Anchor bridle aka snubber - advise please

[OS2Dude]

I made my own bridle based in the dimensions of a Mantus bridle. 50' of 5/8" 3 strand line giving each leg 25'. (Plus a 5' length to use to braid the two legs together.) I did not put in an eye on the ends per a warning about the difficulty in freeing an eye from a cleat in a storm if required. I kept the line in one piece and braided a 5' section of strand taken from the excess to hold the two legs together. Start with strand's mid-section tight against the thimble, and back braid both halves up the main line effectively sewing the two legs together. This holds the heavy duty thimble in place. I also made a dyneema snubber encased in a double braid covering to connect the bridle to the anchor rode. (Chain or Line)

[Wallaby]

I strongly advise having more than one snubber/bridle onboard. Anchor often enough and something will eventually go wrong, usually at the worst possible time.

To wit, I carry

1) a 1/2" 3-strand ex-long snubber (one leg) with a chain hook. It has all sorts of uses, including taking the strain if there is a jam elsewhere
2) a 3/4" 3-strand ex-long bridle. The 'hook' is a U-slot in a piece of s/s plate 1/2" thick. The chain is secured into the U with a latch. The plate is shackled to the bridle legs. The cleat ends are loops--I do not worry about not being able to release them under load. They stay in place. The U-plate drops away as soon as I pull a securing pin.
3) as above, but used and showing signs of wear.
4) a mantus chain hook with 60+ feet of 8-braid as snubber (hurricane use).
5) when I get the time, I'll be making several soft shackles from Dyneema to test against the U-plates.

[Off Trail]

Dsanduril has a good link on the soft shackle. Beware that these can become addictive

Our snubber is 40 feet of 1/2 inch 3-strand nylon. Drew Frye did some good analysis on sizing for appropriate stretch, which is what we (roughly) used: https://www.practical-sailor.com/sai...l-snubber-size

[doublewide]

You have described the bridle we have used successfully on our catamaran for many years. Recommend you attach bridle to chain with Prusik and soft shackle of dyneema. This system is strong, quick, and dependable.

[Tomodore]

consider research on Practical Sailor Magazine. Anchor issues are same power or sail..mostly. They have extensive real world engineering tests of hardware for attaching snubber to chain as well as how long and what material your snubber may be. They have a booklet on line for sale that covers this. I have no interest in the company except as a long time subscriber. On our boat we used to use a rolling hitch but now use a camel hitch for attaching the bridal to the chain.

[Mike OReilly]

My vessel is a 15 ton, 37' cutter. I almost always run my snubbers in a bridle (dual snubbers). My current ones are 3/4", 40' long (so 40'x2).

I attach them directly to the chain via rolling hitches. So no need for hooks or thimbles or shackles. Not saying those don't work -- they obviously do. But after trying four or five different hooks I found a simple rolling hitch is the most secure, and easiest to employ. Note though, I think the soft shackle looks interesting, and may try one.

I don't deploy the full length all the time -- rarely in fact. It's nice to keep some in reserve should you want to ease more out quickly.

[Flatswing]

Another vote for a soft shackle. Google it. They are expensive to buy but very Cheap & very easy to make (Dyneema is $1/ft). I made up several -using 1 to attach nylon thimble splicers snubber to SS eye 1ft above waterline (DeFevers have a huge bow) the other end quickly attaches a nylon thimble lined splice to the chain . Quiet at anchor & easy to handle in inclement weather. I always worry about chafe & UV damage ,do change out every 2 yrs.

[meirriba]

This is the shackle we use. Easy to connect and cannot slip.
The jaw goes over the link, not through. The captive pin eliminates option of slipping.

[SV__Grace]

You will need a hella big shackle to join two thimbled snubber lines into a bridle. I've done this with the largest shackle that Mantus sells.

I use and love the original Mantus chain hook. Easy to get on, doesn't come off until you want it to, and plenty strong. I've tested their new claw version and it is great if you keep it off the bottom as the "keeper" strap can break easily. I prefer the ability to shorten and lengthen my snubber as needed and if the storm passes and wind dies I don't want my snubber slipping off. (the Wichard hook with the pin looks good as well)

Do NOT attach your snubber to your boat with spliced eye loops like a dock line!

I DO have spliced eye loops in my snubber bridle ends, but they are soft shackled to dyneema lines (with chafe protection) that I use to lengthen or shorten the bridle legs as needed. Each leg is 30 feet, which I've determined for my boat is optimum for needed stretch without undue bungee effect in strong winds and waves. Typically the ends are cleated at the midship cleats but in a storm I use the aft cleats and run the dyneema lines (60' each) to the cockpit winches to be able to let out more scope if needed from the comfort of the cockpit in a gale.

