Rode & Chain is an independent site that sizes ground tackle and works out scope, rode length and swing radius.
It exists because the answers to these questions are mostly published somewhere already — in code tables, manufacturer datasheets and industry standards — and almost none of it is available in a form you can actually use while standing in a merchant's yard.
Where the numbers come from
- manufacturer holding-power tables for Danforth, CQR and Bruce anchors
- the 5:1, 7:1 and 10:1 scope conventions in Chapman and US Sailing guidance
Every page states the source and the assumptions behind its figures, because a number without its assumptions is not much use. Where a constant is a convention rather than a measurement, we say so.
Scope is measured from the bow roller, not the waterline — t…
Scope is measured from the bow roller, not the waterline — the anchor holds because of the angle the rode makes at the seabed, and that angle starts where the rode leaves the boat. Leaving the bow height out overstates scope on a small boat by a fifth.
What this site does not do
We do not give storm-anchoring advice. Everything here assumes ordinary conditions with someone aboard, and riding out a real blow is a different problem with a different answer.
Who runs it
One person, working on this alongside other things. There is no editorial team and we are not going to invent one — what should earn your trust is that every figure on the site names the standard it came from, so you can check it yourself.
Calculations are written as code and tested against every combination they can produce, rather than typed into a page by hand. When we get something wrong we correct it and leave a note.
How it is paid for
Rode & Chain is free to read and funded by display advertising. There are no sponsored placements and no affiliate links on the site; nothing here changes based on who sells the product.
Getting in touch
Corrections and questions go to [email protected]. Corrections are the most useful thing you can send — see the editorial policy for how we handle them.