rope/chain rode

[ebb]

8 strand nylon rope is interesting stuff.
It doesn't bird's nest in the locker, it flakes and falls in like chain and takes less space.
It doesn't twist and knot up. It's less prone to getting stiff in salt water.
It's more absorbent than 3-strand or braid, more water weight in the rope will help anchoring so it is said.
It has less stretch than 3-strand, and the longer it is used the better the hand gets.

If anchored in heavy weather repeated cycling under load becomes a big problem, especially with nylon. The working load on nylon rode should not exceed 20% of its breaking strength.
I can't think anything less than 5/8s Diameter which is rated 11,000 lb breaking. (20% or 2200lbs seem like hardly enough What exactly is the Working Load of a 5500# Ariel on the end of the rode in a storm with a name?)
It's $.99 a foot off the spool.

1/4" G4 chain is of no use since there is no shackle that matches its WLL.
30' of 5/16 G4 seems about right. I believe Craig has something like that on his Supreme.
Defender has prespliced rope/chain with 30' of 5/16" G4 spliced to 270' of 5/8" 8-strand for $350 (220' $310). The shipping from the East Coast to California is $63 UPS for the 80lb shipping weight. Interesting that 50' less rope adds up to 57lb. (source: Defender catalog and an order taker on the phone.) I didn't buy it. Was hardly willing to part with the $350.

Just looking at this.
Getting short custom lengths of G4 is a problem and buying a ready spliced rode seemed like a good idea. Except for the extraordinary shipping cost. The prices for 3-strand, braided and 8-strand plait are more or less the same: between $.85 and 1.30 for 1/2" and 5/8". 8-strand seems generally hard to find.

Imagining the Ariel anchored in a storm on the end of a single line, 5/8" seems about where I'd be doubting my trust,
especially if the load skinnies the braid's 5/8" diameter down to 3/8"!!!

The maker of Defender's 8-strand is Buccaneer Ropes. Who they?
Samson doesn't make Maypole laided rope (that's what a Brit source calls it).
Yale is new at it.

Any thoughts on this?
Any West Coast sources?