# Lake erie - central basin - anchor rode lengths being carried and used?



## 27482

Went from an 18 foot aluminum to a 26 foot fiberglass. Would like to get an idea of the rode lengths being used by the larger boats when anchoring to fish throughout the Central Basin. Also, what's preferred . . . 3-strand or 8 plait.


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## nooffseason

I believe I read at one time there's a regulation saying you must have 3X the amount of rope as to feet of water you're in. Obviously that's in extreme cases when trying to anchor in heavy seas. Not sure if that's something that would be checked by most officers anyway. With that regulation in mind only, then I'd say 150ft of rope would work for the Lorain area. Getting out east of Cleveland you may want to look closer to 200ft. Three strand should work. Don't forget you'll want at least 5 feet of heavy chain.


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## Misdirection

I'd recommend buying the most recent addition of Chapman's Seamanship this winter and browsing thru it. I did so last year on a recommendation of a friend and learned quite a bit.

With that said, the recommended rode is 3x depth. For rougher seas, 5x depth. To ride out a storm, 10x to 15x depth. Recommended chain length is 1x to 1.5x the length of the boat. I have a "big boat" and have a 25 lbs Danforth (fluke type anchor) and 200' of rode. I'm upgrading to 300' (600' if my anchor locker will hold it) this winter. The reason I'm going for the extra rode length is my windlass won't accept chain, so the extra length helps greatly. Good luck and safe fishing...

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## Misdirection

And I use three strand because that's what my windlass accepts....I will have a 150' anchor rope or a 200' anchor rope for sale come spring if your interested...got a couple spare anchors as well

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## trapperjon

I was told during a safety check at fairport harbor parking lot. I had to have 200' before they would allow me to launch. I had 150'.... NOT good enough. 


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## 27482

Appreciate your input Trapperjon. As such, I decided to do some research and found some interesting info. Seems the Coast Guard regs for boating equipment requirement for an anchor and rode don't exist . . . it's a state requirement! So, figured I'd go to the source and called the law enforcement office for the ODNR Watercraft division. The state does require that certain boats have the equipment . . . an anchor and line, which is governed by Ohio Revise Code 1547.26 & Ohio Administrative Code 1501: 47-1-11. However, there is no actual written law or rule that stipulates a specific amount of anchor rode and/or anchor weight. There are recommended amounts that are suggested for depth vs scope of line out to anchor. The officer I spoke with mentioned that they consider it to be satisfactory if your rode is 3 to 5 times the depth of the water one would be anchored in. Perhaps the person you had to deal with felt there were conditions that would merit a long line. Just a thought of course, but 150 feet of line would be plenty if you were going to anchor in 15 to 25 feet of water. So, don't have a clue what the guy was thinking when he shut you down.


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## sherman51

as a general rule 3 x the depth of water is good unless your in rough water or a storm. I bought one of those electrical extension cord spools at lowes and put 300' of 5/16 nylon braided rope on it. I use a fluke style anchor with the sliding ring on it so when I go to pull my anchor I just pull the boat up current and the ring slides to the back of the anchor and makes it come loose. so far I haven't ever had to use all my rope. when perch fishing in about 50' of water I let out about 150' of rope.
sherman


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## 27482

Thanx Sherman. That's pretty much what I figured and that was confirmed by what the ODNR Waterways Officer stated. But to be safe, figured since I went from a lighter aluminum to a much heavier fiberglass, I'd get some input on what's being used. So, from what I'm learning, isn't much a matter of boat size, but rather that one has the correct diameter rode and enough to provide the 3x's to 5x's the depth. By the way, the spool idea sound pretty handy too! Paul B.


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## trapperjon

Fish fear me.... if i remember correctly it was the DNR. It was no big deal. I just went to bait shop and bought 50'. I just figured it was due to the deeper waters in the area. JON


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## PatSea

Boaters in Ohio waters of Lake Erie are subject to the Coast Guard safety regs as well as the laws of the state of Ohio. In most cases they are the same, but anchors is one area where there is a difference between the two entities. The Coast Guard does not require that anchors be carried on board a boat. As stated above by fish-fear-me, Ohio boating laws require anchors as follows:
All watercraft shall carry an anchor and line of sufficient weight and length to anchor the watercraft securely. No person shall operate or permit to be operated any watercraft in violation of this section.
The following vessels are exempt from requirements to carry an anchor and line:
any vessel less than 14 feet in length
any canor or kayak
any sailboat less than 21 feet in length


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## 27482

Thanx for the acknowledgement PatSea. And for citing the info regarding rode and anchor requirements.


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## seasick Steve

I feel chain is the key to getting a anchor to hold. I have a 20 ft boat and was having problems getting the danforth to hold without putting out excessive line. On advice from a friend i added 10 ft of chain to the 5 i already had for a total of 15 ft. The difference was night and day. The anchor grabs so hard it will give you rope burn when it grabs.


