We are currently in the Maldives and on the very first day we dropped anchor here we were forced to anchor in 42m water waiting 4 hrs for customs. This was double the depth of anywhere we anchored over the past year cruising Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand!

Thinking all Amel SM's came with 100m chain (instead of 80m) unfortunately stupidly without first measuring it, I cut off 15m chain to leave on our spare anchor (the lovely Stainless CQR that came with this boat from Amel) we now only have 65 m 10mm chain, and getting our 30m rode joined on is a real pain due to the small opening into the chain locker. This has turned out to be the biggest mistake I have yet made with this boat!

Finding anchorages under 20m here in Maldives has been a real challenge. There are no cruising guides yet, just positions from previous cruisers blogs, and two very outdated guides from 1998 and 2005 which have yet to find us an single acceptable anchorage. This has meant pushing the boundaries in crossing un-chartered reef passes almost every single afternoon, to enter lagoons hunting for an anchorage shallow enough. Fortunately we have an aluminium dinghy with a depth sounder fitted, and I send that ahead most afternoons to check depths of reefs before crossing them, but with sufficient chain this would often not be required.

With the balance of the Indian Ocean crossing, South Atlantic, and then the Pacific still in front of us, where there are probably plenty issues finding shallow anchorages, first chance I get we will be moving to new 10mm 120m chain! 

Hope nobody repeats my mistake!

Colin

Amel54 #332

svislandpearl.com

On Sat, Mar 24, 2018 at 3:24 AM, Danny and Yvonne SIMMS simms@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...om> wrote:

 

Hi Miles,

the 10mm chain is perfectly adequate for the SM so that would be your best choice. I wouldn't like to rely on a joining link, especially not one put on every now and then,

Regards

Danny

SM 299 Ocean Pearl

On 24 March 2018 at 00:37 "'smilesbernard@...' smilesbernard@... [amelyachtowners]" <amelyachtowners@...om> wrote:

 

 

 

thanks very much for the swift responses to this question 

I agree 100m chain would be my preference.....

I reread Beth Leonaids Blue Water Cruising last night - the section on anchoring

Their 40ft suffered badly from too much chain in the bow so they stowed a 2nd section of chain in the mid bilges and used a chain connector (one of the ones you rivet together) in the Pacific

I worry about the chain connector as a weak point but it would mean i could keep the existing chain i have ( good condition ) 

The main thing i want is to sleep easy and have minimum hassle when anchoring - rode is a pain tbh ! ;)

I suppose i could change the windlass gypsy and go 100m of smaller 10mm chain 

instead of the current 50ish meters of 12mm plus rode

 

Food for thought and very helpful input

many thanks again

Miles

On Friday, March 23, 2018, 8:06:20 AM GMT, Danny and Yvonne SIMMS simms@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...om> wrote:

 

 

I agree Alan

Danny

On 23 March 2018 at 16:28 "divanz620@... [amelyachtowners]" <amelyachtowners@...om> wrote:

 

We had 70m of 10mm when we bought Elyse, which wasn't enough.

We replaced it with 100m of 10mm ISO Maggi Aqua 4 chain in 2014.

Crusing in the Pacific that is only just enough.

When I replace it again, I will get 125m, there'a plenty of space in our anchor locker.

Cheers

Alan

Elyse SM437

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Colin Streeter

0411 016 445