Which 8-plait/chain splice?

[Renoir]

If possible use 12 plait instead of the 8. The 12 plait is much easier to splice as you can pass inside the line; one cannot do that inside an 8 plait.

Otherwise, using either 8 or 12 plait use a Dacron "interface" line which will not chaffe on the chain nor the nylon rode to which it is attached. Use double-braid Dacron, as large a diameter as will fit into the last link of the chain, making an eye splice (small as practical) in the last link. Make another eye splice in the other end sufficiently large so as to pass an eye formed in the rode. Make an eye in the end of the rode sufficiently large so as to pass through the Dacron eye and thence COMPLETELY over a laundry basket holding, say 600 ft, of the rode.

Because the 8 and 12 plait rodes fit so compactly in a basket the eye size will not be all that large, about 2 ft dia for 5/8 inch line, for example. The connection between the rode eye and the Dacron "interface" to chain eye forms what looks like a square knot yet is balanced for each material and very strong. I got the idea for this from Brion several years ago and use it to advantage in many applications, such as dock lines to cleats where the Dacron eye attaches to the cleat horn and the other end eye attaches completely outboard of any fairlead to eliminate any chaffe on the nylon dock lines.

The best windlass application for this setup is with a dual gypsy/wildcat; one retreives the nlyon and Dacron on the drum wrapping about 3/4 of the drum with the bitter end of the chain; stopper the chain; take the chain off of the drum and place it on the gypsy and continue to retreive the chain. If one does not have a chain stopper use a small Dacron line from a cleat forward to the chain clapping on a Prussic hitch and then relieve the chain from the drum transferring it to the gypsy then remove the hitch and continue using the windlass. Some gypsies with rope/chain "bastards" will work with both yet I have discovered that these "bastards" will not work well with the non-chain when retreiving under heavy tension and I begrudge the resulting abuse of the rode strands.

It is not possible to use a rope-to-chain splice with nylon alone that splices to multiple links without chaffing the nylon strands; forget that if you want a bullet-proof anchor tackle.

[Renoir]

Do NOT hot knife the yarns of a splice when cutting off the ends. Use a good knife and make a cut. Use your fingers to waft over the cut ends making them splay like cotton. Hot knifing a cut results in a hard plastic that when under stress, like passing over a drum, gradually cuts the individual strands adjacent to the sharp plastic wherever the plastic bears. This will not happen otherwise.

[whimsy]

I'm about to put together my new anchor rode as well--8 plait rope and chain. I have no windlass, so I could also use a thimble and a shackle. The answers here (so far) have me a little confused, so I am going to re-ask the question:

How do these options rank for reliability and strength?

1. Back splice through one link of chain
2. "Shovel splice" woven into the chain
3. Eye splice around thimble with shackle.
4. Polyester double braid interface strop with two eyes.

I would personally prefer choice #1 or #2 but could manage any of them.

Thanks

[Ian McColgin]

The back splice does not, in my experience, need chafe protection against the chain. It's a very quiet lay - no rubbing that will cause chafe. As Brion points out, the weave-into-chain system is a great mud picker. It also has a lot of chafe sites given the dynamics of how it moves into the chain.

The classic and normative eye splice on a thinble subjects the sholders of the splice to chafe as the line is dragged along the bottom. Because of the way the eye sticks out at an angle to the direction of pull, this chafe is more severe than chafe on the body of the back splice where the extra fibers both augment and protect the total line.

Interesting thought about the potential disadvantage of burning the strand ends. At one time dacron and nylon were seen as so slipery that burning was also viewed as a way to keep the line from slipping out in the splice. It is true that with low quality three strand nylon and a poorly done splice, an unburned last tuck may slip and the next to last tuck becomes the new last tuck. But really, quality so fixes that. I happen to mostly use a real knive just because I mostly splice where I don't have a hot knife, but I never gave it much thought before.

[whimsy]

Well it sounds like the backsplice version is the way for me to go. It seems simpler anyway.

I had one other thought when I looked in "The Splicing Handbook" by Barbara Merry, and read her directions for the "shovel splice". It has one final step--she serves over the entire splice. This should cut down on chafe and also might even let the mud come off a little easier. But that sounds like even more work.

So I think I'm just going to do a backsplice around one link of chain.

Thanks!