I love soft shackles and use them liberally all over my boat, but would NOT use one to attach the snubber to the chain. Besides chafe, which does happen with soft shackles, it is too much effort and time to remove, especially in an emergency when all hell is breaking loose.

[TBW]

Tried hooks - fell off; mantus - little rubber strap does not hold up more than a use or two. have two lines; about 30 feet or so. loop one end, plain other end.
found the right size shackle (crosby) and make it up straight to the anchor chain through the two loops.
run chain out, adjust each line. works a treat. you can save a lot of money if you do this before buying expensive hooks - use Crosby shackle.
TW

[capn_billl]

I've only had the hook fall of once. (so far).

I loosen the chain between the hook, and the windlass until I see a visible loop, and hold the retrieval line taught until the weight of the chain is on the hook.

I've also thought of tying a few wraps of the hook retrieval line around the hook & chain.

I'm not sure how well it will work in practice.

The hook with the captive pin looks good.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by meirriba

This is the shackle we use. Easy to connect and cannot slip.
The jaw goes over the link, not through. The captive pin eliminates option of slipping.

Glad this works for you. This is one I tried for a while. It never fell off, but I found it somewhat hard to engage, but worse, it would sometimes seize on the chain and become very hard to dislodge.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by SV__Grace

You will need a hella big shackle to join two thimbled snubber lines into a bridle. I've done this with the largest shackle that Mantus sells.

I use and love the original Mantus chain hook. Easy to get on, doesn't come off until you want it to, and plenty strong. I've tested their new claw version and it is great if you keep it off the bottom as the "keeper" strap can break easily. I prefer the ability to shorten and lengthen my snubber as needed and if the storm passes and wind dies I don't want my snubber slipping off. (the Wichard hook with the pin looks good as well)

Do NOT attach your snubber to your boat with spliced eye loops like a dock line!

I DO have spliced eye loops in my snubber bridle ends, but they are soft shackled to dyneema lines (with chafe protection) that I use to lengthen or shorten the bridle legs as needed. Each leg is 30 feet, which I've determined for my boat is optimum for needed stretch without undue bungee effect in strong winds and waves. Typically the ends are cleated at the midship cleats but in a storm I use the aft cleats and run the dyneema lines (60' each) to the cockpit winches to be able to let out more scope if needed from the comfort of the cockpit in a gale.

I love soft shackles and use them liberally all over my boat, but would NOT use one to attach the snubber to the chain. Besides chafe, which does happen with soft shackles, it is too much effort and time to remove, especially in an emergency when all hell is breaking loose.

In an emergency - KNIFE!!!! It is no big deal at all and very fast to cut a 3-strand or double braided nylon line under tension. And after the emergency the bride line(s) is(are) still attached to the chain, so can be retrieved and you only lose a short section of line. We’ve had to do this with our permanently mounted catamaran bridle lines (eye splices in thimbles and hard shackled to pad eyes on the hull) to free us from a sailboat that dragged down onto us.

Regarding soft shackle to chain, in our case the right size soft shackle is too big to easily fit through the chain. So we use a Dyneema climbing sling and pass that through the chain, then the soft shackle through the sling and the two thimbles. Not much trouble, and no risk of releasing.



Gratuitous puppy shot as she inspects the trampoline near the anchor roller.

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

Originally Posted by Off Trail

What you've listed will work. We've settled on a single nylon snubber. The rode end has a spliced eye that we soft-shackle to the chain. I like the soft-shackle rather than hooks or hardware to avoid dings in the boat during handling or if the boat rides forward on the rode.

The aft end of the snubber is made fast to a stern cleat. No eye on that end so we can adjust the length by moving the cleat hitch.

-Dan

This is how I do it normally. I add another line and make it a bridle if storm is coming but I get by with a single snubber; spliced loop is with soft shackle at chain and other end doesn't have a loop unless I tie one in it. A 50' 1/2" line run through bow cleat and attached to midship cleat works great but I use a shorter one in settled weather.

[ilenart]

Originally Posted by markguthrie

Yes, I have heard of that technique, but I am thinking the separate lines will give redundancy.

How often do payout in the 20 to 30' range. I am always second guessing myself on lengths.

Have only used the double bridle a couple of times so far in less than 25 knots. Main issue so far was to keep the hook off the bottom so it was under tension and not fall off. Some of the other posters comments sound interesting using knots and soft shackles. However with our curent hook it is very easy to remove so will probably stick with what I have. Like a lot of things with sailing, everything is a compromise .

Ilenart