What anchor size and chain length suit a Sun Odyssey 36i?
I'm looking to upgrade the ground tackle on my 2008 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36i. The current anchor drags in weed, and I'm not sure if I have enough chain. What anchor weight and chain length should I be looking at for general coastal cruising, and will a bigger anchor fit the bow roller?
Answer
For a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36i, you want a 16 kg to 20 kg new generation anchor paired with at least 50 metres of 8mm calibrated chain. Back this chain up with 30 to 50 metres of 14mm nylon warp to ensure adequate scope for deeper anchorages or heavy weather.
Anchor weight and type
The factory specification for a 36 foot yacht displacing 5,700 kg (easily 7,000 kg when fully loaded for cruising) is typically a 15 kg or 16 kg anchor like a Lewmar Delta. A 16 kg Delta suits lunch stops and settled weather. Upgrading to a 20 kg new generation anchor transforms how the boat sleeps. Expect to pay around £450 to £600 for a premium 20 kg anchor. It is cheap insurance.
Anchors like the Rocna 20, Spade S100 (20 kg) or Mantus M1 dig in faster and hold better in weed or hard sand than older plough designs. When fitting a Rocna with a roll bar to the Sun Odyssey 36i, check the clearance between the roll bar and the Facnor furling drum on the forestay. The bar sometimes sits too close to the drum when fully housed on the Jeanneau bow roller. If clearance is tight, a design without a roll bar like the Rocna Vulcan 20 or Spade S100 fits perfectly.
Chain specs and length
Your primary rode should be 8mm calibrated galvanised chain. Quality European 8mm chain costs around £6 to £8 per metre. Most Sun Odyssey 36i models built between 2007 and 2012 left the factory with Quick windlasses, typically the Aleph or Hector models. Match the chain to the windlass gypsy. The gypsy will be stamped for either DIN 766 or ISO 4565 standard 8mm chain. Mixing these standards causes the chain to jump or jam under load.
For general UK coastal cruising, cross Channel hopping or Atlantic coast sailing, 50 metres of chain is the sweet spot. It provides enough weight for a good catenary effect in typical 5 to 10 metre depths without overloading the bow. If you are heading to the Mediterranean, anchoring in 10 to 15 metres is commonplace. Increasing this to 70 or 80 metres of all chain rode makes sense. Bear in mind this adds around 45 kg right in the bow.
Anchor warp and snubber
Unless you opt for an all chain rode, you need a high quality warp spliced to the end of your 50 metres of chain. Look for the following specifications: