Are you using a Bridle with your anchoring setup?

Are you using Snubber, Bridle, or nothing?

Unless there's a surge or in the open ocean, nothing.

Always a snubber
Never know what'll happen at 2am and don't want to he expensive windlass taking that load

A snubber is quick and easy to deploy and take the load off the windlass, but I usually don't need it as I have a chain/nylon rode and rarely are in "all-chain" mode.

Always a snubber. In fact two to create redundancy and a bridle. Helps decreasing sailing at anchor which I find annoying. Often in areas where theres brief squalls and need my beauty sleep. Also use the mantus chain hook. Has never fallen off but is easier than a truckers hitch. Your set up should be as strong as your chain.

backinblue said:

A snubber is quick and easy to deploy and take the load off the windlass, but I usually don't need it as I have a chain/nylon rode and rarely are in "all-chain" mode.

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You should still cleat it off though.

Bridle. I love it when I back down to set the anchor and I see the two legs of the bridle begin to become taught, and then the boat comes to a quick stop. Makes for peaceful sleeping.

caltexflanc said:

You should still cleat it off though.

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Of course, I thought that was a given. Whether a snubber or the nylon rode, it cleated so there is no load on the windlass.

Bridle is the way to go. We have anchored with and without the bridle and the
noise of the chain shift while trying to sleep is a pain. Taking the strain off the windlass
is a big help not to mention peace of mind. The Mantus connector is easy to attach and
release.

If I'm in deep enough water to have some of the nylon portion of my rode out, I just cleat it off. If I'm on just chain, it's usually a single snubber and also cleat off the chain as a backup.

I do need to experiment with bridles a bit more, but from the little bit I tried, they don't make my boat sit any better, as my bow cleats are fairly close together.

All-chain rode.. Always a snubber at least. Bridle if conditions warrant.

boathealer said:

All-chain rode.. Always a snubber at least. Bridle if conditions warrant.

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Almost always use a single, light weight, single snubber because 90 percent of the time thats all that's needed. If weather changes, I can add or change to what " might" be needed.

But that's me and my current boat, others may need something different. Experimentation results in knowing rather than taking possibly advice that may not work for you.

Always use a bridle. It's easy to use and gives peace of mind not to mention taking stress off the windlass. I made this up when bring the boat home from Philadelphia. On the winter project list is splicing in stainless steel thimbles to eliminate chafe on the shackle.

I bought the chain hook in France while sailing with my cousin. Unlike most things marine it was a bargain. The cost was less than $25.00 US.

Like Hippocampus I have never had an issue with it slipping off.

Rob

Datenight said:

Always use a bridle. It's easy to use and gives peace of mind not to mention taking stress off the windlass. I made this up when bring the boat home from Philadelphia. On the winter project list is splicing in stainless steel thimbles to eliminate chafe on the shackle.

I bought the chain hook in France while sailing with my cousin. Unlike most things marine it was a bargain. The cost was less than $25.00 US.

Like Hippocampus I have never had an issue with it slipping off.

Rob

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I would definitely add thimbles. Even if not spliced, they should work. My permanent dock lines are double braid, tied not spliced. They have thimbles that attach to shackles to eyes and rings on the dock and pilings. After a few seasons and 1 (not too strong) hurricane, they seem to be holding up well.

Never used one though I had it aboard. Chain is its own snubber, at least until the catenary is pulled out.

bayview said:

Never used one though I had it aboard. Chain is its own snubber, at least until the catenary is pulled out.

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Sort of. We usually anchor in 6-7ft of water. Not a lot of catenary weight there.

Not to mention off-loading the windlass gearbox (unless a chain grabber/stop is available).

Snubber. Always. For us.

bayview said:

Never used one though I had it aboard. Chain is its own snubber, at least until the catenary is pulled out.

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True if it's a calm night, but that the problem with all chain. During a decent blow, the chain can become bar tight. That's no the time to want to add a snubber or bridle. Also, that condition not only puts stress on your windlass, but also can lessen the effectiveness or your anchor. I have never had an all-chain rode. I know it has some advantages but so does the stretchiness of nylon.

bayview said:

Never used one though I had it aboard. Chain is its own snubber, at least until the catenary is pulled out.

