Anchor Bridles & Snubbers

[BruceK]

We carry both single line hook/bearclaw and a 2 line Seadog plate snubbers. The former works ok, but what bothers me is the load on one link which I think the plate system avoids.

 

[FlyWright]

I don't like chain hooks I use a dyneema loop wrapped around the chain and then connect each end of the bridle lines with a soft shackle. Won't slip, easy, cheap, and no hard metal bits to wear the chain or mar the boat.
View attachment 92057

Me, too, Dave.

Since I anchor typically in 20-45 ft of water, I keep 2 of these Dynema loops on my chain at 90 and 110 ft. They're called Davis Linegrabbers. They hold up to 2000 Lbs. Since I anchor in the relatively benign waters of the CA Delta and SF Bay exclusively, I can probably get by on lighter duty gear than some other big pond boaters. I also have stronger lines for tougher conditions but have never used them.

They are always available for my snubber at my most often used depths. Beyond 120 ft, my rode switches to 5/8 Brait that I tie off at my pulpit cleat.

Here's the Davis AnchorSnubber I pair with the Linegrabbers. It's clipped to the bow pulpit cleat.

The end of this video shows me anchoring from the lower helm. I didn't continue the video to include the snubbing, but I think it's self-explanatory.

Jump to about 8:30 to get to the anchoring.

 

[IntoTheBlue]

I use a Mantus M2 chain hook with 2 25 ‘ 5/8 lines. The M2 is really secure and easy to get off. I’ve tried various types over the years, this is the best. I did increase the length which also proved to be beneficial over our last trip. For short stays (day trip) I still have my old 5/8 line with a hook.

 

[rgano]

I used to use a rolling hitch variation. It is a good and simple solution.

3/4 or 5/8” seems a bit large for your size of boat in terms of the stretch available. For a snubber for my boat, I’d use 5/8” and I’m 43’ and about 35,000 when loaded. With a bridle I make that smaller since it has two legs.

The braided section is interesting. Can you explain why you do that?

I had the snubbers left over from my former 40,000 pound boat. While 1/2 inch would be a bit more suitable for this boat, larger rope is so much friendlier to the hands, and I realized when I downsized to this 12,000 pound boat that I would never have my lift-kept bay boat off into the middle of nowhere anchored in ways and with methods requiring the maximum stretch of a nylon snubber. Heck, I didn't even trust the cleat on this boat that much. So fast forward to Hurricane Michael, and you find Frolic moored in a very narrow canal with a fair amount of wind protect with anchors fore and aft with my too-big snubbers in addition to the four 5/8 inch nylon mooring lines from each bow and quarter cleat. The boat was exposed to at least 90 and maybe 120 MPH winds but no seas at all and nothing broke and the boat did not move an inch. Think I'll keep what I got.

 

[FlyWright]

he boat was exposed to at least 90 and maybe 120 MPH winds but no seas at all and nothing broke and the boat did not move an inch. Think I'll keep what I got.

No reason to mess with success!!!

 

[caltexflanc]

Haven't kept up with this thread nor read it past page 2. But per running the snibber line through the pulpit chute ....
1) of course a lot depends on the boat design and positioning of cleats, chocks, samson posts, hawse holes.

2) Going through the chute, such as it may be on any particular boat, the line is now rubbing over the chain, and as the boat horses, interacts with the edges of the chute itself. If you are going to be in sporty conditions, the snubber line will be moving a lot from side to side and, through elasticity, forward and back.

2A) Again depending on your pulpit (if any) design, an auxiliary advantage of not going the chute is you will also relive pressure on the pulpit by running your snubber off a bow cleat(s). Pulpits are a common place where deck softness and core intrusion occur.

3) I suppose if you don't have bow cleats (an admittedly new to me situation... how do you set a bow line at the dock?) and only a samson post, you could get some awkward angles running the line through a hawse.

4) Agree with chafe protection regardless of what method you use.

I say all this based on years directly and closely observing the behavior of the boat and the ground tackle system under a variety of conditions on a variety of boats, something I get the sense a lot of people don't do, or anchor enough to get a wide sampling, or they just have the good sense to avoid remotely possible bad conditions. And again, certain boat configurations may not be applicable, or so it seems, though I've been on quite a few, I haven't seen them all.

 

[dhays]

Me, too, Dave.

Since I anchor typically in 20-45 ft of water, I keep 2 of these Dynema loops on my chain at 90 and 110 ft. They're called Davis Linegrabbers. They hold up to 2000 Lbs. Since I anchor in the relatively benign waters of the CA Delta and SF Bay exclusively, I can probably get by on lighter duty gear than some other big pond boaters. I also have stronger lines for tougher conditions but have never used them.

They are always available for my snubber at my most often used depths. Beyond 120 ft, my rode switches to 5/8 Brait that I tie off at my pulpit cleat.

I had one of the Line grabbers and it works fine. I have made a few that I feel are stronger but ultimately went with just the continuous loop. Same idea. I like your idea of leaving the line grabbers on the chain.

