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How to clean your anchor chain from mud in one minute

13K views 42 replies 15 participants last post by  MastUndSchotbruch 
#1 · (Edited)
The Chesapeake is an amazing cruising ground but --like most-- I could do without the mud that the chain comes up with when you weigh anchor. You can wash it off with a hose but better do that hanging over the pulpit, or you sluice the whole mess down your deck. And forget about it if you are single handing without a windlass (that would be moi).

In really bad cases, when most of the links are filled with solid mud, I have kind of sawed the chain over the roller up and down, to loosen some of the mud into the water before it gets to the deck. Kinda works but it gets pretty old when you have to do that with 100' of chain and your arms only (moi again).

I think I discovered the solution to this problem this weekend. I anchored in Fairlee Creek (deep mud!) and, given the early sunset this time of the year, after dropping the hook and before drifting off to sleep I had lots of time to think about life, the universe, and anchoring. The problem seems clear: Over night (or longer), the chain sinks deep into the mud and collects the crud. The solution then presents itself: Before getting the chain up, you want it washed off with water. You could use the washdown hose, but why rely on its tiny stream (which, as discussed, furthermore washes the mess onto your decks) when you have the water of the whole ocean at your disposal?

So I did an experiment, and it worked absolutely beautifully: Before walking up to haul up the chain, I went smartly in reverse, with the goal of lifting the whole chain off the seabed, and out of the muck. Similar action as when setting the anchor with the motor. Does not hurt to have the boat come up somewhat hard against the anchor, to get the chain really straight and fling off the mud. After that, just go forward and collect the chain as usual.

Did it work? BEAUTIFULLY, better than my wildest expectations! There was no mud at all on the chain, right until the anchor itself came up. The water that dripped off the chain was a bit dirty but not a single link had any mud embedded. I will do that always from now on.

Caveats/Points for discussion:

1) Is this a new idea? Probably not; this seems too obvious a solution to a known problem that it is highly unlikely that I am the first person in history to have it discovered. Many have probably done it before. I just have never read about it previously, so I thought I would offer it for discussion.

2) I have done this exactly once. It worked absolutely perfectly but was it a fluke? Needs to be repeated.

3) This time, I had only 50' of chain down (only 5.5' of water, and a very quiet night forecast). If you have much more, you may have to do the maneuver more than once to get all the chain straight: Go back with the engine, get chain up until it gets muddy, get chain straight again, repeat.

Thoughts?
 
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#2 ·
My concern is the load on the windlass, since the snubber is probably not attached for this. But I'm going to try this. I often raise and lower the last bit a few times.

I wonder if it might be somewhat effect to simply come up on very short scope (2:1?) and wait a few minutes.
 
#5 ·
Well, I suppose you set the anchor by going backwards with the engine. Whatever you do to protect your windlass in that case (use a chain hook, a snubber, whatever), do the same when you do the mud slinging maneuver :wink

As for coming up on very short scope, what are you going to do WHILE you are coming up to very short scope? In my example of about 5' depth, a 2:1 scope would have been ~10' of chain. What should I do with the 40 muddy feet of chain that come up in the process of getting to that 2:1 scope?
 
#4 ·
Nothin' beats a high pressure / high flow wash down pump!

'The admiral' for many years was a co-editor of one of the popular Chesapeake Bay cruising guides. We've probably anchored in 95% of the 'gunk holes' on the bay. Before installing a quality 'wash down pump', I used to hand rinse the chain by pulling it in so that chain would rapidly lift off the bottom in the hope of clearing the muck. Depending on the season (!), sometimes it worked but many times it didn't; and thus, we expended a lot of time using buckets to laboriously dowse the muck off the chain .... and the deck .... and ourselves.

A high quality high volume/high pressure wash down pump is the ultimate.
It can also be the 'nuclear option' when in 'water balloon fights' .... when you'd otherwise be 'losing' the battle. ;-)
 
#7 ·
Nothin' beats a high pressure / high flow wash down pump!

'The admiral' for many years was a co-editor of one of the popular Chesapeake Bay cruising guides. We've probably anchored in 95% of the 'gunk holes' on the bay. Before installing a quality 'wash down pump', I used to hand rinse the chain by pulling it in so that chain would rapidly lift off the bottom in the hope of clearing the muck. Depending on the season (!), sometimes it worked but many times it didn't; and thus, we expended a lot of time using buckets to laboriously dowse the muck off the chain .... and the deck .... and ourselves.
If you have an 'admiral' (or any other crew) to direct the water stream onto the chain, this is probably a good solution. I do have a washdown pump but (usually) not the personnel to operate it.

I did not understand the second part of your posting: "I used to hand rinse the chain by pulling it in so that chain would rapidly lift off the bottom in the hope of clearing the muck." Are you saying you basically did what I am proposing, but by hand instead of by using the motor?

