www.iFourWinns.com

hey guys back with another question! So we were out the other day and made our first attempt anchoring with the windlass. But after three times of anchoring and getting dragged to the shore i gave up and left I used to anhcor fine on the old one. I thought it was a simple procedure 1) drop the anchor line with some slack after it hits the ground and 2) put it in reverse for a second. Granted this is nearly 8 feet bigger than my old boat....anyy insight would be greatly appreciated---maybe im missing something?

Thanks.

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2007 278 Vista Classic Black

We had the same trouble with our 248. The factory only put about 8 feet or so of chain on the anchor line. I added 15 more feet this past winter and so far three times out at anchor, no problems at all. Sets the first time and holds great

+1 on the increase in chain length. 20' works well for me.

Are u using the same anchor?

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Walter

2003 248 Vista - VP 5.0 GXi
2009 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7L 4x4

You need the weight of the chain to keep the shank of the anchor down. So, when you pull back on it, it doesn't pull 'up' on it.

The 318 came with 30' of chain and about 150 of rope. First thing I did was add another 120' of chain.

I've had zero issues getting set in 40 feet of water.

If I'm in 10-15 feet of water, I just drop the chain, try to get about 30 feet out before I start tugging and let out another set of chain as I pull back. It always grabs.

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

How are you guys with Windlass's adding chain?

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

Buy chain that works with your windlass.



They make connectors to extend existing chain sets with new. I just added on between the anchor and the factory chain.

Your windlass manual will tell you what size and type of chain can be used.

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

For example... my Maxwell windass says to use 1/4 high test chain. The chain from Four Winns has 'G-4' stamped on it - and I could that this 1/4 inch chain is the exact same stuff. Acco also makes a 1/4 inch connector that looks like a chain link and will fit through the windlass.

All available through West Marine. Easy.

The chain:
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... /0/0?N=377 710&Ne=0&Ntt=acco chain&Ntk=Primary Search&Ntx=mode matchallpartial&Nao=0&Ns=0&keyword=acco chain&isLTokenURL=true&storeNum=5&subdeptNum=242&classNum=243

Connecting link:
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... /0/0?N=377 710&Ne=0&Ntt=acco&Ntk=Primary Search&Ntx=mode matchallpartial&Nao=0&Ns=0&keyword=acco&isLTokenURL=true&storeNum=5&subdeptNum=242&classNum=519

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

How much "extra" are you letting out and what are the conditions like (current, windy)? More chain is always better but you should be able to hold in a normal condition.

When you drop anchor try to know how much you have let out. I marked my rope every 10 feet with a red marker, add about 4 feet froe the surface to the anchor roller and I can about tell you when the anchor is on the bottom. For a normal, calm day I will let out another 20 - 30 feet. Put the boat in reverse for maybe 2 to 3 seconds and then let the momentum carry us back the rest of the way. 9 times out of 10 the anchor catches and I am good for the day.

More chain in better, but you shoudl be able to anchor in "normal" conditions with what you have. If that doesn't work let more line (increasing your scope)

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2005, 268 Vista, Table Rock Lake "Choices II"

Thanks Cougar. Do you have your rode marked so you know how much is out there?

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

The amount of rode you let out is referred to as 'scope'. For a quick anchoring, a 'lunch hook', it's common to use a 3:1 scope. That's 3 feet of rode for every foot from the pulpit edge up on the boat. So it you're in ten feet of water and your bow pulpit is 4 feet off the water you'd use (10+4) * 3 = 42 feet of rode.

For an overnight or more secure anchoring it's recommended to use a 5:1 scope. (10+4) * 5 = 70 feet. Storm or rough conditions it's recommended to use 7:1.

The most common reason for an anchor to pull loose is not having enough scope. The anchor line (the rode) dips down from the pulpit in a sweeping arc. If that arc is too shallow (more like a straight line) then the anchor will get pulled upwards from the bottom and come loose. If there's more rode let out then the arc will be much more gradual and the force pulling on the anchor will be more level with the sea bottom. This will encourage the anchor to actually bite MORE into the bottom. A 3:1 scope is really only useful in the most calm of conditions. Just about any amount of chop or wind will put enough force on the rode to pull it upwards hard enough to dislodge the anchor. More scope helps absorb the pulling stress as the weight of the rode itself helps keep it down.

Having more chain puts more weight on the rode and that keeps the angle shallower. But chain is heavy and expensive. That added weight up front can also affect how your boat handles. I don't know that I'd bother having more than 25' (certainly no more than 50') on a 278. Yeah, you can, but unless it's common practice in your area, because of anchoring conditions, why bother? You take a hit on buying it and then on the fuel consumption every time you're out. (Granted, the same argument can be made for not inviting really heavy relatives/friends onto the boat.... )

I've got 25' of chain on a 348 and it's been adequate for all but the most sudden of storm conditions. At some point when my existing rode needs replacing (probably next season) I will probably upgrade to 50' of chain and maybe an extra 100' of line (I think it's 250' now). That will be more than adequate for just about all anchoring conditions we typically encounter on the Bay (usually no more than 25' deep on average and mud bottom).

