T&T: Anchor kellets

[LRZeitlin at aol.com]

Anchoring 101 - About kellets. 

Anchor kellets are weights suspended from an anchor rode to assist in the 
anchoring process. In theory both chain and nylon rodes, or any combination of 
the two, are special cases of a hypothetical general anchoring system which 
consists of a weightless, unstretchable line connecting the anchor and the boat 
with a single concentrated weight, representing the underwater weight of the 
rode, hung somewhere along its length. The weight serves two purposes. It keeps 
the anchor shank angle more nearly horizontal, reducing the chance of the 
anchor pulling out or dragging; and, it gives a degree of elasticity to the rode, 
requiring the weight to be lifted before becoming taut and jerking on the 
anchor. The kellet merely adds to the weight of the rode. It has the advantage that 
it can be placed anywhere along the length of the rode to modify anchoring 
characteristics.

The best position for the weight depends on what you want to do. To keep the 
anchor shank as flat as possible, the weight should be attached to the lower 
end of the rode near the anchor. Danforth and Fortress type anchors, and their 
near relatives, require that the shank be kept nearly parallel to the bottom 
for best results. A boat length of chain connected between the anchor shank and 
a nylon rode is the usual prescription. The chain resists abrasion and 
assists anchor setting. A kellet near the anchor can help if the chain is short or 
light in weight.

For best rode elasticity, the weight should be positioned at one water depth 
from the upper end of the rode. Maximum elasticity is achieved when the rode 
hangs straight down from the bow to a weight resting on the bottom, then goes 
horizontally to the anchor. This is normally the case when an all chain rode is 
used. It is an oversimplification to assume that a chain forms a catenary 
between the anchor and the bow. In most cases the chain drops almost straight 
down from the bow, then lies flat along the bottom to the anchor. As more strain 
is placed on the rode by wind and current, additional chain is lifted off the 
bottom. A catenary curve is achieved only under considerable strain, just 
before the chain becomes bar tight and all elasticity vanishes. A kellet, attached 
to the anchor rode at one water depth, can materially delay this point. 

But this kellet position hurts the bow's ability to lift over the waves. For 
permanent or long term moorings an anchor buoy can be used to support the end 
of the anchor rode with a pennant extending to the boat's bow. The often 
repeated suggestion that the kellet be hung halfway along the rode is a compromise 
between the conflicting requirements for a flat anchor shank and maximum rode 
elasticity.

Larry Z





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