Chain to chain splice

[David W]

I have 100 ft of 1/4 HT chain and 120 ft of 1/2 nylon 3-strand braid connected to a 22 lb Danforth. We use a Maxwell 500 winch. I would like to add another 50 ft of chain.

Is there a reliable way to do this? Or do I have to bite the bullet and pony up for 150 ft of chain?

Thoughts?
David

 

[Steve Dion]

They make chain connectors. I think you can find one at WM or other marine hardware stores.

 

[jibes138]

The chain connector will work but might be a source of failure if fasteners are involved . Maybe you could ask a welder in your area if he could break a link then weld it back together? Since each link is welded anyway should be as good as the chain originally.

 

[Ross]

I know it is counter intuitive but a short length of 1/2 nylon rope spliced to the chains as a link might be the best and least expensive and can be easily inspected and changed as needs be.

 

[Winkfish]

You can get chain connectors at just about any hardware store. They are the same sizes as the links, and there is a screw thing in the middle of one side. Cheap, easy, and reliable. I use it on my anchor chain, and on my trailer safety chains.

Couldn't post an image, but if you go to this site, you'll see it.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...a=X&ei=6beYTOKSBYOglAezmIWKAQ&ved=0CDoQ9QEwBg

 

[Winkfish]

Ross, why is that? Just curious, because mine came in a package with the chain, and the package had a 5000 lb working load. When I've bought the connectors individually, they also have the working load on them.

 

[Rich Stidger]

The screw-type quick link is not as strong as a two-piece connecting link. Your 1/4" G4 chain has a SWL of 2600# and a breaking strength of 7750#.

The screw-type connector has a breaking strength of 1980#

The two-piece connecting link has a SWL of 1325#. I think the connecting link is stronger since the SWL of the screw connector is probably one third of the 1980# breaking strength.

The connecting link consists of two C-shaped halves that have four pins that are peened into a recessed hole on the opposite half. It is not as strong as the G4 chain itself, but it will go through a windlass gypsy.

 

[Ross]

The chain is rated for overhead lifting but the link is not. I have overloaded that type of link and I won't trust my boat to it. This link to McMaster-Carr has links for corrosion resistant needs that are approved for lifting. http://www.mcmaster.com/#wire-rope-links/=8xyuv2

Look to the figure eight link.

 

[Winkfish]

Thanks, Rich and Ross. Great site, Ross!

 

[Stu Jackson]

Rich is right. Those are the only connectors I'd trust my boat to, and I do have one for the same reason as the OP. The screw type have almost no strength compared to the chain. Why tempt fate?

See reply #6 here for anchor system sizing tables in #s. Match your components carefully.

 

[Winkfish]

See reply #6 here for anchor system sizing tables in #s. Match your components carefully.

Do you mean reply #8?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Thanks, wink, here's the link: #6

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4990.0.html

 

[Winkfish]

Thank you Stu. That's super info.

 

[JoeWhite]

Let’s think about this - no one mentioned what happens when the unusual link needs to pass through the winch teeth. There it may stop. So - my answer is to purchase a continuous length of chain. The other question that I have is why do need such a long length of chain. The required length is the same as the length of your boat.

 

[Maine Sail]

The required length is the same as the length of your boat.

There is no "required" length of chain. There are many guidelines and usually 1.5 times boat length is the one most often bantered around. The OP is in BC and BC has DEEP water. For anchoring in deep water generally the more chain the better cause you can't really carry enough rode to hit a 5:1 let alone a 7:1.

A proper anchoring system should generally be designed for the area it is most used. Lots of chain is often preferred for deep water anchoring due to the shorter scopes you need to use. If you regularly anchor is shallow water then 1X boat length can be fine. You would not catch me anchoring in water depths over 50 feet with anything less than a couple hundred feet of chain on-board. Around here I use 2X boat length which leaves me enough rode as a good snubber but I also have 250 feet of 5/16" in my chain locker as my back up/storm rode.

I can't suggest a link splice because I don't personally feel comfortable with them...

 

[Ross]

Very often an all chain rode is recommended because the chafe conditions from rocks or coral make rope a questionable choice. I have some unproved opinions about the size and weight of the chain and I am sure that someone somewhere has tested the same anchor on the same bottom with a variety of chain length and size. I don't know about the results but my opinion is that heavy chain is better than not so heavy chain.

 

[Winkfish]

It's all about keeping the anchor flat to the bottom, so when the boat pulls on the rode, the anchor digs in instead of pulling up. Weight ahead of the anchor helps that, like a shock absorber. The more weight, the flatter the anchor. Chain is one way to add weight.

 

[Craig Smith]

www.petersmith.net.nz/boat-anchors/catenary.php

 

[David W]

Let’s think about this - no one mentioned what happens when the unusual link needs to pass through the winch teeth. There it may stop. So - my answer is to purchase a continuous length of chain. The other question that I have is why do need such a long length of chain. The required length is the same as the length of your boat.

You are bang on with your first point, making the chain-rope-chain idea very appealing. I have a winch so the solution needs to be compatible.

Agree with the notion of purchasing a continuous length of chain. Just feels like a waste of 100' of existing chain @ $3/ft. A $240 solution just became a $540 solution. I'm too Scottish for that

As to the length, I pay no attention to the length of boat=length of chain ratio. As Maine Sail noted, water here is deep and we have large tidal ranges; can be >10 ft in summer. We have anchored in spots with a low water depth of 35-40' Add 10 ft rise over night and 220' total length is not enough. In Desolation Sound there are anchorages where water can be 200' deep just 50' from shore. Can you say "stern tie"?

Cheers,
David

 

[nick8489]

Let’s think about this - no one mentioned what happens when the unusual link needs to pass through the winch teeth. There it may stop. So - my answer is to purchase a continuous length of chain. The other question that I have is why do need such a long length of chain. The required length is the same as the length of your boat.

The new links are the same dimension as the ones on the chain (if you buy the same size). The length of chain has nothing to do with the length of the boat it is to do with the depth of water. You need seven times the depth for safety in bad conditions. When I sail to the Barrier Reef I add additional chain using the splicing links to give me a total of 100 m of chain. I then take if off in home waters. As a consequence my chain has many of these links on it some of which have been in position for six years without problems.