The other night I was thinking about a different system that I will likely try. It involves a double ended soft shackle. Allen Edwards came up the the double soft shackle to quickly connect a pair of spinnaker sheet to the clew of an asymmetric spinnaker. When I attach my anchor bridle I am connecting two legs of the bridle to the chain. If I can develop one strong enough, I think it would be a bit easier with my setup.

 

[BrianSmith]

On a recommendation from a friend, we bought the Mantus chain hook (https://www.mantusmarine.com/mantus-chain-hook/) about 2 years ago and have used it every time we anchor since then. (All throughout the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico, Virgins, and now St. Martin / Sint Maarten.) Used the SeaDog hook before that, but I was always a little suspcious that it could come off the chain in the right circumstances. (Maybe not?).

The hook is connected to two 25' lengths of 1" 3-strand nylon, which go through the hawse holes on each side of the bow.

Overkill? For most anchoring situation, yes. But since we always use it, we never worry about changing the setup if an unexpected squall blows through, which has happened a couple of times, suddenly exposing our 83,000 lb. boat to 40+ kt winds. As for 1 snubber line vs. 2 - I suppose that's the pilot in both of us - we like redundancy. (Although I must admit, the noise it makes as the load shifts from one to the other is something we had to get used to.)

 

[Bigsfish]

I own a Mantus bridal with the new plastic piece that secures the hook to the chain. I purchased it for bad blows (estimated over 30knts) only used it once and did just fine. I still prefer a single snubber for 99% of the time.

 

[psneeld]

Irv... I agree....


It seems that TF has a lot of avid posters that subscribe to a one of 2 schools of thought....


What is necessary for the likely situation and ALWAYS the worst case scenario.


Isn't gray a big or every day actions? Including boating?

 

[Bigsfish]

Scott

Gray??? I prefer clear.

According to Watfa there is only one absolute in life: I’m always wrong!

 

[O C Diver]

I still have my bridle and slotted plate. Would estimate that in a blow (40+ knots of wind or 4'+ seas) , it would take less than 3 minutes to switch without returning the strain to the windlass.

Ted

 

[Bigsfish]

Ted. Since your solo, to change to your bridal would you need to power up Slow Hand to take the strain off when changing over?

 

[psneeld]

Scott

Gray??? I prefer clear.

According to Watfa there is only one absolute in life: I’m always wrong!

You are correct on that one Irv...well Watfa is correct....as usual.



I guess I better give up boating. Every single day I get told here how to boat and even if I dont have a problem, I am just getting away with something.


Guess I have fooled even my insurance companies that let me self inspect and back down when I point out inconsistencies in their evaluation of me and my boat.


OH...what to do??????

 

[O C Diver]

Ted. Since your solo, to change to your bridal would you need to power up Slow Hand to take the strain off when changing over?

No.
I would take almost all the slack out or the chain between the bow roller and the chain hook. Put the snubber plate on just below the bow roller (I secure the plate with a zip tie [tie wrap] so it can't fall off). Then secure the 2 bridle lines through the bow hawsuer holes to the cleats. Then spool out enough chain so the snubber plate and bridle will take the strain. Final step is to slacken the single line snubber on its cleat until the other snubber has the strain.

Ted

 

[Bigsfish]

In other words you use two single line snubbers in tandem to make a bridal???

 

[Bigsfish]

Scott why does everyone take her side?

 

[psneeld]

Scott why does everyone take her side?

Because you have broad shoulders and really are tougher than you let on....plus she does all that cooking that is so well loved and we don't want her slippng anything into it because she thinks we love you more ...

 

[O C Diver]

In other words you use two single line snubbers in tandem to make a bridal???

No.

This is my double bridle plate (I'm making new lines for it)



This is my single line hook. The small second hook is to keep from loosing the hardware if the line fails, cleat fails or it accidentally went overboard.


Ted

 

[O C Diver]

Scott why does everyone take her side?

Now Irv, that's not true. I take your side......as long as its ok with Watfa.

Ted

 

[Comodave]

No.
I would take almost all the slack out or the chain between the bow roller and the chain hook. Put the snubber plate on just below the bow roller (I secure the plate with a zip tie [tie wrap] so it can't fall off). Then secure the 2 bridle lines through the bow hawsuer holes to the cleats. Then spool out enough chain so the snubber plate and bridle will take the strain. Final step is to slacken the single line snubber on its cleat until the other snubber has the strain.

Ted

Ted,

Great idea of using a zip tie to hold it in place while going over the side. I have had my plate fall of a couple times so I will give your zip tie idea a try.

 

[syjos]

It's not difficult attaching the riding chain stopper.

I put the Seadog slotted plate on the chain right below the roller. While holding the two lines, I let chain out while holding tension on the lines to keep the plate from falling off the chain. When the proper length is out, I run one line through the hawse and cleat it while holding tension on the other line. I run the other line through the other hawse, while maintaining tension and cleat it.

