SS anchor swivels

[Stu Jackson]

Please read the catalog

http://ecatalog.westmarine.com/full.asp?page=0162&LinkBackProdId=22228

It's galvanized.

The reviewer, on the WM website, complained that he couldn't get the Allen screws off, and claimed he needed to do it each time he hauled his anchor.

Nonsense! I've been using these things for twenty years, and I just check them every few months. Lanacote is a very good product to keep the screws movable, but in place. I have no idea what the reviewer used....

 

[Ron20324]

Okay, the non-swivel anchor connector looks like a plan... except that it looks like it's stainless steel. Isn't that what I'm trying to avoid in the first place?

Look at the picture above. If there is a sideways load on the shackle, the anchor would act like a wedge to spread it apart. The bible often quoted in this forum, Nigel Calder's Cruising Handbook (page 400 of my issue), advises aginst stainless shackles. He says they are rated at HALF their breaking strngth, and they also can cause galvanic reaction. "If a swivel is used, on no account should it be connected directly to the anchor; if the boat swings, it puts a sideways load on the swivel for which it is not designed. To provided full articulation (like you have on stays and shrouds), there should always be a shackle between the swivel and anchor." In a picture he shows the inherent danger of the above-pictured anchor connector.

I have a regular shackle on my rode and have no problem getting the windlass to hoist it over the roller.

 

[Alex]

Acco Swivel

At the bottom right of this page that Stu Jackson sent you will see the Acco Galvanized anchor swivel.
These are great. They are strong and do not have the same problem the stainless ones have.
The cool set up is attaching 12-18 inches of chain to the anchor with a regular shackle and then connect the rest of your chain with this Acco swivel. That puts the swivel back from the anchor and eliminates the side-loading that typically contributes to the swivel failure.
Then at the end of the chain (150ft in my case) there is another of these swivels between the chain and the 5/8 nylon three strand.



http://ecatalog.westmarine.com/full....ckProdId=22228

 

[sailingdog]

Of course, this adds multiple points of failure and makes it so that you can not use a windlass to easily retrieve the rode, since the swivel will cause the rode to jump out of the windlass gypsy.

At the bottom right of this page that Stu Jackson sent you will see the Acco Galvanized anchor swivel.
These are great. They are strong and do not have the same problem the stainless ones have.
The cool set up is attaching 12-18 inches of chain to the anchor with a regular shackle and then connect the rest of your chain with this Acco swivel. That puts the swivel back from the anchor and eliminates the side-loading that typically contributes to the swivel failure.
Then at the end of the chain (150ft in my case) there is another of these swivels between the chain and the 5/8 nylon three strand.



http://ecatalog.westmarine.com/full....ckProdId=22228

 

[Maine Sail]

The cool set up is attaching 12-18 inches of chain to the anchor with a regular shackle and then connect the rest of your chain with this Acco swivel. That puts the swivel back from the anchor and eliminates the side-loading that typically contributes to the swivel failure.
http://ecatalog.westmarine.com/full....ckProdId=22228

Not just cool but significantly safer for the swivel. Swivels are generally rated in straight line pull, and I have not yet found one that is not. Connecting it directly to a fixed shank of an anchor can created tremendous side loads that the swivel was not really rated for and this could drastically de-rate the WLL. Every now and then a company will give a rating both ways but side loads generally reduce working loads by a significant amount.

Then at the end of the chain (150ft in my case) there is another of these swivels between the chain and the 5/8 nylon three strand.

I remember that band I think it was called Bachman Turner Over Swivel...


My own rode system was designed to the highest posted or published holding power for my specific anchor. I use a Rocna 33 pound anchor and it has been tested at 5000 pounds of holding power. Despite the West marine advisor stating 1/4" chain and 1/2" rode being fine for my boat I chose to ignore their advisory because it would mean a system rated at HALF what my 33 pound anchor has been published and tested to hold. It could potentially mean leaving a $500.00 anchor on the bottom. I would up choosing significantly larger chain, 3/8", and a 5/8 double braid rode made by Nova Braid and as I have done for over 30 years with no issues, no swivel.

The warnings for ACCO products including the connecting links, swivels and chain are as follows.

WARNING: Do not exceed Working Load Limits (WLL)!
See the “Cautions and Warnings” section before using these products. Pages 72-77.

From pg. 72
Working Load Limit (WLL)
"The “Working Load Limit” (rated capacity) is the maximum load that shall be applied in direct tension."

From pg. 76
"Remember, the definition of Working Load Limit? It’s “the maximum load that shall be applied in direct tension to a new and undamaged length of chain. That means straight line pull."


Considering that the WLL for the ACCO swivel is only 1500 pounds, and they only make one model or size, and even a a small 25 pound anchor can hold that much or more. I think there are limited uses for them unless you have not sized a rode & chain to hold what your anchor can. My 33 pounder can hold 5000 pounds +/- so using a swivel with a 1500 pound WLL would greatly increase the potential for a rode failure.

 

[Craig Smith]

http://www.rocna.com/kb/Swivels

http://www.rocna.com/kb/Shackles

 

[txtowman]

I used to build tv broadcast towers.

Every shackle is referred to as a "crosby" because if it's not we would not use it.

And I have done testing in a shop where wire rope slings are made, and we broke several other brands at or near the "SWL" as in safe working load, instead of working load limit. Never broke a crosby, but I did bend some pins when they were grossly overloaded (in a safe environment).