scene.
You might also keep in mind that asyms often attach to the end of the anchor roller.
- Will (Dragonfly)