Adjust the two lines for proper positioning of the plate and let some rode out for a lazy loop.

That's it. Takes about 2 minutes and nothing else needed.

 

[caltexflanc]

Reflecting on all this, I feel another factor is, how long are you going to be there? Lunch hook? 1 night? A week or more? Which plays into the factor of what time of year is it, and where you are geographically.... dictating how variable and volatile the weather is.

 

[dhays]

Reflecting on all this, I feel another factor is, how long are you going to be there? Lunch hook? 1 night? A week or more? Which plays into the factor of what time of year is it, and where you are geographically.... dictating how variable and volatile the weather is.

Very true. Calm weather on a lunch hook, I use a short length of 5/8” 3 strand with a simple chain hook. It is the same rig I use to set the anchor before I attach a bridle.

 

[Dani-lu]

You guys should take a serious look at the dyneema soft shackle option. I used to use a hook, but it fell off a couple times, due to no current or wind. The hook is happier when it has tension. The dyneema is as strong as the hook, but can’t fall off. You can purchase ready made dyneema soft shackles or make your own.

 

[psneeld]

Reflecting on all this, I feel another factor is, how long are you going to be there? Lunch hook? 1 night? A week or more? Which plays into the factor of what time of year is it, and where you are geographically.... dictating how variable and volatile the weather is.

Agree .. and as posted in #70...not every action on a boat has to be for worst case scenarios.



When in doubt maybe...but how often should one be in doubt?


Especially anchoring when one doesn't dive on the anchor set.

 

[catalinajack]

We very much like our Mantus bridle but that new "plastic piece that ensures that the hook will stay secure, well, I can asßure that it is, indeed, necessary. Recently, the plactic piece broke ooff while setting the bridle so I let it out without itt. Next morning I pulled in the chain and found the hook detached. Fortunately, it was a very quiet anchorage and there was no strain placed on the windlass. I ordered two replacements from Mantus, four dollars each. I suggest that all who use this product have a spare on hand.

Since we were on a five-day cruise and that happened on our second night, I was able to lash the chain hook in place.

I own a Mantus bridal with the new plastic piece that secures the hook to the chain. I purchased it for bad blows (estimated over 30knts) only used it once and did just fine. I still prefer a single snubber for 99% of the time.

 

[Bigsfish]

Good to know CJack. I like Teds idea of using a plastic tie wrap to secure the chain to the bridal piece. Originally Mantus never offered the plastic retaining piece and relied on slight pressure to keep it in place.

 

[Bryant]

Snubbers

My previous boats didn't have chain, this one does and the roller hight to the water is about 6'+


Think to have the boats windless do the holding isn't the best solution.


Besides there stress maybe better handled by the cleats.




Was looking at a G70 hook with two nylon 5/8" X 15' perhaps


What are you using?

You definitely don’t want the anchoring strain on your windless. For usual weather in the summer on the gulf, I have a 3/4 inch braided nylon line with a West Marine snubber that I attach to the anchor chain. I cleat the line then let out chain to take all strain off the windless.
I recommend you check out the Mantus Anchor line of products. They have a great bridle, which I also have, for heavier weather.

 

[rgano]

I had success in the early years with a regular old chain hook once I learned to leave a large bight of chain hanging between the chain and the boat. Later on I gave up all the notched plate and hook arrangements I had collected and just used my braided snubbers I had made up because of their dual capacity to hold fiber or chain. As there is no un-moused hook to fall free, the bight of chain between boat and snubber attachment point to the rode is minimal with the braided snubber.

Additionally, these snubbers can be employed in a temporary manner for something like adjusting mooring lines under tension at a pier. Say you wake up at a pier during a blow and find your boat pushed into an awkward position, but the lines to windward are too taut for you to dare remove any of them from a cleat in order to pull the vessel to the desired alignment. I'd be grabbing my braided snubber and throwing a hitch onto the line at some convenient point outboard of the boat and then making it secure to a strong point on the boat. Now the too-taut mooring line can safely be taken off the cleat and run to a windlass (got snatch blocks?). Using the windlass to get the boat repositioned leaves you with this mooring line monopolizing the windlass, but the braided snubber is back to the rescue as you resecure it to the mooring line to hold all in place while the mooring line is removed from the windlass and made fast once again to the cleat.

I learned of this type snubber, which we called a "rat-tailed stopper" in the Navy and saw it used a lot in mooring destroyers.

This brings to mind a neat trick - on old destroyers which had no stern windlass, they'd wrap lines around the aft gun mount and rotate the gun to get a temporary advantage. As a career weaponeer, I shudder at this idea thinking of the strain on the gearing, and I certainly refused to consider my 16-inch guns on USS Iowa for use as a crane to haul heavy glass panels of President Reagan's bullet-proof reviewing cage to the top of one of the turrets for his fleet review during the Statue of Liberty in NYC harbor in 1986.

It's a boring rainy Sunday morning, so bear with me....