So, are you letting out enough rode to begin with?

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Oh, and here's a tip, mark your rode every 10 feet.

One way is to drag your rode out from the boat and lay it along the dock. Then mark the line every 10 feet. Various methods work. I picked up a couple of numbered 'flags' from West Marine and inserted them in-between the braids of the rode. I've seen others use a couple of wraps of 'rescue tape'. I've even seen plain old rattle can black paint used. The idea is some sort of regular marker that can be counted off when lowering the rode. If you're in 20' of water then it's easy to tell whoever's up there watching the line to count off 11 marks. That'd be a good 5:1 scope.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Chain makes a world of difference. My first boat had no windlass, 6 feet of chain is the most I could handle. I always had troble anchoring. Since then I had windlasses with 25' of chain, now I very seldom have any trouble setting and never slip.

The only other trick is go slow. If you go too fast then the anchor can skate rather than dig. I often idle slowly downwind towards my chosen spot, I drop my anchor ahead of the spot and put it in neutral. The anchor grabs and the momentum of the boat sets it. The bow stops and the stern swings around.

I marked my rode with dollar store electrical tape. You can get four colors in a pack. Get a tape measure and stretch your arms out to five feet, remember this distance. Get up on the bow open the anchor locker and fish around for the end of the chain and the beginning of the rope. Measure five lengths of five feet by pulling the rope with your hands. Wrap the rope with red tape, thats 25 feet. Repeat, use green at 50' and blue 75', go back to red at 100' green at 125' and since my rope is 150' long I put blue about 5 feet before the end. No sense and having the windlass drop beyond that. I use RGB in work all the time so it's easy for me to remember.


Finally, get some paint, drop the anchor until its just under water. Paint the chain between the windlass and the bow roller, I used flouresent red. This has three uses. First it warns you the anchor is coming, you can see it from the helm, slow down your retreive so you don't slam your anchor into the bow roller. Second, stopping here gives your anchor time to get in the right position, so it doesn't try to get into the bow roller sideways or up-side down. And third, if your anchor comes up muddy, you know how far to drop it to wash it off. Just drop it to the paint mark and idle around for a few seconds, the mud will wash off.

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2008 V358 Two-tone Blue V/P Dual Prop 320 HP
Lake Winnipesaukee, NH

My vote is... an expert can maybe set an anchor with 15 feet of chain.

I'm not an expert. I also don't want to spend 30 minutes trying to set an anchor. That cuts into my boozing time (watch out, I admitted that I drink and boat!) I like getting set once and not worrying about it for the rest of the day.

I see huge value in spending the extra money for as much chain as humanly possible.

Beginners can set an anchor easier (I'm in this category). You'll just hold better in all conditions because the chain keeps everything weighted down.

Good anchor rode can be spendy. And yes, chain is more expensive - but not that much more in the bigger scheme of things.

As for adding weight... considering I could lift the box with 120 pounds of chain when I brought it home, I don't think it will affect ANY performance characteristics of my boat. The same would apply to smaller Vistas. We're talking about 100 pounds her folks - roughly the equivalent of what? 10-15 gallons of gas or water? Plus, it's in the bow - so you will plane better at low speeds.

I would consider 30-50 feet an ideal minimum for how much chain you have.

I REALLY like having 150 feet of chain as I easily drop out 50 feet when I anchor in shallow water and I drop out 100-150 in deeper water. I try to keep my scope between 3-5:1. I have found that where I boat -7:1 is ALOT of swing room and not needed when there isn't a storm.

You will NEVER regret having more chain. You could, at some point, regret not having enough chain. Chain works for anchoring in all lakes and bodies of water... mud, rock, whatever. It's guaranteed to keep that anchor down.

As for marking chain - I went a different route and I measured the amount of chain the windless lets our per second. If I want 50 feet out, I run the windlass for about 20 seconds, start backing up a little, and then let out another 5-10 seconds worth until I feel the anchor grab. Has worked every time for me.

It's also different for every boat, every body of water, every driver. Above is what works for me in the Pacific Northwest, with a v318

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

i have put 30 feet of good quality chain on my278, no windlass, last year on old boat we had a bit of difficulty with a short length, last weekend in 15 feet of water, i let out all the chain, pulled out another 35 feet, and tied it off, I always am in bare feet so istand there for a couple minutes with my toe on the rope between the cleat and roller, if the anchor is dragging, you will feel it, no windlass. next boat...

I'm with Bill on this. It is all about the scope. The chain keeps the angle of pull on the anchor low, but if you dont have enough scope, you'll probably be drifting after awhile.

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2001 328 Vista

Previous Boats:
2004 Sea Ray 220 Select