And, continuing, are you saying that it sometimes worked, sometimes not, depending on the season? Could you elaborate?

As I said, I have a statistics with N=1 so it is quite possible that I got lucky that time but I would like to know some more details. Thanks!
 
#9 ·
Depends on a few factors... but if you get the anchor clear of the bottom a by good distance, and haven't gotten to the muddy part of chain...

Pull till the mud is visible, lower about 5 ft, lock the snubber and then motor the boat slowly, dragging the anchor and chain through the water for a bit.

REALLY use the whole ocean to wash the chain and anchor...

There are of course times this isn't even practical to try. When conditions permit, it works well.
 
#18 ·
What you describe sounds like it is easy to do each time you retrieve your ground tackle. We typically have to deal with gooey [glacial] ooze mud as well- very sticky as you describe.

One difference is our anchorages are typically much deeper [60-90 ft], so our all chain rode spends more time suspended in the water while being retrieved at ~40 ft/min. That pre-soak cycle helps loosen, but doesn't always remove the mud. So we almost always have to use the wash down pump. [We use raw water to blast the mud off, and rinse the chain pile with fresh water when we are finished.]

To help make that more efficient, we are experimenting with one of these cheap jet wands. I've heard from other credible sources they hold up a few years to salt water, and work surprisingly well... Ours is on order so I don't have first hand experience with this particular device to share yet...

On a previous boat, I rigged two similar venturi jets permanently below the bow roller assembly. The result was a cross-fire of two 90° opposing high pressure jets [spraying forward and down slightly] a few inches behind the chain as it came up. That dealt with 90+% of the goo, and I will likely rig something similar on this boat after experimenting manually. [This doesn't work as well if it is really blowing, however... meaning it creats more mess to clean-up... Reminds me of early advice we all received about not performing certain actions into a stiff wind...]

When the mud is really bad and we don't have time to drive in circles rinsing 50+ ft of dangling chain and anchor, I break out the portable pressure washer and blast it as it comes up. [~1500psi] That always works and uses a very small amount of [fresh] water to boot.

I hope your experiment pans out for you.

Cheers! Bill
 
#21 · (Edited)
Mud is often way too sticky to come off as the OP described.

Best approach with a windlass, of course, is to get a section of PVC pipe about 4" ID x 1' long. Cut a 2" wide slot from end to end and attach a few wood stiff bristle brushes to the inside. These will brush the mud off your chain.

Next get one of those hinge type fittings to connect tubing... the ones used for dodgers and biminis... attach the hinge to the middle of the pipe opposite to from the slot. You want to be able to attach and detach a 5' length of 3/4" or 1" tubing easily.

Once you have your scrubber rigged up... push it on to the chain and press the windlass and the brushes will clean your chain. If the tubing is long enough you can do it just under the water and this will keep the mud from building up on the scrubber.

DIY easy peasy... it works!
 
#23 ·
Mud is often way too sticky to come off as the OP described.

Best approach with a windlass, of course, is to get a section of PVC pipe about 4" ID x 1' long. Cut a 2" wide slot from end to end and attack a few wood stiff bristle brushes to the inside. These will brush the mud off your chain.

Next get one of those hinge type fittings to connect a pipe... the ones used for dodgers and biminis... attach the hinge to the middle of the pipe opposite to from the slot. You want to be able to attach and detach a 5' length of 3/4 or 1" tubing easily.

Once you have your scrubber rigged up... push it on to the chain and press the windlass and the brushes will clean your chain. If the tubing is long enough you can do it just under the water and this will keep the mud from building up on the scrubber.

DIY easy peasy... it works!
You may be right, my super easy method may not always work.

I had thought along the lines of what you are proposing but never built it. The reason is that I did not see how to prevent the contraption to ride up the chain when you haul it (the chain) in. Or, alternatively, fall off into the deep. How do you hold it in position? Do you attach your 5' tubing to the pulpit or something?

A picture might be helpful?
 
#22 ·
Mud on the deck is a badge of honor. You anchor. 99% of boaters seem afraid to anchor, especially overnight. Wear it proudly!!

I have a high pressure wash down pump that I use to limit the mud, but we always get some. I attached a long self coiled hose to the washdown that stretches about 30 ft. Instead of keeping the mud entirely off the deck, I use it to rinse the deck off afterward. I always return to the slip with mud on the anchor itself. Can't reach it well with the hose, especially beneath.

I also pull back on the rode, before weighing anchor. Varied results with cleaning the chain. I do it so that the road is laid out directly in front of me. Unless winds are very high, the chain road can be snaked all around on the bottom.
 
#29 ·
It's kinda nuts to have all chain and not have a windlass... and I would suggest an electric windlass. It you have to pull the chain or crank a manual you would be short of hands!