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In shallow water you'll never have much useful catenary. But with heavier chain on a larger boat and deep water, the story is very different. That's why you don't see snubbers on ships. They end up with enough catenary combined with the heavier ship having much less reaction (and therefore less load spikes on the rode) from wind gusts and waves, so it would take a whole heck of a lot for them to actually pull the chain tight. With most of our boats, unless in very deep water with 300+ feet of chain out, it doesn't take as much as you'd think to pull chain tight enough that there's no useful shock absorption left.

Ships also have live watches and running engines when winds pipe up.

In many US anchorages you hear the USCG issue a broadcast requiring them to do so.

Ships and anchoring..... I have always read and thought their anchoring and small boat anchoring have almost as many differences than similarities.

I never had a need for a bridle. I use all chain rode with 5:1 scope. Even in 60mph gusts we do not jerk up against the chain. With a bridle we sail around at anchor much more than without one. I always secure the chain with the stopper and relax tension on the windlass.

I think the widespread anchoring questions wind up with widespread answers because people vary, boats vary, experiences vary, and needs vary because of when/ where you anchor varies. One can't always anticipate what variable is the most significant for any given situation.

I wouldn't anchor the same way in Alaska or Patagonia as I do here in Florida during one of the many tranquil nights I choose to anchor. Nor will I when a severe cold front is coming through or a pop up tropical depression forms before I can beat it home.

So any advice here often is not entirely right or wrong, just what works for the boater.

That said, my friend with a 48 sailing cat and a huge mantis anchor dragged the other day almost 1/8 of a mile. His first time with a well respected anchor and a guy who pretty much has lived at anchor for months and months for many years from Jersey to the southern Bahamas. Surprised him and he is still rethinking why it happened. I told him I know it is hard to figure out the small difference that can happen every time you drop anchor, but like going aground, you do anything long enough and change any part of your normal equation and crap happens.....we are only human.

There are several ways to assemble a bridle. Why not splice the bridle lines directly to the chain hook and eliminate the possibility of the pin backing out of the shackle?

boathealer said:

All-chain rode.. Always a snubber at least. Bridle if conditions warrant.

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Thats what we do as well. I never have the strain on the windlas, and depending on the conditions and length of time we will be at anchor will deploy the bridle.

I am surprised by the number of you who find that, especially with an all-chain rode, a snubber is necessary to protect against shock loads. Perhaps this is a regional thing, but anchoring in the Pacific, we typically have at least 200 feet of all-chain out. As such, I find that the catenary effect of the chain eliminates the risk of any shock load. But perhaps I am missing something.

I'm a bridle guy, however, in many cases a simple snubber would be fine.

All chain, I use a bridle mostly, occasionally a snubber. Never niether because of chain rumble, master is forward.

MYTraveler said:

I am surprised by the number of you who find that, especially with an all-chain rode, a snubber is necessary to protect against shock loads. Perhaps this is a regional thing, but anchoring in the Pacific, we typically have at least 200 feet of all-chain out. As such, I find that the catenary effect of the chain eliminates the risk of any shock load. But perhaps I am missing something.

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Deeper water with more chain out greatly extends the point where a snubber becomes necessary. Larger boats help too, as weight increases faster than water surface or windage, so the larger boat reacts less to gusts and waves, meaning less energy to absorb in the rode.

You guys that are still using chain hooks should look into soft shackles to attach your snubber/bridle to your chain. They are light, quiet, stronger than the chain (and chain hook) and, as a bonus, way less expensive than chain hooks. We converted and wouldn’t consider going back to a chain hook.

We use a bridle if not in a quiet, protected anchorage. If in a protected location, we set the chain stopper and relax the windlass. If it is a reasonable shallow anchorage and the wind comes up, the chain can make some noise, so that would be a bridle night. Quick and easy either way.

guy with a boat said:

You guys that are still using chain hooks should look into soft shackles to attach your snubber/bridle to your chain. They are light, quiet, stronger than the chain (and chain hook) and, as a bonus, way less expensive than chain hooks. We converted and wouldn’t consider going back to a chain hook.

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We do just that.

boathealer said:

We do just that.

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How does that attach?