The Offshore Voyaging Reference Site

Anchor Swivels, Just Say No

We have never seen the point of anchor swivels. All they do is add a potential point of failure to the anchoring system and provide little or no benefits in return.


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More Articles From Online Book: Anchoring Made Easy:

  1. Introduction
  2. 4 Vital Anchor Selection Criteria and a Review of SPADE
  3. SARCA Excel Anchor—A Real World Test
  4. SPADE, SARCA Excel, or Some Other Anchor?
  5. Rocna Resetting Failures and Evaluation of Vulcan and Mantus
  6. Some Thoughts On The Ultra Anchor, Roll Bars and Swivels
  7. Specifying Primary Anchor Size
  8. Kedge (Secondary Anchor)—Recommended Type and Size
  9. Third Anchors, Storm Anchors and Spare Anchors
  10. Anchor Tests—The Good, The Bad, and The Downright Silly
  11. Making Anchor Tests More Meaningful
  12. We Love The Way Our Anchor Drags 
  13. Things to Know About Anchor Chain
  14. Selecting a Chain Grade
  15. Anchor Chain Catenary, When it Matters and When it Doesn’t
  16. Anchoring—Snubbers
  17. Anchor Rode Questions and Answers
  18. Q&A: Hybrid Rope And Chain Anchor Rodes
  19. Anchor Swivels, Just Say No
  20. A Windlass That Makes The Grade
  21. The Perfect Anchor Roller
  22. Install A Wash-down Pump—And Save Money!
  23. Anchoring—Kellets
  24. Anchoring—Chain: Stoppers, Termination and Marking
  25. 20 Tips To Get Anchored and Stay Anchored
  26. Choosing an Anchorage
  27. Choosing a Spot
  28. 15 Steps To Getting Securely Anchored
  29. One Anchor or Two?
  30. Two Anchors Done Right
  31. It’s Often Better to Anchor Than Pick Up a Mooring
  32. Yawing at Anchor, The Theory and The Solution
  33. Yawing at The Anchor, an Alternative Cure
  34. How To Use An Anchor Trip Line
  35. ShoreFasts—Part 1, When to Use Them
  36. ShoreFasts—Part 2, Example Setups Plus Tips and Tricks
  37. ShoreFasts—Part 3, The Gear
  38. Gale And Storm Preparation, At Anchor Or On A Mooring
  39. Storm Preparation, All Chain On Deck
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Carter

John
Perhaps the problem is due more to poor design rather than the swivel itself. What think you of the WASI?

A quick look around my marina revealed all boats with high test chains using standard half strength shackles. Just an observation not an excuse.

Your recommendation might be better stated as an appropriately sized high test strength shackle.

I always enjoy your thoughts and ideas. Thanks

David Nutt

In over 100,000 miles of sailing including a circumnavigation and a recent trip to Greenland we have never used a swivel. I have never found a need for one and as John points out it is just one more expensive piece of equipment in the long chain of items that can fail. It won’t fail if you don’t have it. Also, if I search really hard I am sure I can find another more reliable and utilitarian item on which to spend that elusive $400.

Matt Marsh

I always thought these things looked untrustworthy, unnecessary and ridiculously overpriced. My chain gets twisted all the time, and it never causes a problem- just let it hang and straighten itself out for a few seconds before hauling the rest of it in.
An extra $300 gets you a bigger anchor…or more rode…or a better windlass…any of which would do a lot more for anchoring securely than a swivel fitting.

Andy Fennymore-White

An interesting post but consider this; Three years back I was on the market for 200m of 1/2″ chain. I contacted a British manufacturer who claimed to make their chain in the UK, (and is a big name here). I asked for a sample of their chain that was supposed to be 100% proof tested to 4t. I had it independently tested as I am a paranoid skeptic and guess what? It yielded at 3.5t failing totally just over 4t, when its supposed minimum break was over 8t. When I told the company they just said;” Oh do you still want to place the order?”. They did not even bat an eyelid or ask to see the results; the sales assistant even admitted that they just brought it in. (And guess from which part of the world?) You need to be very careful with everything even if it meets all the specs and costs proper money.