Help. Anchor Bridle and Chain Hook

Puffin_NT32 · Mar 9, 2016

Pgitug, run bridle through forward chocks. I hang on a mooring and anchor out most of the time. My mooring pennant has two 1" poly lines that I run through the 1" chocks and looped over the Sampson Post. At anchor, I'm all 5/16th chain.

I made up my anchor bridle with a galvanized chain hook, attached to galvanized swivel, spliced to 2 lengths of 5/8th three-strand rope. Picture below, you can see my setup, through the chocks, with tube of black anti-chafe at the chocks, and lashed to the forward side cleats on gunwale. I could also tie off bridle on Sampson Post but gunwale is a stronger tie-off point.

I carry a 35# Delta primary. My second roller carries either a 29# folding grappling (pictured) or 20# Bruce, used as lunch hook or when fishing.

With this setup, the boat has taken on Cat 1 hurricanes at mooring, and I've ridden out 60 knot + squalls at anchor.

Nomad Willy · Mar 9, 2016

Hey guys give Mark a break.
He's absolutely right.

AKDoug · Mar 9, 2016

The latest issue of PS has an article on chain hooks, spend newsletter but given the cost of marine hardware money well spent. The end result of their study was that every type of chain hook except the cradle hook resulted in a loss of chain strength of around 20%.

The Mantus hook had a 40% reduction in chain strength due to point loading, standard "grab" hooks were 22%. I am not sure how important this information is, since the anchor system never approaches "fail" loading under normal circumstances. Shock loading with a snubber should keep things in a safe margin, but after reading the article if I had an all chain rode I would be using a cradle hook.

Just a note, since I just read the article, latest issue...

Pgitug · Mar 9, 2016

Puffin_NT32 said:
Pgitug, run bridle through forward chocks. I hang on a mooring and anchor out most of the time. My mooring pennant has two 1" poly lines that I run through the 1" chocks and looped over the Sampson Post. At anchor, I'm all 5/16th chain.

I made up my anchor bridle with a galvanized chain hook, attached to galvanized swivel, spliced to 2 lengths of 5/8th three-strand rope. Picture below, you can see my setup, through the chocks, with tube of black anti-chafe at the chocks, and lashed to the forward side cleats on gunwale. I could also tie off bridle on Sampson Post but gunwale is a stronger tie-off point.

I carry a 35# Delta primary. My second roller carries either a 29# folding grappling (pictured) or 20# Bruce, used as lunch hook or when fishing.

With this setup, the boat has taken on Cat 1 hurricanes at mooring, and I've ridden out 60 knot + squalls at anchor.

Looks like a nice set up.

HopCar · Mar 9, 2016

Interesting timeing on this thread. I just made a bridle for some nice folks I met on the Cruisers Forum. I offered them the plate from Seadog, a regular chain grab hook and the new chain hook from Suncor. They went with the regular grab hook.

motion30 · Mar 9, 2016

I tried using a regular chain Hook, I could not get it to reliably stay on the chain. as the chains hook does not have constant pressure and sometimes no pressure at all

BruceK · Mar 9, 2016

Wonder what the strength reduction is using the Sea Dog plate I just fitted up? Hope it does better than the Mantus.
I shied away from the ordinary bear claw hook thinking it would put uneven stress on a link. Last thing you want is a hole in your chain.
Years ago I had some involvement with lifting straps, the kind used to lift boats(they had failed due to an inferior repair). I saw diagrams of different methods of attachment and how the straps were brought together to the lifting attachment point. I don`t recall details, but do recall how it was done produced significant differences in the SWL.

Tom.B · Mar 10, 2016

HopCar said:
Interesting timeing on this thread. I just made a bridle for some nice folks I met on the Cruisers Forum. I offered them the plate from Seadog, a regular chain grab hook and the new chain hook from Suncor. They went with the regular grab hook.

You met us over there too, Parks? :blush:

Yes, we went with the traditional hook... for now... but have you make the snubber so different hooks can be swapped out easily should we opt for that. Honestly, we are currently "fair weather" boaters, so the newest and fanciest stuff really wouldn't do us much good. Good old reliable is fine for now. If we start cruising full-time like DaddyO or a few others here, we will probably upgrade. We'll see.

