Well, It might be all those years of university…but Im thinkin the second anchor is not a lot of use without a chain.. hummmmm…
West Marine has chain.. Looking online, it appears to be close to $7.00 a foot.. X 300 feet…. Geeze thats 2 marine units!!! (Because everything is expensive on a boat, everyone equates $1000 to 1 marine unit… seriously nothing seems to be less than a marine unit!!!!)
Anyway.. chitchatting with the local guru’s.. its a short walk from Island Dancer is the main Chain and Rope/Tackle shop in all of Puerto Rico.. Sweet!
First day we walked over… Robin wearing a sun dress.. both of us in flip-flops.. we’re instructed to walk through the shop to see their chain selection..
Tons of guys grinding links, using high pressure hydraulics to join steel lines for the cruise ships.. And I have sunglasses, flip-flops and a starbucks (don’t ask)
So of course I didn’t go into the shop… Ask any of the workers 🙂 .. They saw Robins skirt, but Timbo… no, he wasn’t there..
First day we walked over… Robin wearing a sun dress.. both of us in flip-flops.. we’re instructed to walk through the shop to see their chain selection..
Tons of guys grinding links, using high pressure hydraulics to join steel lines for the cruise ships.. And I have sunglasses, flip-flops and a starbucks (don’t ask)
So of course I didn’t go into the shop… Ask any of the workers 🙂 .. They saw Robins skirt, but Timbo… no, he wasn’t there..
Anyway, after we determined there are 2 types of 3/8 galvanized chain, they gave me 2 lengths of samples to take back to the boat to check in the windlass (electric winch).
Funny, when we walk down the road, the truck drivers always honk their horn at us and wave or whistle.. especially when Robin is with me (But not always!!! ha)
.. But this time, walking swinging two lengths of chain, not a beep!!! 🙂
So.. regrouping (aka the next day).. we go back to the shop to pickup 250′ of 3/8″ G4 Galvanized chain.. They have to order it… 2 weeks.. OMG.. they said they had it in stock when I called 2 months ago!!! – Enter Robin advice to Timbo here… Bleep Bleep Bleeeeep
Well we had them measure what they did have.. 155’… humm.. well, we could always add line to that.. So we did..
155′ of chain, 100′ of 5/8″ Nylon.. Had them do the connections… remember they do the cruise ships.. humm.. no time to practice.. (Ray can check their work next month!)..
155′ of chain, 100′ of 5/8″ Nylon.. Had them do the connections… remember they do the cruise ships.. humm.. no time to practice.. (Ray can check their work next month!)..
Price .75 Marine units DELIVERED… Awesome!!!
Now, to mark the chain/rope.. Came up with a good system to designate the lengths.. (when you put the anchor out you usually use 5x the depth for length of rode)… So its nice to know how much chain is out..
Using 15 minute dry, rust resistant, thick as goop, Black brush on paint.. I finished the job.. 16 minutes later it started raining!!! ha..
Today, the chain is dry.. and its time to install.. A few hundred pounds, so were going to use the windlass to pull the chain onboard… Robin is shopping, Allie is diving… So Timbo had to put his coffee down and use both hands… Went really smooth… and Now we have 2 anchors, both connected to Island Dancer!!!!
Have a great Weekend.. Were hoping to set sail mid next week.. Stay Tuned!!
Timbo
Using 15 minute dry, rust resistant, thick as goop, Black brush on paint.. I finished the job.. 16 minutes later it started raining!!! ha..
Today, the chain is dry.. and its time to install.. A few hundred pounds, so were going to use the windlass to pull the chain onboard… Robin is shopping, Allie is diving… So Timbo had to put his coffee down and use both hands… Went really smooth… and Now we have 2 anchors, both connected to Island Dancer!!!!
Have a great Weekend.. Were hoping to set sail mid next week.. Stay Tuned!!
Timbo
