TWISTED VS. BRAIDED
Ropes are commonly built in one of two ways. They are either twisted or braided. Twisting is the oldest and simplest way to make rope. It also is the way individual filaments are gathered together into fibers, which then become strands of a rope. Twisted ropes are easy to manufacture, relatively inexpensive, and disposable. Because they are inexpensive, twisted ropes are often used in settings where strength, durability and reliability aren’t factors. Twine on a bale of hay is a good example of a twisted rope at work. It is used once and then thrown away.
Braided ropes, on the other hand, are the workhorses of the rope world. By braiding fibers together into strands and strands into rope, it is possible to overcome the shortcomings of twis..

What is anchor rode?
Ideally, the rode for any anchor setup should consist of both chain and rope.The chain should be on the end with the anchor. Why use both chain and rope? First, it keeps the nylon rode from wearing away by rubbing on the bottom of the sea-floor as the boat swings. Second, because the chain is heavy, it holds the rode to the bottom so the pull on the anchor is horizontal, which reduces the chances of your anchor unsetting.

What type of rope should I use? Nylon, Polyester, or ...?
For most boaters, the best type of rope to use when anchoring is nylon. Nylon has many advantages for anchoring including:

It's elastic therefore offering good shock absorption
Light and flexible
Good strength
The most common anchor rope found in marine stores
It sinks
Nylon anchor rope is light, flexible, strong, and provides elasticity, which mitigates peak loads on your anchor and boat. Unfortunately, the v...