HopCar · Mar 10, 2016

Hi Tom, I'm easily confused.

caltexflanc · Mar 10, 2016

The slotted chain plate style like I and others use, if reasonably thick, is just a beefier version of a cradle hook. I haven't seen the Seadog version so can't comment on it.

Traditional chain hooks put a twisting torque on the chain, which contributes to their load reduction issue.

Tom.B · Mar 10, 2016

HopCar said:
Hi Tom, I'm easily confused.

And for the record, everyone...

Parks is building our snubber to our spec and is doing a great job and for a really good price. He has emailed us pictures of progress, is en engaging us on what we need, and is being patient while Bess and I discuss changes.

He has sold us our anchor chain/rode for less than anyone else we got prices from and shipped it for his cost. He has been wonderful to work with and I will be calling him more often for quotes on... STUFF. :smitten:

Thanks Parks.

FlyWright · Mar 10, 2016

I hear he delivers anchors in person, also, for nothing more than the cost of a few beers and some morning coffee. That's service!!

AKDoug · Mar 10, 2016

The slotted hooks still point load the individual link, the cradle hooks cup the entire bottom of the link and spread the load over the part of the link that would be loaded under normal circumstances. The "lifting" industry has well documented how to load a chain for maximum strength. The PS article referred (and deferred) to the "lifting" industry data.

The Mantus was the thinnest of the slotted hooks, which is why it lost the highest percentage of chain strength.

HopCar · Mar 10, 2016

Tom, thank you for the kind words!

Tom.B · Mar 10, 2016

HopCar said:
Tom, thank you for the kind words!

It's a bow-mance. :socool:

woodscrew · Mar 16, 2016

The PS article missed the best chain hook out there. The Ultra Chain Grab from Quickline. 316 ss, heavily built and the only one I have seen that pulls in line with the chain.Not at an angle which weakens the chain. Well designed, it stays put until you pull the chain taught with the windlass and then will drop off with a couple of shakes of the snubber line(s). I did have to smooth up the inside of the shank where the rope(s) splices on.

FF · Mar 18, 2016

ANY old sailboat snap shakle is strong enough for a snubber line, and pulls the chain properly.

As the line must be thin to enjoy the stretch , there is seldom much load on the unit.

Should the snubber part , you still get the snap shakle back!

Low cost , low effort, the choice even for the Bestitis folks.

angus99 · Mar 18, 2016

woodscrew said:
The PS article missed the best chain hook out there. The Ultra Chain Grab from Quickline. 316 ss, heavily built and the only one I have seen that pulls in line with the chain.Not at an angle which weakens the chain. Well designed, it stays put until you pull the chain taught with the windlass and then will drop off with a couple of shakes of the snubber line(s). I did have to smooth up the inside of the shank where the rope(s) splices on.

Thanks for posting. Does anyone else have experience with one of these?

Capt.Bill11 · Mar 18, 2016

woodscrew said:
"the only one I have seen that pulls in line with the chain."

woodscrew · Mar 21, 2016

Capt Bill
I did see the one you have pictured here, but it doesn't look anywhere near as strong as the Ultra. The pics speak for themselves.

psneeld · Mar 21, 2016

But testing speaks louder...

If it's rated strong enough.....then it's what it is .

Looks like both depend on welds which make me wonder about quality control.....thankfully they are just for snubbers.

woodscrew · Mar 21, 2016

The Ultra in 3/8" chain size is rated for 11,000 lbs. Don't know about the other one. Everything I've bought from Quickline has been really good quality. I've been in the marine trades for 45+ years so I've seen a lot of hardware both good and bad. More bad than good.

caltexflanc · Mar 21, 2016

The U shaped chain plates many of us use do the same thing. I like the centering effect they provide and they tend to cut down horsing.

I used to use a single line, rated for the rode size required by the boat, attached to the chain with a rolling hitch. Served me extremely well in a wild squall as well in almost three days of 20+knot winds. Plus it made me look and feel kind of salty. Then a friend gifted me the plate and bridle and we never looked back.

Searios · Mar 21, 2016

I prefer the Kong’s Stainless Steel Chain Gripper...it can be attached onto the chain inside the safety of the rails, no need to lean out over the rails.
It works especially well if you have an anchor on the side through a hawse pipe.

Kong 8mm-12mm Chain Gripper Shackle

http://www.bluemarinestore.com/chain-gripper-from-kong/

Help. Anchor Bridle and Chain Hook

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