As I anchor mostly and cruised for a number of years in the Caribbean, adding all chain and a Maxwell reversing windlass with a cockpit remote switch was part of my preparation. Easy up and easy down and not back strain. Money well spent. If you go from marina to mariana or mooring to mooring.... the windlass and chain seem to be an unnecessary expense. But if you are paying dockage/mooring... the cost of the windlass and chain will amortise very quickly.
 
#33 ·
It's kinda nuts to have all chain and not have a windlass... and I would suggest an electric windlass. It you have to pull the chain or crank a manual you would be short of hands!
I suppose that depends on where you anchor. I never sailed in Alaska or the PNW where, apparently, anchoring in depths of 50' or more is not uncommon. That might me make reconsider my choice. But pulling up 100' of chain, plus a 35# anchor, from a depth of 10' or so (typical for many anchorages in the Chessie) is really not a big deal. I lift many times more than that in the gym several times a week.
 
#30 ·
I find that most of the mud on the chain comes off if you just bring it up slower and stop more often to allow it to wash off. But when it comes right down to it I just assume I'm going to end up with some of that baby poop looking mud on me.
 
#32 ·
Don, I don't know where you are right now, but what you say is correct for mud UNTIL you reach some areas of the Chesapeake. The only way some of that mud finally left our chain after 2 years was when we replaced the chain…
Once Chesapeake Bay mud dries it is remarkably like concrete. You can get it off mechanically which is laborious. If you think law enforcement won't take a dim view of it you can drag your chain down a road behind a truck. 35 mph should do it.
 
#36 · (Edited)
I like the idea of the OP... with the cautions others have mentioned.

I do have a wash down pump and set it up to clean the chain as I bring it in, currently by hand as my manual windlass needs some maintenance and I dropped the arm overboard as well.

I usually let out more scope than I probably need to but I sleep better. When I know I am going to be leaving that day I often go up and pull in a few feet at a time letting the majority of the gunk fall off as the chain swings with the boat. This works well. So if I wake up at 7:00, and want to leave by say 10:00... about every half hour I will start bring in some chain.

I used to use a bucket with a rope attached to wash down, but that get tiring as well. I will try your technique though, if anything out of curiosity.

Cheers
 
#39 ·
I like the idea of the OP... with the cautions others have mentioned.

I do have a wash down pump and set it up to clean the chain as I bring it in, currently by hand as my manual windlass needs some maintenance and I dropped the arm overboard as well.

I usually let out more scope than I probably need to but I sleep better. When I know I am going to be leaving that day I often go up and pull in a few feet at a time letting the majority of the gunk fall off as the chain swings with the boat. This works well. So if I wake up at 7:00, and want to leave by say 10:00... about every half hour I will start bring in some chain.

I used to use a bucket with a rope attached to wash down, but that get tiring as well. I will try your technique though, if anything out of curiosity.

Cheers
OK, we have an N=2! I went sailing this weekend and repeated the procedure. Same result: the water that dripped off the chain was a bit muddy but not a single clump in the links, until the very end, a foot or two before the anchor came up (and even there only very little). This would probably easy to get rid off, by letting'er swing a bit, as several have suggested.

This was in a different anchorage (within APG). However, N=2 is not exactly a huge number. And of course this is still the same season (fall) and RichH noted that the mud problems might be more acute in summer. May well be, have to wait for the new season.

I will continue to employ this procedure, though likely not many more times this year. Indeed, this one may well have been my last outing for 2016.
 
#37 ·
You guys need a better wash down pump it sounds like. I don't careif I get all the mud off, just so it keeps the baby poop down. It's anchor chain why the hell do some of you feel it needs to be clean?

BTW - I'm in NC now and the mud as Southern Charm :)
 
#38 ·
Late to this discussion--was out sailing.

But I use a chain scrubber made by Davis Instruments which works quite well. Unfortunately they no longer make it but perhaps you can find a used one.

I attached it to a carbon fiber golf club shaft whose head had broken off. I glued an adaptor for connecting to a telescopic scrub brush handle to the other end. The shaft allows scrubbing under water without immersing the aluminum handle.
 
#42 ·
The problem with backing down with an all-chain rode while the chain is on the windlass is that the impact load is WAY higher than the WLL of the windlass. What you describe will work, but unless you are very careful or use a snubber, you are reducing the life expectancy of the windlass. It won't feel like it, but to yank the chain tight you have to be at 1000 pounds or more for at least a moment.

Your choice. Be careful.
 
#43 ·
Hey, we went over this exact concern last year!

Of course you are right but my understanding is that one should ALWAYS protect the windlass from shock loads. Yes, when you go backwards on the engine you should protect your windlass exactly the same way as when you are setting the anchor, or when you are at anchor in rough conditions. Using a snubber, a chain claw, or whatever is your setup.

It is a moot question for me since my windlass consists of my arms and back :crying When I do this 'mud slinging' manoever, my setup is exactly the same as when I anchor: the chain is wrapped around my foredeck cleat, and the snubber in place.
 
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