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## CarpetBagger

I carry 300ft + 20ft of chain in my anchor locker and have a windlass...

Ive anchored in 70ft numerous times for perch...


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## creekcrawler

Ugh. I know chain is important, but I don't wanna pull up 20 ft of chain!


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## K gonefishin

I carry 150 ft of rope and have about 5 ft of chain. I've held tight in 4-6's a couple times in my 21ft Ranger.


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## sherman51

I do use about a 10' piece of chain on my anchor. it does make a big difference in how good your anchor holds on a smooth bottom like the central basin of erie and protects your rope when anchoring in rocky bottoms.
sherman


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## Workdog

Where are you guys getting all this "rope" from? There is no rope on a boat. There _are_ lines and rode...


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## Misdirection

Workdog said:


> Where are you guys getting all this "rope" from? There is no rope on a boat. There _are_ lines and rode...


If you go back and look at my post, you'll notice I used rode 

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## K gonefishin

Workdog said:


> Where are you guys getting all this "rope" from? There is no rope on a boat. There _are_ lines and rode...


Now that's what I call splitting hairs


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## Workdog

K gonefishin said:


> Now that's what I call splitting hairs


 I've seen many a "goat rope" (fluster cluck) at the dock, and the Navy has to use soap-on-a-rope on its ships (right Tom?). But, rope on a Lake Erie fishing vessel?  

Just funning with you guys. :T


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## Uncle Paul

Workdog Youre wrong at least what Ive always been told there are two, the first is if you are towing a painter also known as a dingy behind your boat that line is one of them the second is the line on the bells gong. But back to the post the chain is there for two reasons the first is to help with the wear on the rode but it is also helps to absorb the initial shock a wave puts on the anchor. If you want you can use a much lighter anchor by using a longer length of chain, or you can add a second weight I have a small maybe 5 lb. mushroom anchor that you attach at the rode/chain link. Using this method I have been able to downsize on anchor weight and yet getting much better holding then I did with the much bigger anchors.


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## sherman51

Workdog said:


> Where are you guys getting all this "rope" from? There is no rope on a boat. There _are_ lines and rode...


hey workdog
I have always called my anchor line rope. when I buy my anchor line from lowes they sell me rope not rode. I guess there is a lot of us dummies out there that calls it rope. I had never heard the word rode until I joined ogf. but then I have learned so much from ogf.

can you tell us where the word rode came from?? or maybe why its supposed to be called rode and not rope?? im not trying to be a smart a$$, I really would like to know. the first few times I seen rode I thought it was just misspelled rope. but then I noticed a lot of guys was using rode. so now I know what people are talking about if they use rode or rope. so it really doesn't matter to guys like me what its called as long as there talking about anchor line. but I would really like to know why its called rode and not rope.
sherman


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## Workdog

Uncle Paul, you may be correct on those two "ropes" on a boat (at least the bell rope). I can't say for sure. It would really annoy the crew if I had a bell onboard in 2-6' waves.  



sherman51 said:


> hey workdog
> I have always called my anchor line rope. when I buy my anchor line from lowes they sell me rope not rode. I guess there is a lot of us dummies out there that calls it rope. I had never heard the word rode until I joined ogf. but then I have learned so much from ogf.
> 
> can you tell us where the word rode came from?? or maybe why its supposed to be called rode and not rope?? im not trying to be a smart a$$, I really would like to know. the first few times I seen rode I thought it was just misspelled rope. but then I noticed a lot of guys was using rode. so now I know what people are talking about if they use rode or rope. so it really doesn't matter to guys like me what its called as long as there talking about anchor line. but I would really like to know why its called rode and not rope.
> sherman


The term "rode" is derived from the nautical phrase "at rode", or "at rodestead", meaning a sheltered place near shore where ships could anchor. An example of which is the area of the southern Chesapeake Bay inaccurately called Hampton Roads. Hampton Roads isn't named for the number of roads on the peninsula or southside, but for the large number of defined anchorages at the south end of the James River. The etymology of the word itself can be traced back to Middle English "roadstead", road meaning "entry" and stead meaning "place." A line, a rode, a lanyard are all ropes until they are cut (or bought from Lowes) and used. When you enter a chandlery they have ropes all coiled on shelves or hanging on racks for example, then, you order a length of rope and when cut it becomes a line, that line can then be assigned a duty and will become rigging of some sort, a sheet, lanyard, halyard, rode, etc. 

Rode is a term with a historical, nautical background, much like we use the terms "port" and "starboard," when most individuals are much more familiar with "left" and "right." Its first known use was in 1679. By the way, only landlubber's use the term rope when describing a rode... 
(Some of the info above I picked up from Yahoo Answers and Chapman's).


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