T&T: Anchor chain washing

[Rich Gano]

Since I only recently added a seawater wash down pump to the boat, I spent a
lot of years physically yanking the chain upper and down in the water to
clear off mud until I got the anchor aweigh at which point I'd back down
"flying" the anchor and the last of the chain to more easily clean it.  I
now proselytize about wash down pumps with the zeal of a new convert.

Wray, there was just no way a fixed wide-spraying nozzle was going to work
as an effective anchor and chain wash down system on my particular boat (all
chain rode).  My chain needs to be washed of heavy mud well before it gets
up to the anchor chain roller because the speed of the windlass will carry
much of the mud over the roller and into the chain locker before my small
stream of 65-psi water from a few inches distance gets a chance to clear it
off the chain.  Wind can also carry sprayed muddy water all over the place
if I wait until the muddy chain is at roller level.  If I had a 1.5-inch
100-psi stream of water like we had available on a destroyer, I would be in
good shape trying to clean the chain as it comes over the roller, but I'd
still have muddy spray all over the place.  I need to get the stream of
water down to near the waterline as the chain emerges from the water in
order to keep mud from flying all over the hull and deck and to have time to
get it off before it reaches the roller.  In really thick mud conditions, I
retrieve a few feet of chain at a time using the foot switch while washing
the chain.  The chain wanders around off the bow during retrieval meaning
somebody needs to be there to handle the hose/nozzle.

I have done this single-handed without problem.  If the anchorage is tight
or currents are an issue with shoals nearby, I simply move about 10-15 feet
aft to the lower station helm after the anchor is weighed off the bottom.
Then I back down to a point where I am clear and can finish raising and
cleaning the anchor and chain.  Backing cleans the anchor well.

Rich Gano
CALYPSO (GB-42 #295)
Southport, FL