[Renoir]

From an idea that I got from Brion about 4 years ago I have eliminated anchor gear thimbles. Dress the end link of your anchor chain so that the zinc coating presents no "pimples" or other mechanism that can cause chafe. Buy a length of double braid polyester (about 20 ft) that has a diameter will JUST fit through the end link of the chain (5/8 inch for a 3/8" chain for example).

Using directions in The Riggers Apprentice (or better yet view Brion's splicing DVD for the dynamic visualization) splice an eye in the end link of the anchor chain.

Splice an eye in the other end of the polyester anchor chain-to-rode interface pendant sufficiently large so as to accept two diameters of your rode.

Splice an eye in the end of your rode sufficiently large so as to accept two diameters of the polyester pendant.

Pass the bitter end of the rode through the polyester eye, pass the bitter end through the other end eye of the rode and snug it up. You then have a "square knot" looking connection formed by the two eyes intertwined together. This is STRONG.

The polyester will not stretch under load at the chain link and, therefore, you will experience almost no wear (other than what can be caused by dirt and grit if you don't keep it clean).

The result will pass through a hawse pipe that a sufficiently strong thimble will not and will be probably much stronger and longer lasting.